Argentina: Barley crop forecast up by 0.2 mln tonnes as weather forecast clears

Continued heavy rainfall in the primary barley regions of Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil raises concerns about disease and potential yield risk. There are reports of small flooded areas where crop area was lost, RMI Analytics said in their latest report.

The experts’ production forecast for Argentina’s barley is increased by 0.2 mln to 5.1 mln tonnes, as the weather forecast is clearing, which would be beneficial to crop development.

Farmers are being advised to monitor closely disease development and apply treatment. In addition, the wet conditions may translate into lower protein levels, making fertilizer management critical for malting barley quality, but the window is closing.

Since reaching a peak in 2021, when the major drought impacted Canada and the US, Argentina exports have fallen back toward the longer term average.