August 16, 2004

Argentina's 2004-05 Wheat 95% Planted As Of Saturday
 
Argentina's farmers will have planted 94.6% of the country's 2004-05 wheat crop by Aug. 14, the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange said Friday.
 
This puts the pace of planting virtually in line with that of a year ago at this time, when 95% of the crop had been planted, the exchange said.
 
However, planted area is up to 6.1 million hectares, compared with 5.92 million a year ago. Some 5.768 million hectares have been planted so far.
 
If the estimate for area holds, it would mean area is up 3% from the previous year, the exchange said.
 
The crop is progressing well in southern parts of Buenos Aires and in center-south parts of La Pampa thanks to healthy soil moisture conditions, the exchange said. However, wheat in the northern provinces of Salta and Tucuman, which has already entered into the reproductive phases, is doing worse because of a lack of water.
 
Even so, the crop is in "very good" shape overall, the exchange said.
 
Argentina produced 14 million metric tons of wheat in 2003-04, according to exchange data.
 
The Agriculture Secretariat has said 2003-04 production totaled 14.5 million tons. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts that 2004-05 production will total 14.5 million tons.
 
Argentine wheat usually is planted between May and August. The crop is harvested between October and January. 

SUNSEED
 
Meanwhile, farmers will have planted 1.5% the 2004-05 sunseed crop by Saturday, the exchange said.
 
The crop is seen occupying 2.15 million hectares. So far 33,150 hectares have been seeded.
 
Climatic conditions are far from ideal, however.
 
"Humidity continues to be absent and its prolonged absence for two more weeks will cause farmers to abandon not a small number of fields," the exchange said.
 
Because of this, the estimated sunseed area could decline in the weeks ahead, the exchange cautioned.
 
In 2003-04, Argentina produced 3.35 million tons of sunseed, according to the exchange.