Dec 05, 2017
Normal Planting Pace for Argentine Soy, Corn Slower than Average
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Argentina Soybeans - The soybean crop in Argentina is now 42.5% planted according to the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange. This represents an advance of 8% for the week and the planting is now 3-4% slower than last year. In the northern and southern core regions, the planting is 70-75% complete with 25-45% planted in southern locations and 0-25% planted in far northern Argentina. Farmers in the northern areas will probably wait for additional moisture before they start planting their soybeans.
Planting of the double crop soybeans will begin as farmers harvest their wheat. Currently, about 31% of the wheat has been harvested.
The early planted soybeans in Argentina are generally rated in good condition. Farmers who had stopped planting soybeans a week or two ago will probably now resume their planting activity due to the recent rains.
You can never get too negative on soybeans this early in the growing season. The long range summer forecast looks problematic due to La Nina, but for the time being, the crop is getting off to an average start.
Argentina Corn - November is always a slow month for corn planting in Argentina and this November was slower than normal. According to the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange, the corn crop in Argentina is 38.2% planted as of late last week. This represented an advance of only 2.4% for the week and it appears now that the 2017/18 corn planting pace in Argentina will end up being the slowest on record.
The first phase of corn planting is now over and farmers are starting on the second phase of planting in Cordoba, Santa Fe, and Buenos Aires. The dry conditions are resulting in a slow start to the second phase of corn planting that will probably not conclude until later in January. The corn development in Argentina is going to be more spread out than normal this year. Some of the corn in Argentina will be approaching maturity at the same time that some farmers will still be planting their corn!
The earliest planted corn on Argentina is either in pre-pollination or has already starting to pollinate and the early corn is generally rated in good condition. Temperatures have been cool in Argentina and there was actually a light frost about ten days ago in Buenos Aires that caused minor damage to the corn in the region. Going forward, the forecast is calling for higher temperatures.