Rains Help Replenish Argentine Soybean Needs in Most Regions

With rains in the southern Pampas, the Argentine soybean crop is expected to bring in 54 million metric tons (MMT) for the 2013/14 season, 9 percent more than last season. The crop appears to have recovered from the recent hot and dry conditions that prevailed during December and into January. The rain has improved soil moisture and will help the growth and development of soybeans. Area remains at 20 million hectares (MHa), 3 percent above last year’s harvested area. Yield is expected at 2.70 tons per hectare (T/Ha), 6 percent above last year.

About 86 percent of the soybeans were in good or very good condition, according to the Ministry of Agriculture during February. High temperatures did affect some of the crop, particularly in the northern regions toward the end of February. By early March, about 70 to 75 percent of the crop is in good condition.
The western and southern areas of Buenos Aires province are where rains were late in arriving in 2014. There are still some pockets of dry areas within southern Buenos Aires and La Pampa provinces and one swath in Buenos Aires where hail fell and affected the crop. These regions are where much of the second-crop soybeans are grown and where the crop is expected to have the lowest yields. In most other areas the crop is doing well with rain amounts and temperatures better suited for soybean growth. In areas where intense rains fell a month ago, consistent scouting and pest control for insects and disease outbreaks will need to be maintained. In southern cropping regions, the concern now is that earlier, heavy rains are expected to boost soybean yields, but precipitation will have to moderate over the next weeks to avoid disease introduction. Moderated, timely rains will now help the crop continue toward a successful harvest.
 

Figure 1. Dry conditions from December into January affected areas of Argentine soybeans, particularly in the southern regions of the provinces of Buenos Aires and into La Pampa.

Figure 2. Rains in late January and into February improved the condition of some of the soy crop in Argentina. More rain, however, was needed in southwest Buenos Aires and into La Pampa as well as to the far-western fringes of the soy growing regions.

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Current USDA area and production estimates for grains and other agricultural commodities are available on IPAD's Agricultural Production page or at PSD Online.