February 4, 2005

Argentina's 2004 corn exports total 11.175 million tons

Argentina exported 11.175 million metric tons of corn in 2004, according to the latest data from the country's animal- and food-health agency, Senasa.

That puts corn exports down about 11% from 2003, when they totalled 12.58 million tons.  In terms of value, exports totalled US$1.22 billion in 2004, compared with US$1.25 billion in 2003.

Argentina is the world's No. 2 corn exporter behind the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Corn exports fell partly because of lower production. Argentina harvested 13.5 million tons of corn in 2003-04, according to the Agriculture Secretariat, compared with 14.7 million tons a year earlier. Moreover, a rapidly growing domestic poultry industry consumed more corn last year, leaving less for exports.

Argentina normally exports about 70% of its corn production.

The Secretariat expects 2004-05 corn production to jump to between 18 million and 19 million tons, depending on climate and the impact on yields.

Senasa's data differs from competing data released earlier this week by the national statistics agency, Indec. According to Indec, Argentina exported 10,282,946 tons, down 11.7% from 11,649,063 tons in 2003. Officials from both agencies have been unable to explain the discrepancies.