The heavy rains that pelted parts of Argentina over the weekend did not reach the southeastern part of the bread-basket province of Buenos Aires, where dryness is threatening to dent soyabean production, local farm weather experts said on Monday.
Argentina aims to increase farm production under President Mauricio Macri, who has implemented a slew of market-friendly reforms since taking office a year ago. But the weather has not cooperated with farmers in some key growing areas.
The Buenos Aires Grains Exchange forecasts Argentina's soya planting area at 19.6 million hectares (48 million acres). The dry area of south-east Buenos Aires was originally slated for 1.65 million hectares of soya, some of which may be lost, according to Esteban Copati, crop expert with the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange.
"The south-east continues to be a problem," he told Reuters by telephone. "The worst part is that you cannot plant soya in that area after January 10, so the clock is ticking."
Nationwide, the exchange says about 76 percent of the 2016/17 soya crop has been sown so far.
"Despite it having rained a lot in other areas, south-east Buenos Aires remains dry," said German Heinzenknecht, meteorologist with local consultancy Applied climatology.