USDA estimates a growth in sunflower production in Argentina of 22% more than in 2015

According to the USDA, Argentina oilseed production would grow by 22% over the previous harvest. Planting in Chaco and in the center-north of Santa Fe province show these optimistic trends. Grain Exchange published its weekly report on the status of the current year and it was reported a planted area of 1.6 million hectares with a growth of 31% and rises in sunflower-regions.

In the north region of the country the increase is 50%, with a growth of 58% and 39% for the NEA and North Central regions of Santa Fe province. There would be achieved 285,000 and 195,000 hectares for each. In these areas are planted 90% and 75% of hectares with sunflower.

Buenos Aires and La Pampa provinces have major sunflower-regions and the improvement would be 24.1%, from 838,000 up to 1,040,000 hectares. Meanwhile, in the rest of the country growth area would reach 29% from 62,000 to 80,000 hectares.

Regarding wheather conditions, in the NEA region humidity level is appropriate. Only in isolated areas of the Chaco province, crops were damaged by frost during their leaves differentation stage. Due to this reason it could occur a decrease in the stand of plants but it will not impact in the regional planting intentions.

Also in the center-north of Santa Fe, there are satisfactory humity conditions. Early plots are in leaf differentiation stage, while later plots are still in emergency stage. Both of them show low pressure of diseases. Good results were also obtained in the emergence of plants stage. Only were identified some losses in Reconquista because of the quality of planting material.

Despite in the south of Buenos Aires province remain several weeks for the start of planting, humidity conditions are still satisfactory and it is expected an increase in the intention of seeding mainly in the coast region of Buenos Aires.