Argentina’s main agricultural regions are set to benefit from dry weather conditions in the upcoming week, facilitating the commencement of soy and corn harvests following a period of heavy rainfall, as reported by the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange on Wednesday. The favorable weather outlook is expected to support the progress of soy and corn harvesting activities, which were delayed by muddy fields resulting from abundant rainfall earlier in March. The exchange’s weekly weather report indicates that a significant portion of the Pampas agricultural region will experience limited rainfall, with some areas receiving moderate precipitation.
With dry conditions prevailing in recent days and minimal rainfall forecasted for the current week, soy and corn harvesting operations have commenced in Argentina. As of the latest update, farmers have harvested 4.4% of the soy crop and 5.7% of the corn crop. The Buenos Aires Grains Exchange projects a soybean harvest of 52.5 million metric tons and a corn harvest of 54 million tons for the season. However, concerns have been raised regarding the corn harvest in northern regions of the country, where the presence of the bacteria Spiroplasma kunkelii, causing stunt disease, is expected to impact yields. The exchange has revised its corn harvest estimate downwards by 2 million tons due to the anticipated effects of the disease, which can impede growth and lead to reduced kernel development in corn ears.