Argentina's wheat and sunflower crop estimates lowered: Bage

Argentina's Buenos Aires Grains Exchange (Bage) has reduced its wheat and sunflower production projections due to frost and drought in the country, the exchange's weekly crop report showed Thursday.

Wheat

Recent rainfall was not enough to compensate for the damage caused by the frost and drought that the wheat crop endured during the winter months.

As a result, Bage dropped its wheat production projection to 15.4 million mt, from the 16.2 million mt estimated in October.

In the week ending November 1, wheat harvest progress moved up 2.5 percentage points to 9.3% complete.

The national average yield is reported at 11 qq/ha, amounting to a total national production of 595,000 mt so far.

Wheat areas in good-to-excellent condition increased by two percentage points over the week to 13% of the total, and dry areas declined by three percentage points to 43%.

Sunflower

Sunflower intentions were hindered by the lack of humidity in the center and north of the country, as well as by the low temperatures that delayed planting work in the south, which discouraged producers from sowing the crop.

Consequently, Bage has lowered the planting projection by 100,000 hectares (ha) to 1.85 million ha, down 21.3% compared with last year.

Of this new area projection, 51.9% has already been planted, up 3.3 percentage points from last year.

Sunflower areas in good-to-excellent condition added one percentage point to 13% of the total and dry areas decreased by 12 percentage points to 45%.

Corn

Planting for corn had a weekly advance of 1.4 percentage points to 23.4% complete.

To date, 1.7 million ha of the 7.3 million ha has been planted, a slight gain from last year but below the five-year average of 32.2%

Mid-October encouraged early sowing but the optimal planting window in the center of Argentina ended two weeks ago.

In this area, sowing will advance and regain strength at the end of November, with the beginning of late sowing.

Corn areas in good-to-excellent condition moved up by five percentage points to 20% of the total and dry areas declined by two percentage points to 39%.