April 2, 2009
Argentina February wheat, corn exports down on-year
Argentina exported 1.05 million tonnes of wheat in February, down from the 2.09 million tonnes shipped during February 2008, according to Senasa.
February wheat exports are also down from exports of 1.32 million tonnes in January.
The decline is a response to lower production, as a severe drought limited planted area and hurt crop yields this season.
The Agriculture Secretariat has said it expects 2008-09 wheat production to come in at 8.3 million tonnes, the lowest in 27 years. That is less than the 16.35 million tonnes produced during 2007-08 season, according to its numbers. The US Department of Agriculture has forecast Argentina's 2008-09 wheat output at 8.4 million tonnes.
In February, the agricultural trade office Oncca authorized 520,056 tonnes of wheat for export, a policy aimed at ensuring domestic supplies of the crop. With domestic consumption pegged at seven million tonnes that will leave 1.3 million to 1.4 million tonnes from the 2008-09 crop left for export, if current forecasts hold. That will be down sharply from the 10.2 million tonnes of wheat exported from the 2007-08 crop, according to the USDA.
Wheat shipments in 2008 totalled 8.91 million tonnes, down from 9.51 million in 2007, according to Senasa.
Argentina exported 85,858 tonnes of corn in February, down from 549,676 tonnes shipped in February 2008 and less than the 192,018 tonnes shipped in January, according to Senasa.
Corn exports are down this year because the drought reduced expected output from the 2008-09 crop, as a lack of moisture cut planted area and hurt yields.
The Agriculture Secretariat estimates 2008-09 corn production at between 12.5 million and 13.8 million tonnes, down from 22 million tonnes during 2007-08 corn harvest.
The USDA has forecast Argentina's 2008-09 corn output at 13.5 million tonnes.
In February, Oncca authorized 6.05 million tonnes of corn for export. Corn exports in 2008 reached 15.42 million tonnes, up from 14.71 million in 2007, according to Senasa.
About 14.7 million tonnes were exported from the 2007-08 crop.
