Argentina: Corn Production Increases due to Higher Area and Yields

Argentina’s 2001/02 corn production is forecast at 12.8 million tons, up 0.8 million from last month, or 7 percent, but down 17 percent from last season’s revised estimate of 15.4 million tons.  Harvested area is forecast at 2.25 million hectares, up 100,000 hectares from last month but down 26 percent from last season.  Yield is forecast above average at 5.69 tons per hectare.

Corn harvest is underway and is 21 percent complete as of March 29, 2002, similar to last year’s pace according to the Argentine Ministry of Agriculture (SAGPyA).  Harvested area increased by 100,000 hectares from last month. The Argentine Ministry of Agriculture raised their planted area estimate to 3.0 from 2.6 million hectares. Less area for silage is one of the reasons for the increase.

Field travel by Ag Attaché and FAS/Washington indicates higher than average yields in northern Buenos Aires Province, southern Santa Fe Province and eastern Cordoba Province. These areas were planted on time.  Abundant soil moisture and timely rains have led to higher estimated yields, and reports of yields in these areas confirm higher yield estimates.  In northwestern Buenos Aires Province, corn was planted later than normal and lower yields are expected; this area was not visited. The higher-yielding areas in central Argentina are expected to offset the lower yielding areas. 

Argentina:  Sorghum Production Decreases due to Lower Area

Argentina’s 2001/02 sorghum production is forecast at 2.3 million tons, down 0.7 million from last month and down 20 percent from last season’s revised estimate of 2.9 million tons.  Harvested area is estimated at 0.53 million hectares, a decrease of 0.12 million from last month and down 14 percent from last year.

Sorghum area has been decreasing in Argentina as farmers switch to soybeans. In the main growing areas of central Argentina few farmers use sorghum in crop rotation. In marginal areas of northern Santa Fe Province and western Cordoba Province, which tend to have droughts, sorghum remains a component in crop rotation.

Turkey:  Wheat Production Rises

Turkey’s 2001/02 wheat production is estimated at 15.5 million tons, up 0.5 million from last month but down 2.5 million tons from a year earlier year.  Turkey’s low wheat production is attributed to dry and warm weather during the winter and spring  months of 2000/01 in Central Anatolia, the region that accounts for nearly 40 percent of Turkey’s wheat production.  Lack of rainfall within Central Anatolia reduced both wheat quality and quantity.  Other regions in the country, such as Adana and Antakya regions, also reported wheat harvests slightly below last year.  The exception is Southeast Anatolia, where wheat production increased due to good rainfall and low pest infestation.

 Zimbabwe:  Drought Devastates Corn Crop

Zimbabwe corn production for 2001/02 is estimated at 1.0 million tons, down 0.1 million or 9 percent from last month and down 0.4 million or 30 percent from last year’s below-average crop.  Planted area is estimated at 1.2 million hectares, down 2 percent from last year due to area reductions in the large-scale commercial farm sector.  The estimated yield of 0.83 tons per hectare is the lowest since 1994/95 and much lower than the 5-year average yield of 1.2 tons per hectare.

Dry weather in October 2001 delayed the start of the planting season by 2 to 4 weeks, but moderate to heavy rainfall in November and early-December provided abundant moisture for germination and early establishment.  This favorable pattern changed in January, when the summer rainy season ended abruptly.  Total rainfall from January through March was less than 25 percent of normal, and above-normal temperatures throughout the growing season magnified the impact of the dryness.  Soil moisture was severely depleted, and supplemental irrigation was rarely available to ease the stress.  The crop is now at the filling and maturing stage, too late in the season to benefit from additional rainfall.  Harvesting is expected to start later in April and continue for several months. 

Sudan:  Sorghum Production Up

Sudan’s 2001/02 sorghum production is estimated at 3.77 million tons, up 1.27 million from last month and up 1.27 million tons from the previous year.  Area harvested is estimated at 5.85 million hectares, up 1.65 million from last year. Area expansion and favorable weather contributed to the above average harvest and higher yields than in the preceding five years.  In general, rainfall started on time in most regions and was well distributed throughout the season, especially in the important Central Region where nearly 40 percent of sorghum is produced. Area harvested for irrigated sorghum also expanded due to the good rainfall raising the Nile water levels higher than usual.

  Ethiopia:  Corn Production Rises

Ethiopia’s 2001/02 corn production is estimated at 3.25 million tons, up 0.63 million from last month and up 0.15 million tons from last year. Area harvested is estimated at 2.0 million hectares, up 0.25 million from last month and up 0.15 million from last year.  In general, favorable rainfall at the higher altitudes contributed towards good growing conditions and a bumper harvest for the country.  However, rainfall at the lower altitude agricultural regions was less favorable, with some regions reporting lower production due to late onset, erratic distribution, or early cessation of rainfall. 

 Romania: Corn and Wheat Revised Upward; Barley Revised Downward

Romanian corn production for 2001/02 is estimated at 8.8 million tons, up 400,000 tons from last month and up 4.3 million or 96 percent from a year earlier.  Production was revised upward from the record low of 4.5 million tons in 2000, but is still 3 percent below the five-year average of 9.1 million.  Harvested area was adjusted down 0.1 million hectares to 2.9 million which is still larger than the 2000/01 acreage, at 2.7 million.  While corn was devastated in the southeast and along the Danube River from summer drought, better weather prevailed in other areas of the country, pushing up aggregate yields to near average levels.

Romania’s wheat production for 2001/02 is estimated at 7.9 million tons, up 400,000 tons from last month and up 3.5 million or 80 percent from a year earlier.  This increase resulted from an upward revision in acreage at 2.5 million hectares, up 200,000 from last month, based on final government acreage estimates. 

Romanian barley production for 2001/02 is estimated at 1.1 million tons, down 400,000 tons from last month and up 350,000 tons or 47 percent from 2000’s 30-year low.  This decrease was based on a downward revision in yields, estimated at 1.93 tons per hectare, offsetting a slightly larger crop acreage estimated at 569,000 hectares. 

 France:  Wheat and Corn Estimates Revised Downward

France’s 2001/02 total wheat crop is estimated at 31.5 million tons, down 0.5 million from last month and down 6.1 million or 16 percent from a year earlier.  The decrease is primarily due to a decline in harvested area, down 45,000 hectares from last month.  Wheat is grown throughout France, and nearly all of it is sown during the winter months. The 2001/02 corn crop is also estimated lower at 16.1 million tons, down 0.4 million from last month and down slightly (130,000 tons) from 2000/01.  As a result of a downward revision in crop yields, from 8.92 tons per hectare to 8.52, production is estimated lower.  This decrease offsets a slight upward revision in crop acreage, resulting in a net decrease in production.  Most of the corn in France is grown in the southwest regions of Poitou-Charentes, Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrenees.

 Argentina:  Record Soybean Area and Production

Argentina’s 2001/02 soybean production is estimated at a record 29.5 million tons, up 0.75 million or 8 percent from last month and up 6 percent from last season’s revised estimate of 27.8 million tons.  Harvested area is forecast at a record 11.3 million hectares, up 0.2 million from last month and up 9 percent from last season.  Yield is forecast above average at 2.61 tons per hectare. 

Soybean harvest has started and is 6 percent complete as of March 29, 2002, similar to last year’s pace.  First-crop soybeans escaped damage from dryness in February, when some fields were at the end of the podfill stage.  The recent March rains alleviated dryness in the main growing areas, improving the conditions for second-crop soybeans.

Field travel during late February and early March indicated mixed conditions for soybean yields. First-crop soybean yields were higher than normal, and, at that time, second-crop soybeans were suffering from dryness.  The dryness has been alleviated and second-crop soybean yields are expected to be near normal.  The proportion of second-crop soybean planted area is estimated at 27 percent of total soybeans, compared to 26 percent in 2000/01, and 28 percent in 1999/2000.