BUENOS AIRES: A dry spell for the next ten days should bring some relief to Argentina's waterlogged fields of soy and corn after rains over the weekend added to fears of planting delays, experts said on Monday.
Argentina's main grains belt has been inundated with rains in recent months, contributing to a 5.7 percent reduction in the forecast for area planted with soy in 2017-18 according to the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange.
"There were rains in some areas (of Buenos Aires province) even if there wasn't a lot of water," said Gonzalo Hermida, coordinator at the exchange's forecasting department. "If it continues like this, it will complicate the start of planting."
According to German Heinzenknecht, meteorologist at Climatologia Aplicada, between 10 and 50 millimeters (0.39 inch-2 inches) fell in Buenos Aires province, where 1 million hectares (2.5 million) acres have gotten too much water.
Heinzenknecht said, however, that conditions should be mostly dry during the next seven to 10 days, bringing some relief.
"There may be some rains on Wednesday night in the east, but they are not important rains. There is a situation of pause (in precipitation) and while it will not fix things, at least it would put a break on the water," he said.
The soy and corn planting window opens in the next few weeks in Argentina. The Rosario grains exchange estimates the world's No. 3 exporter of both crops would harvest 54.5 million tonnes of soy and 41 million tonnes of corn in 2017-18.
Argentina is also the world's top exporter of soy meal and soy oil.
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