Nov 06, 2019
Soybean Planting in Argentina just Getting Underway
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
There are two conflicting trends in Argentina right now. Even though the weather has improved in some parts of Argentina, I would still call it sub-par for the country in general, so that could lead to a problematic start for soybeans.
On the other hand, the election of Alberto Fernandez as Argentina's new president could result in farmers cutting back on their intended corn acreage in favor of additional soybean acres. For the time being, I think the weather trend outweighs the potential for some additional soybean acres.
The overall weather in Argentina continues to be uneven with rains benefiting the central, northern, and eastern production areas, while it remains too dry in the southern and western areas. The forecast continues to call for more rainfall in central and northern Argentina and generally dry conditions in southern and western Argentina.
The 2019/20 soybean crop in Argentina is maybe 3-5% planted, but that is just an estimate because there have not been any releases of a nationwide soybean planting. The core production area is where most of the early soybeans have been planted because the farmers in the core area have planted 90-95% of their intended corn acres and as soon as they finish corn planting, they start on soybeans. The five-year average for soybean planting on November 4th is 5%.