Argentina's 2009/10 wheat harvest advanced rapidly although it was delayed in some growing areas by recent rains, the Agriculture Secretariat said in its latest report. Argentina is among the world's top wheat exporters but a massive drought hit yields and production fell sharply to 7 million tonnes this year below the 8.4 million tonnes last season.
In the district of Canada de Gomez located in the province of Santa Fe harvesting finished with "mixed yields," the government report said. Wheat harvesting also ended in the province on San Luis, the country's 10th-largest wheat producer. By Thursday, farmers had harvested 71 percent of the 3.13 million hectares (7.77 million acres) expected to be planted with wheat in the 2009/10 season, advancing 17 percentage points from the previous week, but trailing the same time last season by 25 percentage points.
The USDA estimates Argentine 2009/10 wheat output at 8 million tonnes. Recent rains caused floods and damaged crops in some soy-growing areas during the 2009/10 season but other areas were left unharmed, the report said. Argentina is the world's No 3 exporter of soy grains and a leading exporter of soyoil and oilmeal.
Heavy rains during the last two weeks "affected a large area" in the district of Roque Saenz Pena in the south of Cordoba province - the country's top soy producing region, the report added. By Thursday, farmers had seeded 87 percent of the 18.2 million hectares expected to be planted with wheat in the 2009/10 cycle, 4 percentage points from the previous week, and 1 percentage point ahead of the same time in the previous campaign.
The USDA estimates Argentine 2009/10 soy output at 53 million tonnes. Argentina is also the world's third-biggest corn exporter and plants are in good condition in most areas, the report said. By Thursday, farmers had seeded 86 percent of the 3.1 million hectares expected to be planted with wheat in 2009/10 season, 2 percentage points above the previous week, but 4 percentage points behind last season.
Comments
Comments are closed.