October 29, 2007

 

Good conditions spur Argentine soy planting

 

 

Argentina's soy planting spread across the Pampas this week with good soil moisture levels allowing for widespread seeding, the Agriculture Secretariat said in its weekly crop report Friday (October 26).

 

Soy planting "is expected to increase rapidly on the next days," the Secretariat said.

 

Farmers will plant a record 16.5 million hectares with soy this season, a 2.2 increase from last season, according to the Secretariat. Argentina produced a record 47.6 million tonnes of soy during the 2006/07 season.

 

Corn

 

Corn planting continued to speed ahead over the past week.

 

As of October 25, farmers had planted 64 percent of the 4 million hectares seen going to corn this season, nine percentage points ahead of the planting pace on the same date last year, according to the Secretariat.

 

Wheat

 

The 2007/08 wheat crop is developing well due to good soil moisture levels, according to the Secretariat.

 

The Secretariat sees 2007/08 wheat production of between 14.5 million and 15.3 million tonnes. The US Department of Agriculture sees 14.5 million tonnes of wheat coming from the Pampas this season.

 

Sunseed

 

As of October 25, farmers had planted 39 percent of the 2.6 million hectares seen going to sunseeds this season, four percentage point behind the planting pace at this time last year, according to the secretariat.