December 29, 2004

 

 

Argentina's 2004-05 Soy Crop 89% Planted By Dec. 24

 

Argentine farmers had planted 89% of the country's 2004-05 soybean crop by Dec. 24, according to the latest Agriculture Secretariat data.

 

That was slower than the pace of planting a year ago, when 91% of the crop was in the ground, the secretariat said.

 

Total planted area this year is seen at 14.2 million hectares, compared with 14.235 million a year earlier.

 

As of Dec. 24, farmers had planted 12.67 million hectares. Recent climatic conditions have been beneficial for the crop, the Secretariat noted, saying it is evolving well.

 

The Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange sees the 2004-05 area at 14.7 million hectares. As of Monday, some 13.23 million hectares had been planted, according to the exchange.

 

Neither the exchange nor the secretariat has formally forecast 2004-05 soybean production. The US Department of Agriculture sees Argentina's 2004- 05 soy output at 39 million tons.

 

CORN

 

As of Dec. 24 farmers had planted 91% of the 2004-05 corn crop, secretariat data show. This puts the pace of planting up from a year ago, when farmers had planted 86% of the crop.

 

The Secretariat expects farmers to plant 3.346 million hectares, up from 2.988 million a year ago.

 

As of Dec. 24, they had planted 3,048,985 hectares.

 

The crop is developing particularly well in Buenos Aires and elsewhere, the secretariat said, adding that recent rain has been "favorable" for the crop's growth.

 

The exchange said Monday that farmers had planted 96.5% of the crop as of that same day. The exchange sees the area of exportable corn at 2.5 million hectares.

 

It said that if the beneficial planting conditions continue through January, production of commercial corn could reach 16.4 million tons, with yields reaching or surpassing the 6.7 tons/hectare of the 2002-03 harvest.

 

Argentina produced 13.1 million tons of corn in 2003-04, according to the exchange. The Secretariat has estimated output during this period at 13.5 million tons.

 

The USDA has forecast 2004-05 Argentine corn output at 15.5 million tons.

 

SUNSEED

 

Farmers had also planted 98% of the 2004-05 sunseed crop by Dec. 24, the Secretariat said. This is down from 99% the previous year.

 

Total area this year is seen at 1.9 million hectares, compared with 1.835 million a year ago.

 

As of Dec. 24, 1,861,089 hectares had been planted.

 

The Cereals Exchange said that as of Monday farmers had planted the entire crop, which totaled 1.92 million hectares, up from 1.8 million a year ago.

 

In 2003-04, Argentina produced 3.15 million tons of sunseed, according to the exchange. The Secretariat put 2003-04 production at 3.24 million tons.

 

The USDA has forecast 2004-05 sunseed production at around 3.4 million tons.