Heavy Rains in Argentina were Mostly Beneficial for Summer Row Crops

Heavy rains late in February and into March were mostly beneficial for corn and soybean crops in Argentina. There were concerns that high rainfall would result in increased crop disease levels, but early harvest results proved favorable. The USDA April estimate for 2014/15 corn production was 24 million metric tons, up 2.1 percent from USDA’s March estimate. Corn yield was estimated at a near record 8.14 tons per hectare, below the previous record of 8.33 tons per hectare set in 2009/10. Soybean production was estimated at a record 57 million metric tons, up 1.0 million from the March estimate. Soybean yield was estimated at a well above average 2.88 tons per hectare. Localized flooding occurred in areas of Cordoba and Santa Fe as well as in the north-central Pampas and parts of northeastern Argentina. Parts of Buenos Aires and La Pampa also saw additional showers during the second week of March. There were isolated regions of crop loss reported. Parts of southwestern Buenos Aires province, on the other hand, experienced excessive heat. Late-planted corn in the grain-fill stage likely benefited from showers in late March, especially in semiarid regions that normally experience dryness during grain fill. For additional information, contact Dr. Denise McWilliams, South American crop production analyst at 202-720-0107.

Figure 1. Heavy precipitation in Cordoba during February and later into March is similar to the 2011/12 season.

Figure 2. Early heavy rains falling from Feb. 19 to Feb. 22, 2015 created pockets of excess moisture, particularly in fields with heavy soils where intense rain ponded on field surfaces.

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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.