December 17, 2007

 

Argentina corn recovering from frost but needs rain

 

 

Argentina's young corn crop is recovering well from the late frost last month, although rainfall earlier in the week was not enough to fully saturate soils and more is needed, the Agriculture Secretariat said in its weekly crop report on Friday (December 14, 2007).

 

Dry conditions are particularly acute in Cordoba province, where traditionally about 40 percent of Argentina's corn is grown.

 

As of Dec. 13, farmers had planted 84 percent of the 4 million hectares seen going to corn this season, one percentage points ahead of the planting pace on the same date last year, according to the Secretariat.

 

Soy planting is progressing although dry weather is stalling seeding in some areas and challenging the young plants, the Secretariat said.

 

As of Dec. 13, farmers had planted 64 percent of the record 16.6 million hectares seen going to soys this season, 11 percentage points behind the planting pace at this time last year, according to the Secretariat. 

 

As of Dec. 13, farmers had harvested 40 percent of the 2007-08 wheat crop, 11 percentage points behind the harvest pace last season.

 

Frost hit the important wheat growing provinces of Buenos Aires and La Plata earlier this month, with damage expected to cut yields in some areas, according to the Secretariat.

 

As of Dec 13, farmers had planted 97 percent of the 2.6 million hectares seen going to sunseeds this season, two percentage point ahead of the planting pace at this time last year, according to the Secretariat.

 

Estimates for Argentina's 2007-08 crop production in millions of hectares (HA) or millions of tones.

 

 

Wheat

Soy

Corn

Sunseed

Agriculture Sec't

15.4MT       

16.6HA  

4HA

2.6HA

USDA

15MT

47MT

22.5MT  

4.5MT

B.A. Cereals Exchange

15.2MT       

16.8HA  

3.2HA   

2.7HA


Argentina's historical production estimates in millions of  tonnes, according to the Agriculture Secretariat:

 

 

Wheat

Soy

Corn

Sunseed

2006/07

14.6

47.6

21.8

3.6

2005/06

12.6

40.5

14.5

3.8

2004/05

16

38.3

20.5

3.7

2003/04

14.6

31.6

15

3.1

2002/03

12.3

35

14.7

3.4

 

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