April 16, 2007

 

Argentina's harvest pace up on break in rainfall

 

 

Argentina's farmers took advantage of a break in the heavy showers that have pelted the Pampas region over the past weeks to push forward with the 2006/07 soy harvest this week, the Agriculture Secretariat said in its weekly crop report Friday (Apr 13).

 

However, the harvest pace is still well behind last year as exceptionally high rainfall recently has prevented field work, with soil moisture levels still too high to support harvest machinery in many areas, the Secretariat said.

 

Farmers are focusing on soy harvesting as the early soy fields are past the optimal maturity state and are starting to suffer losses, which will cut into yields and quality.

 

Meanwhile, the corn harvest is progressing slowly as farmers scramble to bring in the early soy. Some corn crops are also in dire need of being harvested, however, with signs of grains sprouting in certain areas of Cordoba Province, the Secretariat said.

 

Soy

 

Farmers harvested 24 percent of the 2006/07 soy crop as of April 12, compared with 39 percent at the same point a year ago, according to the Secretariat.

 

The Secretariat sees a record 45.6 million tonnes of soybeans coming from the 2006/07 crop, while the US Department of Agriculture forecasts production at 45.5 million tonnes.

 

 

Corn

 

Argentina's farmers have harvested 27 percent of the 2006/07 corn crop, compared with 28 percent at the same date a year ago.

 

The Secretariat forecasts 21.6 million tonnes of corn coming from this year's crop, while the USDA pegs output at 22 million tonnes.

 

 

Sunseed

 

Farmers have collected 97 percent of the sunseed crop, up from 95 percent the same date a year ago.

 

The Secretariat sees 2006/07 sunseed production of 3.5 million tonnes. The USDA forecasts 4 million tonnes of sunseeds coming from Argentina this year.

 

Estimates for Argentina's 2006/07 crop production in millions of tonnes:

 

                                 Wheat     Soy       Corn      Sunseed

 Agriculture Secretary     14       45.6      21.6         3.5

 USDA                          14.2     45.5       22             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