March 28, 2006

 

Argentina's 2005/06 soybean crop 10.5 percent collected

 

 

Argentine farmers had harvested 10.5 percent of the 2005/06 soybean crop by Saturday, the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange reported Monday (Mar 27).

 

That puts the collection pace down three percentage points from a year ago.

 

As of Saturday, farmers had collected 1,632,770 hectares, putting production so far at 4.075 million tonnes.

 

The average yield last week was 2.5 tonnes/hectare, up from 2.11 tonnes a week ago but down 17.5 percent from a year ago, when excellent weather lifted yields. In some areas that received healthy amounts of water throughout the planting phase, yields are even totalling around 4 tonnes/hectare, the Exchange said.

 

Planted area totals 15.62 million hectares, up from 14.67 million hectare a year earlier.

 

Last year, farmers produced a record 38.85 million tonnes of soy, according to the Exchange.

 

The Exchange has forecast 2005/06 output at 40 million tonnes while the US Department of Agriculture sees Argentina's soybean production at 40.5 million tonnes.

 

 

Corn

 

Farmers had also harvested 20.3 percent of the 2005/06 corn crop by Saturday, putting the collection pace down 14 percentage points from a year ago.

 

As of Saturday farmers had harvested 446,912 hectares, putting production so far at 2.635 million tonnes.

 

The average yield last week was 5.89 tonnes/hectare, which is up from 5.77 tonnes a week ago but down about 25 percent from a year ago. A prolonged drought during key phases of the planting season crimped yields this season.

 

Still, the Exchange expects yields to increase as the harvest proceeds. The average national yield this season will likely total around 6.3 tonnes/hectare.

 

The USDA has forecast Argentina's 2005/06 corn output at 15.5 million tonnes while the Exchange puts it at 14 million tonnes, way down from about 19.62 million a year earlier.

 

Production estimates are down because farmers planted less corn, and dry weather damaged what was planted. Planted area totals 2.26 million hectares, down from 2.63 million a year ago.

 

The 2005/06 area, including corn grown for use as animal feed, totals around 2.85 million hectares.

 

Argentines plant corn September through January and harvest it February through July.