Jan 12, 2017
Saturated Conditions Impacting Crops in Central Argentina
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The flooding rains that have saturated central Argentina for the last several weeks are impacting the crops in the region. Some areas have received 40% to 50% of their annual rainfall in just the last three weeks. Farmers are reporting they received 20 inches of rainfall in 20 days. This area of Argentina is very flat and the heavy rains have resulted in extensive flooding.
The Minister of Agriculture for Argentina estimates that there are approximately 2,000,000 hectares that are waterlogged in the provinces of Cordoba, Santa Fe, northern Buenos Aires, and Entre Rios. He also did not indicate the breakdown of how many hectares are row crops and how many might be pastures or hay.
Infocampo is reporting that the Minister of Agricultural for the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, Luis Contigiani, is estimating that the flooding has impacted 948,000 hectares in central Santa Fe. The crops impacted the most have been soybeans, corn, and sunflowers.
Of the 2,300,000 hectares in the central production region of Santa Fe, the Minister estimates that 324,000 hectares of full-season soybeans have been impacted, 316,000 hectares of double crop soybeans, 228,000 hectares of corn, and 80,500 hectares of sunflowers. The Minister did not break down how many hectares may have been completely flooded and how many are saturated. The late planted soybeans and the double crop soybeans have probably been impacted the most.
The extent of the crop damage is still being evaluated and it will depend in part when the area dries out enough for farmers to get back into the field. The window for replanting the flooded soybeans will only be open for approximately another week or ten days. Given the amount of standing water in central Argentina, it is unlikely the flooding will subside quickly enough to allow for many of the soybeans to be replanted.