Argentina hits record corn crop of 22.5 million tonnes

Argentina's 2009/2010 corn harvest is estimated to reach 8.5 tonnes per hectare, based on expected yields, according to Buenos Aires Grains Chamber.

It would be marking another record crop similar to that of 2006/07 said the Chamber adding that the hectare yield is a record breaking 8.54 tonnes. This is attributed to the excellent weather all along the corn season.

Nevertheless last weekend rains have impeded finalising the harvest of ''the few lots of second grain which still remain in the fields''. Until Wednesday (June 23) Argentine farmers had harvested 89% of the 2.63 million hectares planted with corn.

This represents a slight 4.8 points delay compared with a year ago with the 2008/09 crop.

''Harvesting could slow further because of rains forecasted for this weekend in several provinces'', cautioned the Grains Chamber.

For the Argentine government the corn crop this year should reach 21 million tonnes, however for the USDA the volume is closer to 22.5 million tonnes.

The Buenos Aires Grains Chamber also released the estimates of the 2009/2010 soy crop, 55 million tonnes and the area expected to be planted with wheat this winter, 4.2 million hectares.