Argentina’s wheat planting area for the /23 season is expected to be around 6.5 million hectares, down from 6.6 million hectares previously forecast, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange (BdeC) said.
The exchange blamed the 100,000 hectare (247,000 acre) reduction on dry conditions in northern Argentina, with no rains seen in short term forecasts. The exchange said previously that high fertilizer prices and rising input costs are also having negative effects on the new wheat season.
Before Wednesday, farmers had sown 13.9% of the estimated area, after what was a dry May in the South American country.
“If this scenario extends throughout the month of June, it could cause further reductions in the projected area,” BdeC warned.
On the soybean front, the exchange said it sees an uptick production at 43.3 million tonnes for the /22 season, up from the 42 million tonnes previously estimated.
“Better than expected yields in the center and north of the agricultural area allow us to increase” the production estimate, BdeC said, adding in its weekly crop report that 94.3% of land planted with soybeans had been harvested.
Regarding corn, the exchange said the country’s corn harvest was 32% complete and estimated the /22 harvest at 49 million tonnes.
Argentina is the world’s second largest exporter of corn, after the United States.
