October 6, 2008

Argentina still has 17.6 million tonnes of wheat for export

Argentina has 1.76 million tonnes of wheat available for shipment from the 2007-08 crop, the agricultural trade office ONCCA said Friday (October 3).

In August, ONCCA announced that 1.44 million tonnes were available, but exporters only declared sales of 1.1 million tonnes out of that quota.

The government added the remaining sum to its new calculated surplus of 1.46 million tonnes to come up with the updated amount that it will authorize for export this year.

So far this year, ONCCA has approved the export of 9.9 million tonnes of wheat, compared with 9.46 tonnes shipped in all of 2007.

Total exports for 2008 are forecast at 11.6 million tonnes, ONCCA said.

The government has been limiting wheat exports since last year to protect domestic consumers from the effects of rising worldwide wheat prices.