South America Calling

Argentina's new soybean season kicked off last week amid spotty rainfall, the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange reported.

Up until Thursday, farmers had planted 2.4% of the 49.9 million acres that the exchange forecasts for the 2013-14 season. That pace is more or less in line with last year.

Field work has begun in virtually all the principal planting regions, including Cordoba, Sante Fe and Buenos Aires provinces.

The world's No. 3 soybean producer is expected to increase area from 48.7 million acres last season, moving onto area previously planted with corn and sunflowers.

Corn planting is more advanced, with 26.8% of the projected 8.5 million acres already in the ground.

Dry weather has caused a 10 percentage-point delay in field work, according to the exchange.

Unless more rain arrives in northern areas soon, part of the projected corn area may be switched to soybeans.

(AG)

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