April 30, 2007

 

Argentina's 2006/07 soy output hits 46 million tonnes

 

 

Argentina will produce a record 46 million tonnes of soy from the 2006/07 crop, 500,000 tonnes more than forecast a week ago, the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange said in its weekly crop report Friday (Apr 27). The increase is due to higher-than-expected yields seen in crops harvested over the past week, according the Exchange.

 

As of April 27, farmers have harvested 54.4 percent of the soy crop, down 13.3 points from the same date a year ago, according to the Exchange. Heavy rainfall over the past week has slowed the harvest.

 

Yields improved from the soy harvested this week, bringing average up to 3.27 tonnes per hectare. The late soy and soy coming in from northern provinces are showing high yields, according to the Exchange.

 

The US Department of Agriculture and the Agriculture Secretariat see Argentina producing 45.5 million tonnes of soybeans this year.

 

 

Corn

 

Farmers have harvested 47 percent of this year's corn crop, 1.1 points behind last year's pace.

 

The approaching end to the early soy harvest allowed farmers to focus on corn over the past week, the Exchange said.

 

The Exchange sees corn production this year of 22.5 million tonnes.

 

The Secretariat and the USDA forecast 22 million tonnes of corn coming from this year's crop.

 

 

Sunseed

 

Farmers have completed the 2006/07 sunseed harvest, growing 3.4 million tonnes of sunseeds this year, according to the Exchange.

 

Yields were down from last year due to dry weather early in the season and excess rainfall during the late stages of crop development.

 

The Secretariat and the USDA see 2006/07 sunseed production of 3.5 million tonnes.

 

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

 

                                   Wheat     Soy     Corn     Sunseed

 Agriculture Secretariat    14        45.5      22         3.5

 USDA                           14.2      45.5      22         3.5

 B.A. Cereals Exchange   13.8      46        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