The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) downgraded significantly Argentina’s 2008/09 soy bean crop estimates. Only a month ago the volume forecasted was 43 million tons, but the latest was brought down to 39 million tons.
If forecasts are confirmed the 70 million tons of the 2008/09 Argentine harvest would represent 2.9% of the world’s grain production when in previous crops it had reached 4.2%. Brazil in the meantime will have reached 5.5% of world production. Only a few years ago the difference was minimal with Brazil almost 4% and Argentina above 3%.
Argentina farmland dedicated to wheat is forecasted to fall to a minimum, with a crop barely sufficient for the domestic market and no surplus to export to its main market Brazil, according to Santiago Cameron president of the country’s Wheat farmers association.
Argentina’s soybean crop is estimated to drop ten million tons this year with exports totalling 37 to 39 million, which means the country will receive 3.5 billion US dollars less and the administration of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will see revenues contract by 1.2 billion US dollars.
Farm equipment manufacturer Case IH chose Uruguay and its local distributor Corporación Global, for the Latinamerican launching of one of its largest and most state of the art combine, the Axial-Flow 8120.
Argentine farmers are back in the roads, this time for a whole seven-day strike beginning Saturday, the tenth such measure since the conflict erupted a year ago when the administration of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner increased export levies on grains and oilseeds.
In a further escalation of the conflict with farmers over taxes, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announced on Thursday that revenue from the levy on soy exports would be shared between the federal, provincial and city governments.
Argentine farmers are back on active protest after the latest frustrating meetings with government officials for the moderation or elimination of export taxes on grains and oilseeds and requests of aid for drought stricken areas.
Forty per cent of the 1.1 million hectares of agricultural land in the Falkland Islands is working toward organic certification with Australian certification company ACO, according to Biological Farmers of Australia.
Soybean and corn output in Brazil this year will drop less than previously forecasted following abundant rains last month which eased crop damage caused by a drought, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.