Buenos Aires | Reuters—Argentine farmers have begun abandoning some wheat fields due to an extended lack of rainfall in certain parts of its agricultural heartland, the Buenos Aires grains exchange said in a weekly report on Thursday.
Argentina is a key world supplier of wheat and its farmers have sown some 6.3 million hectares of wheat this season, according to the exchange, but prolonged dry weather in the north and west of the agricultural area is taking its toll.
“The first losses have been reported due to abandoned lots and increased pest outbreaks linked to the poor water conditions,” the exchange said.
Read Also
Mosaic misses profit estimates on weak U.S. phosphate demand
Mosaic missed Wall Street expectations for fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday, hurt by a steep drop in U.S. phosphate fertilizer demand that weighed on sales volumes.
In the eastern agricultural area, however, it noted that some 80 per cent of wheat is enjoying normal to excellent conditions, though rain will be needed to maintain these.
Argentina’s wheat harvest begins in November. The exchange has previously warned that more rain will be needed as spring in the Southern Hemisphere is approaching fast.
The exchange added that corn farmers were beginning to sow their fields, with 7.1 per cent of the 6.3 million hectares expected this season now planted. Argentina is the world’s third-largest corn exporter.
—Reporting for Reuters by Maximilian Heath in Buenos Aires
