August 28, 2006

 

Argentina's wheat area may fall to 5.1 million hectares

 

 

Argentina may see the area planted with wheat during the 2006/07 crop cycle fall to 5.1 million hectares, down sharply from the 6 million hectares initially forecast by the government, Agriculture Secretariat Cabinet Chief Patricia Lamarca said.

 

The important wheat areas in La Pampa Province and the Southwest of Buenos Aires Province are suffering from drought conditions which have hurt planting.

 

"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, a climatologist at the national weather service, INTA, said.

 

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, Lamarca said.

 

As of Aug 24, Argentina had planted 95 percent of the 5.4 million hectares forecast earlier this month, according to the Agriculture Secretariat. The Secretariat has been steadily reducing area forecasts due to the dry conditions.

 

As of Aug 24, La Plata Province saw just 25 percent of its forecast 68,470 hectares planted with wheat, while 98 percent of the 2.68 million hectares forecast for Buenos Aires Province had been seeded.

 

Planting was complete in Cordoba, Entre Rios and Santa Fe Provinces.

 

The US Department of Agriculture has forecast 2006/07 wheat area in Argentina at 6.1 million hectares and sees production of 14.3 million tonnes.

 

The Agriculture Secretariat has not estimated production for the 2006/07 wheat crop.

 

Last year Argentina produced 12.1 million tonnes of wheat on 4.9 million hectares, according to the USDA.