April 2, 2007
Argentina soy, corn harvest paralysed on storms
Heavy rainfall over the past week virtually shut down Argentina's 2006/07 soy harvest, with the harvest advancing just one percentage point from a week ago, The Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange said in its weekly crop report Friday (Mar 30).
Farmers have harvested 11 percent of the soy crop, down 10 points from the same date a year ago, according to the Exchange.
Many fields are also flooded and a break in the rainfall is needed to allow harvest machinery to operate, the Exchange said. Some fields are at risk of being lost due to the flooding.
The Exchange sees Argentina producing a record 45.5 million tonnes of soybeans this year. Yields from the early harvest have been up 42 percent compared to the same point a year ago. The Secretariat sees 45.6 million tonnes of soybeans coming from the 2006/07 crop, while the US Department of Agriculture forecasts production of 44 million tonnes.
Corn
The corn harvest was also paralysed over the past week due to the torrential showers, the Exchange said.
Farmers have harvested 27.7 percent of this year's corn crop, 2.3 points behind the pace at this time last year.
The Exchange sees corn production this year of 22.5 million tonnes.
The Secretariat forecasts 21.6 million tonnes of corn coming from this year's crop, while the USDA pegs output at 21.5 million tonnes.
Estimates for Argentina's 2006/07 crop production in millions of tonnes:
Wheat Soy Corn Sunseed
Agriculture Secretariat 14 45.6 21.6 3.5
USDA 14.2 44 21.5 4
B.A. Cereals Exchange 13.8 45.5 22.5 3.45
Argentina's historical production estimates in millions of tonnes, according to the Agriculture Secretariat:
Wheat Soy Corn Sunseed
2005/06 12.6 40.5 14.5 3.8
2004/05 16 38.3 20.5 3.7
2003/04 14.6 31.6 15 3.1
2002/03 12.3 35 14.7 3.4
2001/02 15.3 30 15.4 3.8
