Argentina will grow more wheat, due to larger plantings, in 2010-11 while corn output drops slightly as yields return to normal, said the US agricultural attache in Buenos Aires in a report released on Friday. The attache forecast a wheat crop of 12 million tonnes and exports of 7 million tonnes. Corn (maize) was pegged at 19.5 million tonnes and exports at 11 million tonnes. Attache reports are not official USDA data.
USDA has not issued estimates of 2010-11 wheat and corn production. According to USDA, Argentina wheat production in 2009-10 was 9.6 million tonnes with exports at 4 million tonnes, while the corn crop was estimated at 21 million tonnes with exports at 12 million tonnes. The attache report said wheat plantings would expand by 5 percent, to 4 million hectares "as a result of the need to put more wheat land INTO brstoriesthe crop rotation.
"While soybeans are generally more profitable, many producers are concerned about the long-term negative impact of not rotating soybeans with other crops. Some local plant pathologists report that more pests are attacking soybean crops as a consequence of mono-cropping," said the report. Corn plantings were expected to expand by 5 percent, resulting in a harvest area of 2.6 million hectares, although yields would decline from the "excellent" level of 2009-10.
"As with wheat, producers are also looking to plant more corn in rotation with soybeans," said the report. "Sorghum and rice production in MY 2010-11 is forecast at 3.6 million MT and 930,000 MT (milled basis) respectively. The 2010-11 marketing year opens March 1 for corn and December 1 for wheat.