January 13, 2004

 

 

Argentina's 2003-04 Corn 96% Planted

 

As of January 9, Argentine farmers had planted 96% of the 2003-04 corn crop, the Agriculture Secretariat reported Monday.

 

The pace of planting is up four percentage points from a week ago but down one point from a year ago.

 

The Secretariat estimates the size of the 2003-04 corn area 2.796 million hectares, compared with 3.084 million hectares the previous year.

 

As of Jan. 9, around 2,677,421 hectares had been planted.

 

In most parts of Buenos Aires Province, which accounts for more than a third of total corn production, the crop "is continuing to grow normally, with an excellent state of development and without any major sanitary problems," according to the Secretariat.

 

Meanwhile, recent rain has brought needed relief to corn in the province of Cordoba, where much of the crop is in the flowering stage.

 

The Secretariat's numbers differed a bit from those provided by the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange, whose estimates include planting as of Saturday.

 

The exchange said planted area stands at 2.2 million hectares, though this does not include corn used for feed.

 

Some 97.6% of this had been planted by Saturday, according to the exchange. The exchange has forecast 2003-04 corn production at 12.3 million metric tons, though it says this could rise to 12.9 million under the right climatic conditions.

 

Argentina produced 15 million metric tons of corn in 2002-03, according to the Secretariat.

 

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

 

SOYBEANS

 

As of Jan. 9, farmers had also planted 96% of the 2003-04 soybean crop, according to the Secretariat.

 

This is up two percentage points from a week ago and but down one point from the previous year.

 

Soybean area is seen at 13.75 million hectares, compared with 12.6 million the previous year.

 

As of Jan. 9, some 13,205,710 hectares had been planted.

 

The Secretariat's data contrasts slightly with that provided by the cereals exchange. As of Saturday, farmers had planted 97% of the 2003-04 soybean crop, according to the exchange.

 

The exchange sees area at 13.95 million hectares.

 

SUNSEED

 

Finally, by Friday farmers had finished planting all of the 2003-04 sunseed crop, the Secretariat said.

 

This puts the conclusion of planting two weeks behind last year's rate, according to the Secretariat.

 

In general, the sunseed crop is developing normally, the Secretariat said. Around 45% of the sunseed crop is normally planted in the province of Buenos Aires. Here, "the condition of the crop is good, favored by (recent) precipitation," according to the Secretariat.

 

However, the condition of the crop in Cordoba, which accounts for about 22% of total production, is "complicated" because of hot weather and a lack of rain, the Secretariat said.

 

As of Jan. 9, about 2,058,029 hectares had been sown.

 

The Secretariat estimates area at 2.058 million hectares, compared with 2.378 million the previous year, when Argentina harvested 3.7 million tons of sunseed.

 

The cereals exchange has estimated planted area at 1.95 million hectares. The exchange said that all of this had been planted a week ago.

 

The USDA has forecast 2003-04 sunseed output at 3.3 million tons.