Rain in Argentine farmbelt boosts forecast for wheat harvest, expert says

Widespread rains over the last 24 hours across Argentina’s main farming regions have brought relief to wheat farmers ahead of the 2021/2022 harvest, improving production prospects after a drier than normal winter in the South American nation, a climate expert said on Thursday.

Around 70% of its central farming region and the province of Buenos Aires – the country’s wheat basket – received between 30 and 50 millimeters of rain, said German Heinzenknecht of consultancy Applied Climatology.

Heinzenknecht said the rain should help calm jittery farmers, and that provided events like hail or late frosts don’t occur “there should be a very good winter crop season (wheat and barley) after this climatic event.”

The rains came just in time to help boost wheat production, which begins to be harvested in November.

The Rosario Grains Exchange (BCR) last month cut its 2021/22 wheat production estimate to 20.1 million tonnes due to the rain shortfall, but Heinzenknecht said he expects another rain front to soak the Argentina plains in the second half of September, boding well for output.

The rains will also likely spur corn farmers to begin planting their crop earlier in September than normal, he said.

“No doubt they’re going to get working. The rains are excellent for this too. With another good front in September that corn is going to be off to a good start”, said Heinzenknecht.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Maximilian Heath; Editing by Andrea Ricci)