BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) — Argentina’s agricultural heartland needs more rain soon to avoid wheat productivity losses and finish planting early season corn, after showers late last month failed to quench parched farmlands, the Rosario grains exchange said Oct. 4.
Agricultural powerhouse Argentina is a key global exporter of wheat and the world’s third-biggest corn exporter, but a historic drought severely hit the previous 2022-23 crops.
Western agricultural areas still await rainfall to help restore soil moisture levels.
In a report, the exchange said that 15 to 20 millimetres of water are needed “to maintain the crops’ potential,” but that less than half of the agricultural area has received this much rain.
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The lack of rain could affect the Rosario’s forecast of 15 million tonnes for the 2023-24 wheat production, while it could also hit the exchange’s projection of 56 million tonnes for the 2023-24 corn output.
A separate weather report from the Buenos Aires grains exchange on Oct. 4 showed that most of the Argentine agricultural area, as well as northwestern Paraguay, will receive less than 10 mm of rain in the coming days.
