the secret behind a record wheat production with a high protein content

(Photo: the typical “boina” used by Arg farmers, sustained by wheat spikes)

Buenos Aires, January 2nd. When wheat area harvested rounds more than 80% of the total, the expectation about a larger output and with better quality is consolidating. The early quality reports from the Rosario Grain Exchange (BCR) shows that protein content rose to 11,1% on the basis of 1.2 million metric tons of grain wheat analyzed.

In the previous campaign, average protein content rounded 10%, but worse average content corresponds to 2015/16 season with a national level below 10%.

Even though a greater protein content is related to lowest yields, this season promise to be exceptional, because, over the basis of a 6.2 million planted area, wheat production could surpass 19 MMT and to reach a new national record.

This is the opinion of the analysts from the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange (BCBA), while governmental officials estimate a harvest around 19.4 million metric tons.

One of the reasons to understand how it is possible to obtain a record harvest with a high protein content is the use of fertilizers. The deputy chairman of the Fertilizar AC (an NGO to promote the use of fertilizers), Jorge Bassi, recently confirmed that past year Argentine farmers applied more than 4 MMT of fertilizers, a record volume in the national history.

In this way, the reports from RIA Consultores showed that from January to November 2017 it was imported 760,000 tons of urea and 470,000 tons of UAN, a record volume of nitrogen fertilizers that it added to the national urea production from Profertil facility estimated in 1.2 million metric tons.