Argentina soy harvest starts, rain slows corn progress

Spanish Market: Agriculture
28/03/25

Argentine soybean farmers began harvesting during the past week and the corn harvest continued to advance even as rain in some areas hindered work in the fields.

The first delivery of soybeans from Argentina's current growing season was received earlier this week at a Cofco processing plant in the town of Timbúes, the Rosario Board of Trade (RBT) reported.

The oilseeds came from fields that were harvested on 21 March, with an estimated yield of about 4.5 metric tonnes (t) per hectare (ha), well above the RBT's forecast for average yields of 2.8 t/ha at the national level for this year.

Soybean crops in parts of Argentina's most important agricultural regions are ready to be harvested, or very close to being ready, and harvesting work should accelerate in coming days, according to the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange (Bage).

Argentina's corn farmers made good progress with their harvesting last week as early-planted corn matures and after some fields of later-planted corn developed early because of drought stress, Bage said.

But work has been slowed in some areas by recent rains that left fields inaccessible. More precipitation is forecast for the next few days in many of the country's key crop-producing areas, which could hamper both the corn and the soybean harvests.

The corn harvest was reported as having completed 19.2pc of the estimated area planted as of 26 March, up from 13.6pc a week earlier. Corn yields averaged 8.4 t/ha at the national level, with average yields in some regions reaching 9.6 t/ha, the Exchange said.

With the progress in corn harvesting and the looming soybean harvest, farmers' sales of both crops jumped in the week ending 19 March, according to the Economy Ministry. Export sales of soybeans more than doubled to 200,800t from 98,700t the previous week, and export sales of corn jumped 72pc to 699,000t.

By Jeffrey T. Lewis

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New tariffs could upend US tallow imports

03/04/25

New tariffs could upend US tallow imports

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Ags prices caught up in tariff fallout

03/04/25

Ags prices caught up in tariff fallout

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Australian beef targeted by US' 10pc tariff

03/04/25

Australian beef targeted by US' 10pc tariff

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