July 5, 2011

 

Argentina corn harvest hindered by patchy rains

 

 

Rainfall in some Argentine corn growing areas delayed the 2010-11 harvest last week, but gathering progressed as normal in drier areas, the Agriculture Ministry said in its weekly crop progress report.

 

Argentina is the second-largest corn exporter in the world after the US, and farmers are expected to harvest high yields despite dryness caused by the La Nina weather anomaly in December and early January.

 

"Slowly, and at times on-and-off because of the rains, the harvest continued in Tandil, and we estimate that farmers will finish in the coming week," the report said, referring to a district in Buenos Aires, Argentina's top corn-growing province.

 

Farmers had collected 87% of the 4.34 million hectares planted with corn by Thursday (Jun 29), advancing two percentage points from a week earlier, but four points short of their mark this time last season.

 

Corn harvesting work was halted the previous week by widespread rains. The government expects 21.6 million tonnes of corn to be harvested in the 2010-11 crop, while the USDA foresees 22.0 million tonnes of corn to be produced in Argentina.

 

Plantings of 2011-12 wheat continued over the last week, although rainfall disrupted sowing efforts in parts of Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Entre Rios, the leading growing regions.

 

"In those districts where rains were less intense, producers resumed planting slowly, in other areas they'll need to wait for a few days until soil conditions improve," the report said, referring to Entre Rios province.

 

Farmers had planted 54% of the 4.7 million hectares earmarked for wheat by Thursday, 10 percentage points ahead of the previous week, but lagging last season's pace by four points.

 

Argentina is the world's No.1 soymeal and soyoil exporter, as well as its third-biggest soy supplier. Last month the government cut its estimate for the 2010-11 soy harvest to 49.6 million tonnes, from 50.4 million tonnes previously.

 

According to the report, by Thursday growers had gathered 99% of the the 18.7 million hectares estimated to be planted with soy, the same progress rate as the previous week.

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