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Production
Estimates and Crop Assessment Division |
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Production
Estimates and Crop Assessment Division |
December 16, 2002
Argentina’s 2002/03 peanut area is expected to decline about 30 percent from last year’s level. Competition from more profitable crops, such as soybeans, has led to the area decline.
USDA estimates Argentine peanut production for 2002/03 at 250,000 tons, down 24 percent from last year’s level. USDA estimates harvested area at 150,000 hectares, down 31 percent from last year. An average yield of 1.67 tons/ha is forecast.
Peanuts are grown primarily in Cordoba Province where they compete against first-crop soybeans. Peanut planting season is nearly complete with 92 percent planted as of December 6, 2002. This is an average planting pace, slower than the last two years but faster than the 1998/99 and 1999/00 seasons. Planting typically begins in mid-October and harvest starts at the end of April. Rainfall has been slightly above normal for Rio Cuarto and Villa Maria delegations, Cordoba Province, but below last year's levels when rainfall was excessive. These two districts are expected to produce nearly 85 percent of Argentina’s peanuts.
Argentina’s peanut production reached a record 625 thousand tons in 1997/98 from an area of 390 thousand hectares. Since then, production and area have declined as soybean area has steadily increased.
Please see Crop Explorer for current crop condition information.
