May 8, 2006

 

Argentina's 2005/06 soybean crop 73 percent collected

 

 

Argentine farmers had harvested 73 percent of the 2005/06 soybean crop by Thursday, the Agriculture Secretariat reported Friday (May 5).

 

That puts the collection pace up from 63 percent a week ago but down five percentage points from a year ago.

 

Although the annual pace is down, farmers are progressing relatively quickly given that area is up some 800,000 hectares from a year ago.

 

As of Friday, farmers had collected 11,024,560 hectares.

 

Planted area totals 15.182 million hectares, compared with 14.4 million hectares a year ago.

 

According to the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange, the average yield last week was 2.7 tonnes/hectare. By Saturday, farmers had produced 28.248 million tonnes of soy.

 

The Exchange has estimated planted area totals 15.62 million hectares, up from 14.67 million hectares a year earlier.

 

Last year farmers produced a record 38.3 million tonnes of soy, according to the Secretariat, which has forecast output this season at a record 39.5 million tonnes.

 

The Exchange has forecast 2005-06 output at 40.4 million tonnes while the US Department of Agriculture sees Argentina's soybean production at 40.5 million tonnes.

 

 

Corn

 

Farmers had also harvested 51 percent of the 2005/06 corn crop by Thursday.

 

That puts the collection pace up from 44 percent a week ago but down substantially from 68 percent a year earlier, when area was bigger. Bad weather has slowed the work of farmers this season and lowered yields.

 

As of Thursday, farmers had harvested 1,257,340 hectares.

 

Planted area totals 3.048 million hectares compared with 3.348 million a year earlier. These figures include area dedicated to corn grown exclusively for use as animal feed.

 

According to the Exchange, farmers had harvested 48.1 percent of 2.26 million hectares by Saturday.

 

The Exchange's estimate does not include corn planted for use as animal feed. The average yield last week was 6.37 tonnes per hectare, putting production so far at 6.746 million tonnes, according to the Exchange.

 

The Secretariat has forecast corn production this season at 14 million tonnes, way down from 20 million tonnes a year ago, when excellent weather lifted yields to record levels.

 

The Exchange has forecast Argentine corn production at 14.4 million tonnes while the USDA has put local output at 15.5 million tonnes.