August 14, 2006

 

Argentina harvests 99 percent of 2005/06 corn crop

 

 

Argentina's farmers completed 99 percent of the 2005/06 corn harvest as of Thursday (Aug 10), the Agriculture Secretariat reported Friday.

 

The pace is unchanged from last week and is in line with harvest progress last year, when area was bigger.

 

As of Thursday, farmers had harvested 2,404,620 hectares.

 

Area planted with corn totalled 3.165 million hectares compared with 3.4 million a year earlier. The Secretariat's estimate includes area planted with corn used as animal feed.

 

Unfavourable growing conditions led to crop losses of 754,885 hectares.

 

According to the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange, by Jul 21 farmers had completed the harvest on all of the 2.26 million hectares planted with 2005/06 corn.

 

The Exchange's estimate does not include corn planted for use as animal feed. The average yield was 6.54 tonnes per hectare, putting production so far at 14.4 million metric tonnes, according to the Exchange.

 

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

 

The USDA has also put local output of 2005/2006 corn at 14 million tonnes.