Recent rains in Argentina have positively impacted the current wheat season, according to a report from the Buenos Aires grains exchange. The country has planted approximately 6.3 million hectares (15.6 million acres) for the 2024/25 wheat season, with harvest expected to begin in November. The exchange noted that crop conditions in the southern and central agricultural regions are anticipated to improve further due to the recent wet weather and a new round of fertilization.
However, the rains have also delayed the start of sunflower planting. Farmers began sowing the 2024/25 sunflower crop on 1.85 million hectares, but this is about 9.5 percentage points behind the historical average for this time of year. The wet conditions have hindered timely planting, which could affect overall yields.
Additionally, the rains have slowed the final stages of the 2023/24 corn harvest, which is now 98.7% complete. Argentina, being the world’s third-largest corn exporter, is expected to produce around 46.5 million metric tons this season. The country is also a significant exporter of sunflower oil.
While the rains have been beneficial for wheat, the exchange cautioned that a lack of rainfall and cold frosty fronts could pose risks to crops in the northwest farming regions.