February 1, 2005

Argentina's 2004 wheat exports total US$1.373 billion 

Argentina exported US$1.373 billion worth of wheat in 2004, the national statistics agency, Indec, reported Monday.

That puts wheat exports up about 46% from 2003, when Argentina shipped US$940 million of wheat, without giving figures for volumes shipped. The higher exports reflect higher production.

Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wheat exporter, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Argentina produced more than 16 million tons of wheat in 2004-05, according to the Agriculture Secretariat. This compares with 14.5 million a year earlier.

Favourable climatic conditions and plenty of water helped farmers to boost yields on the 2004-05 wheat crop, according to the Secretariat.