Argentina’s Main Farm Region Will See Mostly Dry Weather in Next Week

By Maximilian Heath

BUENOS AIRES, April 23 (Reuters) – Argentina’s main farm regions will see mostly dry weather over the next seven days, the Buenos Aires grains exchange said on Wednesday, which should help speed up the delayed 2024/25 soybean harvest that has been hampered by sodden fields.

Heavy rains in March and early April delayed the soybean harvest to a level below the average of the last five years, according to exchange, putting grain yields at risk.

“High atmospheric pressure conditions will prevail in the coming days, bringing mostly clear skies, causing most of the farming area to see little to no rainfall,” said the exchange, which estimates a soybean harvest of 48.6 million metric tons.

Harvest delays have also contributed to a slowdown in soybean sales. As of April 16, farmers had sold some 23.4% of the 2024/25 crop, the slowest pace for that date in ten years, according to the Secretariat of Agriculture.

Argentina is the world’s leading exporter of soybean oil and meal, as well as a major producer of corn, wheat and beef.

(Reporting by Maximilian Heath; Editing by Alexander Villegas)