Unseasonal precipitation that muddied fields delayed Argentinian farmers' wheat and barley planting and corn harvesting again, but left behind excellent soil moisture levels that could boost the wheat harvest.
Wheat planting advanced only 1.8 percentage points in the week through 7 July, reaching 92.8pc finished, the Buenos Aires grain exchange Bage said in its weekly report. Planting was altogether halted in some parts of Buenos Aires region by rains and some producers are considering replanting flooded fields.
The wheat crop is developing well in most of the area already planted, with 96.9pc of that in normal to excellent conditions and with an encouraging outlook for the start of tillering in early-planted fields, Bage said.
Some parts of Argentina's grain belt received more than twice as much rain in the first half of the month as is normal for all of July, according to the Rosario board of trade RBT. The additional precipitation left behind better soil moisture conditions in mid-July than were present in 2021, when Argentina produced 23mn metric tonnes (t) of wheat, its biggest crop ever.
The sodden condition of some fields will mean a smaller area planted with wheat this year, RBT said. Argentina should nevertheless produce a wheat crop of about 20mn t this year, given normal weather conditions and average yields.
Corn harvest, soybeans
Rain also slowed corn harvesting, which advanced by 8.5 percentage points in the week to 78.9pc complete, Bage said.
Yields have been irregular, depending on when the area was planted. The exchange left its crop estimate unchanged at 49mn t.
The economy ministry was more optimistic about the country's corn crop, raising its estimate to 52mn t in its monthly report from 51.6mn t in its June report. It also reported harvesting delays, saying the lags are greatest in the Buenos Aires and La Pampa provinces.
The ministry and RBT raised their estimates for the recently completed soybean harvest. Better-than-expected yields in Buenos Aires province boosted total output to 49.5mn t, RBT said, up by 1mn t from its June estimate. The ministry raised its estimate to 50.9mn t from 49.9mn t, citing good yields and a bigger planted area.
Barley
Weather also hindered barley planting, which reached 86pc finished, the economy ministry said.
That compares with 94pc a year earlier.
Some growers have reduced the area they intend to plant with the grain, with the ministry cutting its estimate for planted area by 100,000 hectares (ha) to 1.5mn ha.
