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Argentine 2001/02 soybean crop developing well
calendar14-02-2002 | linkNULL | Share This Post:

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Argentina's 2001/02 soybeancrop is developing well in the main soy-producing regions of the country,but the lack of farm chemicals after last month's public debt default hasleft crops exposed to weeds and pests, the Argentine AgricultureDepartment said Tuesday.Soy plantings were virtually complete with 99.7 percent of the areaforecast to be planted with the oilseed has been sown by Feb 8. "InPergamino (in northwestern Buenos Aires province) where 700,000 hectaresof soy have been planted, the general state of the crop is excellent. Manyinsects are appearing but the biggest problem is the lack of products totreat the crop," the government said in its weekly harvest report.Most fertilizers, pesticides and other farm chemicals are imported intoArgentina, so January's default and subsequent bank restrictions onpayments abroad held up delivery of those goods to the domestic market.The same problem occurred in Cordoba, the main soy producing provincein the current season which accounts for 3.36 million hectares of thetotal national soybean area of 11.3 million hectares. "There are few farmchemicals available and large distributors aren'tselling," the Agriculture Department said.While there are no official soybean production estimates for the 2001/2002crop, local analysts forecast output to reach 30 million tonnes. The U.SDepartment of Agriculture forecast Argentina's soybean production at 28.75million tonnes. Corn plantings were 99.8 percent complete and the crop wasin good condition. Cordoba lead plantings with 754,500 hectares sown.Buenos Aires province was next at 650,500 hectares -- far from the priorcrop year when1.03 million hectares were sown. The smaller planted area in Buenos Aireswas the result of heavy rains late in 2001.USDA forecast Argentina's corn output at 11.5 million tonnes The sunflowerharvest was 14 percent complete out of 2.02 million hectares sown,compared to 1.97 million hectares in the prior crop year. In Buenos Airesprovince, which boasts about 1.06 million hectares, the crop saw lightshowers throughout a windy week. Cotton plantings were 99 percent completeas of the end of the reporting period.Argentina's 2001/02 wheat harvest finished Jan 25 and is widely expectedto yield a 15.7 million tonne crop. Harvesting began on early crops sownin the north, an area that accounts for a small proportion of nationalproduction.