November 5, 2009

Argentine soy crushing fell 28 percent in September from the same month a year-ago, according to the latest figures compiled by the CIARA-CEC industry group.

Argentina is the world's top supplier of soyoil and soymeal and the third-biggest exporter of unprocessed beans, but crushing activity has slumped this year due mainly to the sharp drought that hit 2008-09 production.

Grain companies crushed 2.32 million tonnes of soy in September compared with 3.23 million tonnes in the same month of 2008. In August 2009, they processed 2.19 million tonnes.

Crushing in the first nine months of the year was 22.77 million tonnes, down from 24.24 million tonnes a year-ago.

September's output totalled 441,440 tonnes of soyoil, 1.73 million tonnes of pellets and 13,711 tonnes of expellers.

CIARA-CEC, which groups Argentina's leading grains and vegetable oil exporters, started compiling crushing data based on industry figures last year when the Agriculture Secretariat stopped publishing a monthly soy processing report.

Argentina's soy crushing totalled 31.69 million tonnes in 2008, down from 36.27 million tonnes a year earlier.

The country's 2007-08 soy harvest was 46.2 million tonnes, according to government figures, but the US Department of Agriculture, estimates 2008-09 output at 32 million tonnes. Farmers are currently planting 2009-10 soy.