August 14, 2006

 

Argentina's 2006/07 wheat crop 90 percent planted

 

 

Argentine farmers had planted 90 percent of the 2006/07 wheat crop by Thursday (Aug 10), the Agriculture Secretariat reported Friday.

 

That puts the planting pace up from 86 percent a week ago but down from 91 percent at the same time last year.

 

The Secretariat said wheat planting in some areas was being hindered by insufficient moisture. "Unless there are rains in the next days, planting will be concluded, which will affect the initial estimates," the Secretariat said of planting in the southwest of Buenos Aires province.

 

The Secretariat has forecast planted area at 5.486 million hectares, up from 5.2 million a year earlier.

 

According to the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange, farmers had planted 90 percent of the 2006/07 wheat crop by Aug 4.

 

So far farmers have planted 4,928,070 hectares, according to the Secretariat.

 

The Exchange expects planted area to total 5.43 million hectares.

 

In 2005/06, Argentina produced 12 million tonnes of wheat, according to the Exchange. That was down from 16.345 million tonnes a year earlier, when good weather helped lift yields.

 

The US Department of Agriculture has forecast Argentina's 2006/07 wheat crop at 14.3 million tonnes.

 

The Secretariat has not released a formal forecast for 2006/07 wheat production.