The beginning of a series of field surveys in Argentina reinforced projections of higher wheat and barley yields in the 2025-26 harvest, but hopes for an exceptional year may be cut short by weed pressure and an early frost in the region.
Results from the first day of the crop tour around the southern Buenos Aires province indicated yields for barley were above the previous year across all four regions surveyed, while wheat yields were higher across all but one.
The crop tour, hosted by Bahía Blanca Grain and Products Exchange and the Bahía Blanca Grain Arbitration Chamber, sent surveyors along four circuits starting in Bahía Blanca in southwest Buenos Aires province, into the surrounding Buenos Aires and Las Pampa provinces to report on wheat and barley yields and crop conditions. The tour, which covers two days of field surveys, will conclude today with an Argus reporter accompanying the Sierras circuit.
Wheat
Preliminary wheat yields were higher in three of the four regions toured because of improved moisture conditions during the growing season.
Wheat yields in the Mar circuit for the first day were 5.33 tonnes per hectare (t/ha), up 48pc from a year earlier. The Mar circuit travels east from Bahia Blanca along the Atlantic coast.
The Sierra circuit, which travels northeast from Bahia Blanca above the Mar circuit, reported yields of 4.6 t/ha, up 18pc from a year earlier.
The Laguna circuit, traveling north into the western part of the Buenos Aires province, reported yields of 4.3 t/ha, up 19pc from a year earlier.
The Pampa circuit, which travels north and west along low lying grasslands into the La Pampa province, was the only area for which yields were below the prior year at 2.55 t/ha, down 12pc from a year earlier.
Wheat crop survey results across the southern portion of Buenos Aires were mostly aligned with the Rosario Board of Trade's 4.08t/ha estimate for the province. However, weed pressure and lost yield potential was evident in areas where agricultural inputs and fertilizers were less utilized. Some of the fields surveyed were well established and likely to achieve record yields, while others were likely to achieve below-average production.
For the Buenos Aires province as a whole, yields in the southern portion are expected to be lower than yields further north as frost in recent days will likely reduce the crops overall potential.
Barley
Barley yield survey results were above the prior year along all four circuits after a poor crop in the prior year.
Barley yields for the Mar circuit were surveyed at 5.71t/ha, up 43pc from a year earlier.
The Sierra circuit showed yields of 4.9t/ha, up 29pc from a year earlier.
The Laguna circuit showed yields of 4.4t/ha, up 26pc from the prior year.
Along the Pampa circuit barley yields were surveyed at 3.7 t/ha, up 68pc from a year earlier, in contrast to lower expected wheat yields.
To a lesser degree than wheat, barley fields were mixed and showed variations in yields. A recent frost may also reduce the top end of the yields.
