August 28, 2006

 

Argentina's 2006/07 wheat crop 95 percent planted

 

 

Argentine farmers had planted 95 percent of the 2006/07 wheat crop by Aug 24, the Agriculture Secretariat reported Friday (Aug 25).

 

That puts the planting pace up from 94 percent a week ago but down from 97 percent at the same time last year.

 

So far farmers have planted 5,105,190 hectares, according to the Secretariat.

 

Planting has been completed in Cordoba, Entre Rios and Santa Fe provinces, but was only 98 percent complete in Buenos Aires Province and only 25 percent complete in La Pampa Province.

 

Buenos Aires Province accounts for 55.6 percent of Argentina's wheat production, while La Pampa Province accounts for just 6 percent. Seeding in both areas has been affected by drought.

 

In addition, fields planted with wheat are being affected by the lack of rain.

 

There are variations in crop quality, but in general the entire wheat area is suffering, Agriculture Secretariat Cabinet Chief Patricio Lamarca said.

 

The Secretariat has forecast planted area at 5.4 million hectares, up from 5.05 million a year earlier.

 

However, "unless we see rains this weekend, planted area will fall to 5.1 million hectares," Lamarca said.

 

There are no rains expected in the wheat areas of La Plata and Buenos Aires through Thursday of next week, a climatologist at the national weather service, or INTA, said.

 

According to the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange, farmers had planted 97.7 percent of the 2006/07 wheat crop by Aug 18.

 

The Exchange expects planted area to total 5.43 million hectares.

 

In 2005/06 Argentina produced 12.01 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.