May 22, 2006

Argentina could produce 20 million tonnes of wheat by 2015

Argentina could be producing as much as 20 million tonnes of wheat by 2015, an Agriculture Secretariat official said Friday (May 19).

Under ideal conditions, Argentina's wheat exports could rise to 13.5 million tonnes, Ruben Ciani, the Secretariat's top grain and oilseed analyst, said during a talk at an international wheat conference here in this Argentine coastal city.

Ciani said Argentina will have to improve the way it segregates wheat to remain an important player in the global wheat market over the next decade.

"Most of the leading buyers by then will be importing segregated wheat," he said, noting that the government has launched a programme to help Argentina become better at segregating its wheat like other exporters do.

In less than ideal conditions, Argentina could be producing 18 million tonnes and exporting around 11.7 million by 2015, Ciani said, citing "objective and reliable" forecasts made by the local think tank, Fundacion Producir Conservando.

Ciani said the government's recent efforts to limit wheat exports will not have an impact on the long-term evolution of the country's wheat production.

Last year, Argentina exported 10.75 million tonnes of wheat, worth US$1.321 billion, making it the world's fifth-ranked wheat exporter, according to the US Department of Agriculture.