Rosario: Soybean yields in Argentina’s core agricultural regions may be lower than in 2017/18
Foreign media February 20: The Rosario Grain Exchange (BCR) said that in the absence of widespread rainfall, soybean yields in Argentina’s core agricultural areas in 2021/22 may be lower than in the drought-stricken 2017/18 season , which underscores the importance of weather to soybean harvests in the coming weeks.
From mid-December last year to mid-January this year, the weather in Argentina was unusually hot and dry. Short rains followed. But the weather has turned dry again this month, with few signs of heavy rain in the coming week.
Last month, the BCR lowered Argentina’s soybean production for 2021/22 by 5 million tonnes to 40.5 million tonnes. This week the BCR estimated that soybean production in some regions could be lower than in 2018, when drought reduced Argentine soybean production to 35 million tonnes.
The exchange forecast a week ago soybean yields in core agricultural areas at 3.18 tonnes per hectare, compared with 2.9 tonnes per hectare in 2017/18. Yields have not been adjusted for a week, and the chance of rain is not optimistic, the exchange said.
The exchange said there will be sporadic showers next week, with more to come at the end of the month. This is also in line with the weather outlook forecast by the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange weather experts. BCR meteorologist Luis Airro said unfavorable precipitation is expected before the start of the last week of the month.
In addition, farmers reported low yields for some early harvest corn from areas that were particularly hard hit by drought. The exchange warned that this could be a sign of a possible downward revision in corn yields.