July 10, 2009

Chile's 2008-2009 wheat production contracted 7.5 percent from the previous year due to a severe drought, according to the INE national statistics institute's annual crop survey released Thursday (July 9).

During the 2008-2009 season, the South American country produced 11.5 million quintals (100 kilograms) of wheat. Of the 280,644 hectares planted with wheat in the country, 94.5 percent represented soft wheat and 5.5 percent durum wheat.

Wheat crops, which comprise 41.8 percent of the country's grain production, yielded an average 40.8 quintals per hectare, an annual contraction of 10.7 percent, the INE said.

Corn, Chile's second largest grain crop, performed better, with an average yield increase of 3.5 percent, or 104.9 quintals per hectare.

Corn production for the year fell 1.5 percent to 13.5 million quintals, despite a 4.8 percent reduction in crop area from the previous session.

Oats, rice, and barley saw significant contractions in their average yields which the INE survey also attributes to the unusually dry year.

President Michelle Bachelet has set a policy target for Chile to become a major exporter of agricultural products during her administration.