December 16, 2003

 

 

Argentina's 2003-04 Wheat 45% Collected

 

Argentine farmers have collected 45% of their 2003-04 wheat crop, the Agriculture Secretariat reported on Monday.

 

This is an increase of 6% from a week ago and up 5% from last year.

 

The Secretariat sees the crop's area at around six million hectares, compared with 6.3 million a year ago.

 

Yields in Buenos Aires Province, which is home to the bulk of production, are "better than expected thanks to good conditions created by humidity during the phase in which the grain develops," the Secretariat said.

 

In some regions of Buenos Aires, the quality of the crop is "good and within the commercial standard, but with a low amount of protein," according to the Secretariat.

 

Last month, the Secretariat estimated total 2003-04 production at between 11.3 million and 11.8 million metric tons, compared with around 12.3 million a year earlier.

 

A total of 2,486,670 hectares have been collected so far, while some 316,162 hectares have been lost because of climatic problems.

 

These figures differ a bit from those provided by the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange, which said that as of Saturday farmers had collected 40.1% of 5.83 million hectares.

 

Around 330,700 hectares of this have been lost because of unseasonably hot and dry weather, according to the exchange.

 

The exchange said the average yield so far this year is 2.33 metric tons/hectare and that production thus far amounts to 5.142 million tons.

 

Based on these yields, the exchange estimated total 2003-04 wheat output at over 12 million tons, compared with 12.16 million a year ago.

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated 2003-04 corn output at 12.5 million tons.