August 12, 2015
Argentina's wheat harvest for 2015-16 affected by floods
Floods have hit major wheat-producing regions in Argentina and could impact harvest for the 2015-16 season, crop and weather experts warned.
Southern Santa Fe and northeast Buenos Aires are receiving as much as 200 milimeters of rainfalls that are soaking wheat fields in the provinces.
"We are in a part of the year when it is not so easy to get rid of that water once it is on the ground. It is not going to evaporate quickly," said Germán Heinzenknecht, a meteorologist with the Applied Climatology consultancy.
Meanwhile, the Rosario grains exchange warned of serious losses if excess moisture in wheat fields persists.
According to analysts, Argentina's wheat crops for 2015-16 could drop to 10 million tonnes compared to 13.9 million tonnes collected in the previous season.
Wheat cultivations are expected to reach 11.9 million acres in the 2015-16 season, based on the government's forecast.