September 1, 2004

Mexican 2004/05 Corn Production Expected At 20.3 Million MT

Mexican 2004/05 corn production is forecast at 20.3 million metric tons, down 0.700 million tons or 3% from last year's record crop of 21 million tons, according to information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service web site.
 
Summary
 
Precipitation across Mexico has not been uniformly persistent during the 2004 monsoon (May-October); however, summer grain varieties can turn moisture scarcity into a positive outcome by harvest. Soil moisture levels have also been up and down; however, there is time for southern corn fields to benefit should good conditions prevail.
 
The annual monsoon traverses Mexico in a southeast to northwest pattern, usually beginning in May, and retreats from northwest to southeast, ending in October. The monsoon is usually longest and most consistent across the southern half of Mexico. It continues north, complementing the expanded hours of daylight, and permitting producers to take full advantage of the fertile soils of the Central Plateau and the coastal Pacific regions. Deviation from this natural course of climatic events in some southern regions does not always result in a decline in total national production, as was demonstrated in 2003, the report said.
 
On balance, progress has been acceptable for the current summer cycle, which accounts for as much as 90% of annual production. Mexican 2004/05 corn production is forecast at 20.3 million tons, down 0.700 million tons or 3% from last year's record crop of 21 million tons. Area is forecast at 7.65 million hectares down 0.020 million hectares or 1% from last year.