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The forecast for the expansion of Uruguay's soybean planted area for the 2020/21 harvest cycle may be put at risk by the lack of rain in some regions of northern Uruguay , an official from the country's Ministry of Agriculture told AgriCensus on November 20th.
Initial forecasts stipulated an increase in soybean area of approximately 10% compared to the 1 million ha planted in the previous cycle, the official said.
“Uruguayan farmers are expected to plant more soybeans this harvest cycle, mainly due to good soybean prices.”
However, the lack of water in some regions threatened the expansion potential of the country's soybean area.
“Drought conditions exist in most agricultural regions of the country. However, the scenario is more critical in the North region, as farmers need to plant soybeans there earlier than in other regions,” the official added.
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Farmers in the south have had more time to plant soybeans, he said, although more rain is needed to improve soil conditions.
“Recently there was some rain in the country, but it was not enough to improve the situation,” he said.
It is still too early to provide initial soybean production estimates for the 2020/21 cycle, he added.
Uruguay exported a total of 1.96 million tons of soybeans in the first nine months of the year, with 63% going to China, compared to 2.27 million tons in the same period in 2019, when 72% went to China, according to local export promotion agency Uruguay XXI.
At 2 million tonnes, Uruguay's 2019/20 soybean harvest was well behind the initial estimate of 3 million tonnes, according to government data.
The lower production level was due to another severe drought that hit several growing regions in the south of the country.
For the 2020/21 harvest, the United States of Agriculture (USDA) said it expects soybean production in Uruguay to reach 2.1 million tons.
This text was automatically translated from English.
Source: OFI International
