Rains in Argentina delay wheat planting and harvest

Recent heavy rains in Argentina have delayed wheat planting, as well as soybean and corn harvests, the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange said in its weekly crop report. The weather conditions pose significant challenges for the country’s agricultural sector, which is one of the world’s top grain exporters.

The 2025/26 wheat planting season began this week, but only 3.4% of the planned 6.7 million hectares (16.6 million acres) have been sown so far. That’s 10 percentage points less than the same time last year and 4 percentage points below the five-year average. Heavy rainfall, which has reached 100 to 400 millimeters in recent weeks, has caused flooding and over-wetted soils, making planting difficult.

Meanwhile, excessively dry conditions in northern Argentina are also holding back wheat plantings. The Grain Exchange forecasts the 2025/26 wheat harvest to reach 20.5 million metric tons, but weather anomalies could affect that figure. Argentina, one of the world’s leading wheat exporters, is feeling significant pressure from the delays.

The rains have also severely affected the 2024/25 soybean harvest, delaying it by 20 percentage points in the western parts of Buenos Aires province, which was hit hardest by the weather. Soybean harvest is currently 74.3% complete, and production remains forecast at 50 million tons, although the exchange warns of a possible decline due to the delays.

Corn harvest is also behind schedule, reaching only 38.8% of the planned volume. The corn harvest is forecast at 49 million tons. Argentina, the world’s leading exporter of soybean oil and meal and the third largest exporter of corn, is facing challenges that could affect its position in the global market.

Tags: harvesting, crop condition, Argentina