Rains foster Argentine wheat growth

Most of Argentina's wheat-growing regions received plentiful rains in the last week although crops are still thirsty in some areas, the Agriculture Ministry said on Friday in its weekly crop progress report. Argentina is a leading global wheat exporter and its top market is Brazil.
The government report, updated through Thursday, said dryness persists in southern parts of Buenos Aires province, the country's top wheat-growing region, where crops are in "critical" condition in the Bahia Blanca district. However, wheat crops in Cordoba, Entre Rios and La Pampa provinces are in good condition thanks to rains in the past few weeks.
Farmers have planted 91 percent of the 4.7 million hectares earmarked for wheat, up 4 percentage points from the previous week and 7 points ahead of last season's pace. The Buenos Aires Grains Exchange on Thursday lowered its 2011/12 wheat area outlook slightly to 4.6 million hectares from 4.7 million previously. The Rosario grains exchange forecasts 2011/12 wheat area at 4.5 million hectares. Meanwhile, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates Argentina's 2011/12 wheat output at 15 million tonnes.
CORN, SOYA Argentina is the second-largest corn exporter in the world after the United States, and crops are expected to show high yields despite dryness caused by the La Nina weather anomaly in December and early January. Excess moisture has been delaying gathering work in certain areas for several weeks, however.
"The harvest is moving slowly and unevenly in General Pico because of the crop's high moisture levels," the report said, referring to the General Pico district in La Pampa province, the country's No 6 corn-growing region. Farmers harvested 95 percent of the 4.36 million hectares planted with 2010/11 corn by Thursday, advancing 1 percentage point from a week earlier but falling 2 points short of their mark at this time last season.
The government forecasts corn production at 21.7 million tonnes. The Buenos Aires Grains Exchange on Thursday raised its 2010/11 corn outlook to 21 million tonnes from 20 million tonnes previously. The USDA foresees 22.0 million tonnes of corn will be produced in Argentina.