June 19, 2006

 

Argentina's 2005/06 soybean crop 97 percent collected

 

 

Argentina's farmers had harvested 97 percent of the 2005/06 soybean crop by Thursday (Jun 15), the Agriculture Secretariat reported Friday.

 

That puts the pace up from 96 percent a week ago, but down from 98 percent a year earlier.

 

As of Thursday they had collected 14,780,710 hectares.

 

Planted area totals 15,197,966 hectares, compared with 14.4 million tonnes a year ago.

 

According to the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange, the average yield last week was 2.65 tonnes/hectare. By Saturday farmers had produced 40.44 million tonnes of soy.

 

The Exchange has estimated planted area totals 15.62 million hectares, up from 14.67 million a year earlier.

 

Last year farmers produced a record 38.3 million tonnes of soy, according to the Secretariat, which has forecast output this season at a record 40 million tonnes.

 

The Exchange has forecast 2005/06 output at 40.75 million tonnes while the US Department of Agriculture sees Argentina's soybean production at 41.3 million tonnes.

 

 

Corn

 

Farmers had also harvested 90 percent of the 2005/06 corn crop by Thursday.

 

That puts the pace up from 86 percent a week ago but down from 92 percent a year earlier, when area was bigger.

 

As of Thursday farmers had harvested 2,111,440 hectares.

 

Planted area totals 3.05 million hectares compared with 3.348 million hectares a year earlier. These figures include area dedicated to corn grown solely for use as animal feed.

 

According to the Exchange, farmers had harvested 87.7 percent of 2.26 million hectares by Saturday.

 

The Exchange's estimate does not include corn planted for use as animal feed. The average yield last week was 6.47 tonnes per hectare, putting production so far at 12.51 million tonnes, according to the Exchange.

 

The Secretariat has forecast corn production this season at 14 million tonnes, way down from 20 million tonnes a year ago, when excellent weather lifted yields to record levels.

 

The Exchange has forecast Argentine corn production at 14.4 million tonnes while the USDA has put local output at 17.5 million tonnes.