January 13, 2004

 

 

Argentina's 2003-04 Wheat 93% Collected

 

As of 9 January, Argentine farmers had collected 93% of the 2003-04 wheat crop, the Agriculture Secretariat reported Monday.

 

This puts the pace of collection up nine percentage points from a week ago but down three points from a year ago.

 

The Secretariat has forecast the 2003-04 area at 6 million hectares, compared with 6.3 million a year ago.

 

Last month, the Secretariat estimated 2003-04 production at 12.4 million metric tons, compared with 12.3 million a year ago.

 

A total of 5,276,010 hectares have been collected so far, while some 317,820 hectares have been lost because of exceptionally dry weather caused by a drought earlier this year.

 

The Secretariat's estimates differed a bit from those provided by the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange, which said that as of Saturday farmers had collected 94.9% of 5.499 million hectares.

 

Around 331,700 hectares of this have been lost because of poor climatic conditions, according to the exchange.

 

The exchange said the average yield so far this year is 2.42 tons per hectare and that production thus far amounts to 12.646 million tons.

 

Based on these yields, the exchange estimated total 2003-04 wheat output of 13.32 million tons, compared with 12.16 million a year ago.

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated 2003-04 wheat output at 12.5 million tons.