Soya sowing inched forward in Argentina this week where soil moisture levels allowed, but some crops are germinating slowly in parched fields, the government said on Friday. Argentina is the world's No 3 soyabean exporter and the government has forecast 2010/11 area at 18.65 million hectares (46.08 million acres), slightly above last season despite a bigger corn area. Corn and soya compete for acreage.
The La Nina weather anomaly has brought dry conditions to the South American nation's most important farming areas over the past few weeks, meaning sowing has been progressing slowly and raising concerns in global grains markets. "During the last week, there's been a noticeable slowing in crops' development due to the lack of surface moisture," the Agriculture Ministry's weekly crop report said, referring to Bragado in Buenos Aires province. The province is Argentina's biggest soya-producing region and recent patchy rainfall has benefited some areas more than others.
"Early-planted soya in Pergamino (northern Buenos Aires) is in very good condition, they're growing well and they have a good height," the report said, adding that more rain was needed as farmers start planting late-planted beans. By Thursday, farmers had planted 67 percent of the estimated 2010/11 soya area, up 7 percentage points from the previous week and outpacing the previous season by 3 points.
Agriculture Minister Julian Dominguez has forecast 2010/11 soya production at 52 million tonnes, slightly down from last season's 52.7 million tonnes, but some analysts have started to warn that the harvest could now be smaller than expected. The US Agriculture Department (USDA) held its forecast for the soya crop at 52 million tonnes on Friday. Dry weather has also been stalking the 2010/11 corn campaign in Argentina, the world's No 2 supplier after the United States, and crops are showing the strain of inadequate rainfall in parts of Buenos Aires province, the report said.
Argentina gathered a record 22.7 million tonnes last season and Dominguez has predicted 26 million tonnes this year. While some places in Buenos Aires are dry, crop conditions are better in northern Pergamino district and in much of Cordoba - Argentina's No 2 corn-producing region.
"The crops are in good shape. With the rains, soil moisture levels have recovered," the report said, referring to Laboulaye in southern Cordoba. Corn farmers have sown 81 percent of the estimated area of 4.0 million hectares, just 1 percentage points more than the previous week but still beating last season's sowing pace by 4 percentage points.
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