Scattered showers in Argentine soya-growing regions further improved the condition of oilseed crops hit by severe dryness earlier this year, the Agriculture Ministry said on Friday in its weekly report. Argentina is the world's No 3 exporter of soyabeans and the top supplier of soyaoil and meal, and dryness caused by the La Nina weather phenomena earlier this year led analysts to lower their forecasts for soya output in the South American country.
"Some late-planted soya crops were badly affected by dryness, but last week's rains have allowed them to recover a great deal," the report said, referring to the Marcos Suarez district in Cordoba, the No 2 soya growing region. However, the ministry said that some areas of Buenos Aires, the top soya-growing province, are still affected by dryness.
"Lack of rains is relatively serious and widespread in areas of the Salliquelo district ... where early-planted crops going through the pod-filling stage are looking worse," the report said. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Oscar Solis said last week that the government is more upbeat about the country's soya output following recent rains, and sees 2010/11 soya output at above 50 million tonnes.
The Buenos Aires grains exchange earlier this week rose its estimate for 2010/11 soya output to 48.8 million tonnes from 47 million previously. Argentine farmers finished planting soyabeans earlier this month. By Thursday, corn farmers had planted 99 percent of 4.1 million hectares earmarked for corn, the report said, 1 percentage point behind last season's tempo.
The ministry has not officially forecast corn output for this season, but the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange estimates the country's harvest at 19.5 million tonnes. Meanwhile, the United States Department of Agriculture reduced the Argentine corn estimate to 22.0 million tonnes in February from 23.5 million tonnes the prior month. Farmers are also bringing in 2010/11 sunflowers. By Thursday, they had gathered 24 percent of the 1.65 million hectares planted with the oilseed, advancing 3 percentage points from the prior week, but lagging last year's tempo by 4 percentage points. Sunseed production is estimated by the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange at 3.1 million tonnes.