BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) — Argentina’s waterlogged soy lands will get much-needed sun over the 10 days ahead, firming soils and allowing growers to drive harvesting combines into fields turned to mud by heavy early-March storms, meteorologists said on Thursday.
With about five percent of the 2014-15 crop already in, the soy exporting powerhouse remains on track for a record high harvest of 56 to 60 million tonnes, after floods in the northern farm belt threatened a significant output cut.
A big crop from Argentina — the world’s top source of soymeal livestock feed and No. 3 supplier of beans — could pressure international food prices already sagging under the weight of expected record U.S. and Brazilian grains output.
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Demand from commodities-hungry China should keep the price of soy from collapsing as world production climbs to an expected record 315.1 million tonnes this season.
“Starting today or tomorrow a window of sunny weather will make soils firm enough to allow harvest machines to enter fields that had been too wet,” said German Heinzenknecht, a meteorologist with local consultancy Clima Campo.
“Tomorrow (Friday) they will be harvesting in some of the areas that have been most complicated. The open window for harvesting should last until about April 3. After that, we expect more rains, but not of the high intensity that caused the flooding in February and early March.”
Areas hardest hit by floods are in central-west Santa Fe and central-east Cordoba provinces. The Pampas farm region also includes Buenos Aires and Entre Rios provinces, which have been spared from flooding this season.
In Cordoba alone, more than 988,000 acres have been lost. But areas not completely under water should recover over the days ahead and yields are promising, according to the Rosario grains exchange.
Meteorologist Antonio Deane, of consultancy Weather Argentina, said the Pampas is in for good weather for the rest of this month, but he expects another rain-related harvesting slowdown in April.
“In the first 25 days of April there will be nine days of bad weather in the core soybean region,” Deane said. “Cloudiness and light rains will not give soy plants time to dry, causing a decline in the speed of harvesting.”
