
FAO's Cereals Supply and Demand Brief point to record wheat and rice production in 2020 and looking ahead to 2021 cereal output, early prospects indicate a likely modest increase for winter wheat crops in the northern hemisphere, buoyed by acreage increases in France, India, the Russian Federation and the US.

President Alberto Fernández believes the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should grant Argentina more “flexible” terms on the repayment terms of the debt and warned that increasing inflation could lead his government to again hike export taxes, the president said in an interview on Sunday with newspaper Página/12.

Argentina’s state-managed oil giant expects to avoid a costly default next month after it won support for a debt swap from a large creditor group. The so-called Ad Hoc Bondholder Group, which holds 45% of YPF’s 2021 notes, expressed support for the exchange after the company increased its cash sweetener over the weekend.

Despite confusing news from Argentina following president Alberto Fernandez's announcement that he is prepared to reimpose levies on grains and oilseeds exports if food prices keep increasing, oilseed crushers said they had reached a deal with the government to hold down domestic edible oil prices.

The chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday that the fund is working towards reaching an agreement on a new loan deal with Argentina and the next round of meetings will focus on the details. However, “'it takes two to tango' so both sides need to do our part and find the pathway to an agreement, and we are not yet at that point.”

Despite a recent accord with the government regarding corn exports, Argentine farmers are again on alert following statements from officials who did not rule out the possibility of increasing taxes on food exports as part of its effort to control high inflation.

Fracking activity in Vaca Muerta, Argentina shot up in January to its highest level in 17 months, according to the Argentine unit of Houston-based services company NCS Multistage.

Argentine ambassador in Brazil, Daniel Scioli, has confirmed what was advanced by Uruguayan president Luis Lacalle Pou during this week's meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro, a meeting of Mercosur heads of state, sometime at the end of March. The summit will coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of the trade block, which also includes Argentina and Paraguay.

Russia has again approached the Argentine government to offer defense equipment, including military planes for the air force.

Supply of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine and the possible elaboration of the shots in Argentina were among the issues addressed by Argentine president Alberto Fernandez and Russia's Vladimir Putin during a Tuesday phone conference.