The Rosario grains exchange in Argentina has reported that cold temperatures across much of the country’s farming heartland over the weekend will help slow a severe leafhopper insect outbreak that has damaged the current corn crop.
Argentina is the world’s third-largest corn exporter, but the present crop has suffered from an explosion in the leafhopper population. These insects spread disease and eat sap, stunting a plant’s growth and turning leaves yellow.
The leafhopper outbreak has resulted in the Rosario exchange cutting its forecast for the current corn harvest by 20% since the beginning of the season, down to 47.5 million metric tons.
“Low temperatures spread not only in the center of the country but also to the north,” the exchange said in a report. “In these areas, temperatures below 4 degrees Celsius (39.2 degrees Fahrenheit) were recorded, with frost in several places.”
The leafhoppers, whose population had surged due to a lack of freezes during the previous corn cycle, do not tolerate temperatures below 4°C. “Below-zero temperatures and frost help reduce the presence of this pest,” the exchange noted.
As of Thursday, farmers had harvested 28.2% of the corn planted area for the 2023/24 marketing year, according to the Buenos Aires grains exchange.
The cold weather is expected to provide some relief to the corn crop, which has been severely impacted by the leafhopper outbreak. Argentina’s position as a major global corn exporter makes the situation especially significant for the global agricultural market.