Argentina wheat harvest enters final stretch

: Agriculture
25/01/03

Argentina farmers have entered the final phase of the wheat harvest, following recent rainfall that slowed some progress, according to the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange (Bage).

Wheat harvesting was 94.7pc complete in the week ended 2 January. The harvest advanced by just 6.2 percentage points on account of rainfall that limited progress in southeast Buenos Aires.

The national wheat yield was 3.03 t/ha, up from 2.99 t/ha in the week prior. Bage maintained its forecast for wheat production at 18.6mn t for the 2024-25 crop, despite the national yield increasing steadily each week.

Soybeans

Soybean planting also entered the final stages, advancing by 8 percentage points during the week to 92.7pc completed. Bage maintained its projection of 18.4mn hectares to be planted.

Soybean ratings dropped for the week, with Bage rating the crop as 53pc excellent, 43pc normal and 4pc poor. In the prior week, soybeans were rated as 58pc excellent, 38pc normal and 4pc poor.

Moisture conditions for soybeans were reported as 81pc optimal and 19pc normal, drier than the past week at 88pc optimal and 12pc normal. Most of the soybean growing areas did not receive the rainfall that wheat areas did.

Corn

Corn planting progressed by 6.5 percentage points during the week, reaching 87.4pc completion. Bage maintained its projection of 6.6mn hectares to be planted.

Rainfall in the south of Buenos Aires and in Cordoba improved the conditions for late-planted corn, but moisture conditions for corn declined nationally as much of the crop didn't receive rain amid high temperatures. Corn in south-central Argentina is starting to show signs of water stress, with some yellowing leaves and possible yield loss.

Bage reported corn moisture conditions as 81.5pc optimal and 18.5pc normal, compared to the previous week at 88pc optimal and 12pc normal.

Sunflower

Sunflower harvesting began in Argentina, with the first results having an average yield of 1.88 t/ha. Bage expects the remaining crop to have higher yields.

The sunflower crop was rated as 85pc excellent and 15pc normal for the week, little changed from the week prior. Ratings were significantly higher than this time last year, when the crop was rated as 44pc excellent, 45pc normal and 11pc poor.

The sunflower crop also didn't receive much rainfall for the week, with Bage reporting moisture as 62pc optimal and 38pc normal, down from 65pc optimal and 35pc normal in the prior week.

Bage said 32.4pc of the 2mn hectares of sunflower are in the reproductive stage, and that producers are beginning to worry about the lack of forecast rain.

By Rachel Nelson

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