Mid-Atlantic Blizzard From Farmers' Perspective

Several farmers in Deleware, Maryland and Pennsylvania posted blizzard reports on NewAgTalk.Com, my favorate forum.

It makes the weather here in Mississippi seem far less complicated. Here's the link:

http://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=148799&posts=30&start=1

- Owen Taylor

Three (out of six) ideas that are changing the world - and agriculture.

Just before the end of the year and right on the cusp of a new decade, the Christian Science Monitor's editors published an insightful group of articles: 6 Ideas That Will Change The World.

Of the six main items -- several lesser trends also were noted -- half either directly or indirectly affected agriculture. They were:

Africa's agricultural expansion. We've had items about this in the past on our web site and in this blog, but this trend goes largely unreported in U.S. ag magazines. In short, other countries -- Saudi Arabia, China and South Korea among them -- have bought up or leased hundreds of thousands of acres of land in various African nations, then invested in infrastructure needed to grow and transport crops. As examples, the Monitor noted that:

• Saudie Arabia has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into production sites in Ethiopia.
• China has invested $800 million in rice farms in Mozambique.
• South Korea announced it will develop a quarter of a million acres of grain production in Tanzania.

Think about it. All three nations need more farm production than their land will allow, and they have capital to "off-shore" their farming interests. All manner of questions are being raised about whether these developments are good or bad for Africa. China has a spotty record in terms of propping up some oppressive governments when it has developed other raw materials in Africa. Questions also have been raised about the long-term effect on the encironment.

But two things are certain. Africa still has vast stretches of aerable land that either isn't farmed or is tended at only subsistence levels. And every time an acre of African farmland goes into this kind of production, it will compete with U.S. producers, either directly or indirectly, for global market share.

Japan and the rise of computers. With a rapidly aging population and an abhorrence for foreign workers, Japan spends billions every year on robotic research. The research also has moved well past the assembly line and into public areas. At some hospitals, a robotic greeter waits at the door to direct visitors to the right location. Another helps patients with physical rehabilitation. Another robot under development fights fires. The research tends to focus on dirty, menial tasks, including rice planting, a hands-on chore that involves transplanting seedlings into paddies. The cost of a GPS-guided rice-planting robot is still high - about $90,000. But that's less than half what it was just a few years ago.

The emphasis is on autonomy, putting robots into an environment and giving them some ability for sizing up situations and making decisions.

Which brings us to the U.S. citrus industry. Grower organizations in both California and Florida have funded long-term projects aimed at developing robots that can move through orchards, recognize ripe fruit and then pick it. That sounds at first like a simple chore, but vast amounts of programming are required just so a robot's visual sensors can detect the shape of an orange and then detect its color in various lighting conditions. By comparison, it's probably easier to fire a cruise missile from 500 miles away and have it enter a building through a specific side window.

Any strides the Japanese make in robotic autonomy will eventually affect how machines operate on U.S. farms. Maybe not next year, but the technology continues to evolve.

Coming soon: more Chinese? For three decades, China's one-child-per-family dictate spurred economic growth. But China has now reached the point that, at least in some areas, it is encouraging families to have two children. The reason: China's population is aging twice as fast as ours, and the nation faces the prospect that by 2050 there will only be 1.7 active workers for every pensioner. Beyond that, couples limited to one child have long-preferred sons, so abortions have left the country with a higher ratio of male to female babies - 120 to 100, on average, which is the highest in the world. At that rate, the Monitor noted, 15% of Chinese men will be unable to find brides within 30 years.

Lifting of the one-baby restriction has taken place only in limited locations. But 70% of Chinese women would have two or more children, given the chance, according to one survey.

If China loosens this limitation further - and demographers say the country probably has no choice - the effect will be even more mouths to feed in the future, meaning more demand for ag commodities. Beyond that, a larger population could push at least some farmland out of production, further limiting China's ability to produce its own food.

- Owen Taylor

Cotton - Thoughts on a Week of Losses

Cotton isn't just a crop. For those who grow it, it's a member of the family. Lately, it's the errant cousin who has been pushed to the outside, the one who shows up now and then for reunions. The one we roll our eyes at when he's not looking.

I have never grown one stalk of cotton. But for years, I have made a living photographing the people and crops of agriculture. Cotton is the one that stays in my heart. I have witnessed the euphoria of a grower standing in a glorious field of 4-bale cotton. And, I've listened to a misty eyed farmer explain, as much to himself as to me, how he had to give up on cotton.

Recently, I came across Red Hills and Cotton - An Upcountry Memory by Ben Robertson, originally published in 1942. Robertson shares stories of his family's life in the Blue Ridge section of South Carolina, and how cotton was always present in their lives. His words from almost 60 years ago still ring true, no matter the market ups or downs, or the latest weed technology developments.

From: Red Hills and Cotton - An Upcountry Memory Ben Robertson, 1942

"Thirty years ago our Great-Aunt Narcissa began telling us the cotton kingdom was doomed--the world market was slipping irrevocably from us, we should begin substituting other crops. For at least fifteen years all of us have been fully aware that our reckoning day for cotton would inevitably come to hand, but even under these circumstances we have not turned away from cotton. We have gone right on plowing and planting. It is never easy for a people to give up a hundred-year-old tradition -- our lives and our fathers' fathers' lives have been built around cotton. We have bought our clothes with a bale of cotton; we have built our houses with cotton money; we have sold a bale of cotton to pay our way through school. We have even campaigned in politics atop a cotton bale. And even our Great-Aunt Narcissa stated once in public that she did not care what anybody in Washington or anyone else in the world said about cotton, it still was the greatest crop that heaven ever gave to any country."

- Debra Ferguson

Hurricane Forecasts: Another Sign Of Spring

It's that time of the year when weather forecasting firms gaze into the old supercomputer and try to divine which way hurricane season will head.

Most of them were pretty much off target last year (correct me if you know differently) because the reports I saw called for at least moderate activity. In fact, 2009 was a light year, overall. Yes, much of mid America -- from Louisiana to the upper Corn Belt -- received way too much rain in the summer and fall. But little of it could be traced to hurricanes.

That said, we've just received what I think is the first hurricane forecast for 2010. It calls for more activity than in 2009, which probably isn't that tough a call. It also contends that Georgia and the Carolinas will likely see more activity compared to other areas.

Here it is:

In its first hurricane season report for 2010, WSI Corporation -- a part of The Weather Channel companies -- calls for 13 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 intense hurricanes (category 3 or greater).

The 2010 forecast numbers fall between the long-term (1950-2009) averages of 10 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 3 intense hurricanes and the averages from the more active recent 15-year period (1995-2009) of 14/8/4.

Further, WSI's hurricane landfall forecasting model (developed in collaboration with reinsurance intermediary Guy Carpenter) suggests that Georgia and the Carolinas are most at risk this season, with near to slightly-below normal risks along other parts of the US coastline.

"2009 was the quietest tropical season since 1997, as an emerging El Nino event combined with relatively cool tropical Atlantic waters to suppress widespread development," said WSI Chief Meteorologist Dr. Todd Crawford. "The previous five El Nino events have all been followed by significant increases in tropical activity the following summer as the vertical shear weakens and the tropical Atlantic warms up. We expect a similar result this summer, and feel that our current forecast numbers are more likely to be adjusted upwards rather than downwards as we get closer to the season."

Crawford also indicated that the Southeast US had an enhanced risk of hurricane landfall this season. "Our statistical landfall forecast model, which takes into account northern hemispheric ocean temperatures and current atmospheric patterns, is suggesting that Georgia and the Carolinas are at greatest risk for hurricane landfall this season. This model correctly predicted an active Gulf season in 2008 and a quiet season in 2009."

WSI's next seasonal forecast update, which will include forecasts for spring and early summer temperatures, will be issued on February 23. The next update on the 2010 tropical season will be released on April 21.

- Owen Taylor

Cotton Herbicide Programs: What Some Farmers Are Looking At For 2010

I found a thread this morning on the independent forum, New Ag Talk, that discusses cotton herbicide plans that these farmers intend to use in 2010's crop.

Significantly, I doubt if this discussion would have taken place 5 years ago, back when Roundup resistance wasn't a known factor and the main question was, "When do you spray Roundup?" Comments cover Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas.

If you grow cotton and want a quick basis of comparison, here's the thread:

http://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=146482&posts=10&start=1

- Owen Taylor

The Future Of Cotton?

Here's a thread from New Ag Talk, my favorite agricultural forum, about the future of cotton. Like these things go, it rambles a bit, but the comments from farmers in several states touch on both the immediate future of the crop, general planting intentions for 2010 and its long-term prospects.

See, in particular, the sixth entry about what apparently is an adjustment that John Deere has made to its marketing program for its module-building cotton picker in response to demand.

- Owen Taylor

Soaring sugar prices: nill effect on U.S. plantings

Sugar continues to soar. That will have little, if any, if any effect on sugar acres in the U.S. this year. The 2010 sugarcane crop already has been planted, and marketing allotments also are fixed for cane and beet sugar.

Here's a report from John Christopher with The Linn Group:

Sugar futures hit a 29-year high Wednesday as the market continues to focus on lower crops in both Brazil and India. March sugar settled up 13 points at 29.11 cents per pound. The May contract rose 27 points to close at 27.79 cents per lb. Late in the session, March sugar topped its previous life-of-contract high of 29.06 cents on Jan. 19, peaking at 29.45 cents. This is the highest level for a frontmonth contract since January 1981. Prices continue to attract increased buying as areas of resistance fall by the wayside.

Most analysts said sugar's rise was not due to breaking news so much as the market continuing to factor in a bullish supply/demand. Initial thoughts were the dry weather across Brazil would hurt yield, but sucrose content has been improved.

Yields now look to be 140 kg per tonne of can up from 133 kg last season. The center-south region usually accounts for 90 percent of Brazilian production; this is the first time since 1971 that yields will be better in the northern regions. From the demand prospective, buyers continue to emerge.

Mexico released a statement that it will need to import 450,000 mt during the current cycle to rebuild depleted inventories and meet export demand. Mexican inventories are currently at 500,000 mt or half of normal levels. Indonesia and India also remain around the market. Indonesia is in the process of procuring 500,000 mt by Febuary and India is looking at 1 million mt by end of the first half of this year.

Here's a related link from NewAgTalk.Com that I started. In sugarbeet country, as this thread reflects, sugar production is a contentious issue.

What is a cold wave? That depends.

"Cold wave" is a commonly-heard phrase this time of year, but under what conditions do meteorologists use the expression? Mary Knapp, the state climatologist for Kansas, puts it this way:

"As used by the National Weather Service, it means a rapidly falling temperature in the next 24 hours. These falling temperatures would require substantially increased protection for
agricultural, industry, commerce and social activities."

Knapp says there are two factors that mark a cold wave: the rate the temperature falls, and the low to which it falls. These obviously vary from region to region and season to season.

"What constitutes a cold wave in Minnesota would be quite different than a cold wave in Florida," said the climatologist, who oversees the Kansas Weather Data Library, based in K-State Research and Extension. "For the majority of people, it is simply a period of very cold weather and each of us can decide what is cold!"

Ag Connect trade show: initial assessments

The Ag Connect trade show, which just concluded its first even in Orlando, Florida, was much-promoted, based on what our readers and others have been saying. How did it stack up?

Some attendees expressed a bit of disappointment in a thread on NewAgTalk.Com.

- Owen Taylor

Farm equipment sales will remain weak, with scattered bright spots possible

Ag equipment sales are expected to remain light, according to a report today from the national Association of Equipment Manufacturers, a trade group that works in both the farm and construction equipment industries.

Reasons for pessimism include still-low commodity prices, a general decline in farm income and tighter credit.

Some bright spots still may be out there, according to a report from the California Farm Bureau.

"Farm equipment dealers say they expect a mixed sales year in California for 2010," CFB reported in its weekly e-letter. "Dealers in farming areas where commodity prices were good last year, such as rice, look for a good year, according to the Far West Equipment Dealers Association. Dairy and hay growers may enter the equipment market if their commodity prices improve in 2010 as expected. Sales of most farm equipment declined last year."

- Owen Taylor

Tillage radishes - how big do they get?

The answer: longer than a five-gallon bucket, at least.

See this thread, with photo, on NewAgTalk.Com, my favorite ag forum.

- Owen Taylor

Gowan acquires Intruder insecticide

Gowan Company, LLC announced this week that it has obtained exclusive U.S. marketing rights from Nippon Soda Co., Ltd. for Intruder 70WSP insecticide for use on cotton.

Until now, the product had been marketed by DuPont.

Intruder 70WSP contains the active ingredient acetamiprid, part of the neonicitinoid family of insecticides, discovered and wholly owned by Nippon Soda Co. Ltd.

Effective November 20, 2009, Tucson-based Gowan gained the exclusive distribution rights for Intruder 70WSP and will continue to position Intruder 70WSP as a premier cotton insecticide for use in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

“Intruder has become an important tool in cotton insecticide programs and has demonstrated excellent field performance and recognition amongst growers on a wide range of cotton insects.” Chad Dyer, Gowan Company product manager, said in the announcement, which had been rumored at the Beltwide Cotton Conference earlier this month in New Orleans.

Intruder controls a wide range ofpests on cotton including aphids, thrips, fleahoppers, white flies, and plant bugs. The addition of Intruder 70WSP insecticide further strengthens the presence of Gowan Company in the cotton market while laying the foundation for future product development.

- Owen Taylor

Cotton seed availability: fewer choices every day

Scott Brown, Extension Coordinator in Colquitt County, Georgia, sent out a couple of advisories today regarding cotton seed availability. He sees several points of concern. Some people may think they'll get DP 555 but won't. Others who have not booked seed yet will find that some varieties already may be out of stock and others are dwindling fast.

Here's his report:

There appear to be a number of producers thinking that they have DP 555BR seed allocated to them for planting who have no idea how much they are going to get.

If arrangements were not made for 2010, use of BR cotton seeds prior to the September 30 deadline then there is no longer an option for getting them.

All producers who made arrangements for their BR seed before the September 30 deadline have been billed by Monsanto for this seed. Thus, if you have DP 555BR seed reserved for you then you should have already been billed for it at $25/bag, so you should know how many bags you will receive.

Unless you worked out some kind of deferred payment with your supplier and they received the bill for you, if you haven’t been billed for any DP 555 then there is a high likelihood that you do not have any allocated to you. I suggest that you ask the supplier you made arrangements with in September about your BR seed allocation for the details on these seed as soon as possible.

Further regarding cotton seed...

It was going to be pick-and-choose on a field-by-field basis in terms of cotton seed this year year, but it now appears that it will be choose-and-choose-again on a field-by field-basis.

Over the past few days, we have heard some disturbing revelations on the availability of seed for certain cotton varieties. There are reported to be shortages, placement or allocation issues with the following:

• FiberMax 1740B2RF

• Phytogen 370WR

We knew that the Class of 2010 form DPL would be limited, but now it appears that:

• DP 1050B2RF will be very limited

• DP 1048B2RF will be less limited than 1050 but more limited than previously thought.

• DP 1034B2RF limited amount located here an additional limited amount should be available though order.

Phytogen 565WRF is already in the hands of distributors and, for the most part, what they have is all there is.

So, stop what you're doing, make your cotton variety selection on a field-by-field basis and then site down with your dealer as soon as possible.

We no longer live in the 555 world of one size fits all.

Roundup Resistance Focus Of New Blog

An increasing amount of information funnels across our screen every day about Roundup-resistant weeds and how to manage them in the 2010 crop season.

With that in mind, we have set up a new, separate blog to deal with reports, recommendations and advisories.

Here's the link: http://roundup-resistant.blogspot.com

- Owen Taylor

Beltwide Cotton Conference, New Orleans

It's a breezy 35 degrees in New Orleans, but it feels like 29 when crossing Canal Street to hear the speakers of the day. Everyone is talking weather while a winter storm watch for snow and ice is predicted three hours north of the Crescent City.

Cotton Insect Loss Estimates Across the Cotton Belt - 2009
Michael R. Williams from the Entomology and Plant Pathology Department at Mississippi State University, released info on Cotton insect Loss Estimates for 2009. It comes as no surprise that Lygus, Thrips, Heliothines and stink bugs were major pests. However, total losses in U.S. cotton were at 2.56 -- not bad. Williams credits technological advances in pest management as key to keeping losses below 5 percent. He notes that new pest control complexes developed slower than anticipated though bugs continue to be worrisome as insecticide resistance becomes a reality. Growers will see Spider mites, aphids and Thrips making a comeback with more selective insecticides on the horizon. Cotton insect management was $43.79 per acre in 2009, cost plus losses were $62.68 per acre.

Cotton Economic Update
Gary M. Adams, National Cotton Council, said an improved general economy, the weaker U.S. dollar and improving fundamentals with a tighter balance sheet, moved cotton gains 20 to 25 cents last year. In 2009, 9.1 million acres were planted, down 3.5 percent from 2008, with average yield at 782 pounds per acre. Excessive rainfall in the Mid-South and Southeast, plus the south Texas drought lowered crop potential with 10.9 million 480-bales classed as of December 31.
Cotton exports will again be critical with 2009-10 exports down from previous 2 years. As with the world balance sheet, U.S. cotton stocks projected to decline. Current estimate off 4.5 million bales, less than half total stocks of past two years. Top three markets of China, Turkey and Mexico receive more than half of all U.S. exports. China is largest at 30 percent.
India presents significant competition in cotton export market. Due to increased price supports in 2008, their exports sharply lower in 2008-09, but as world prices improve they are poised to expand exports. An increase in India's trade share generally means a reduction in U.S. trade share.
Adams Looks at 2010: Cotton stocks will decline, offering support to cotton prices. Recent rise in prices has placed cotton in more competitive position than anytime in past three years. Historically, when world prices approach current levels, growers in other countries respond with increased area.
Maintaining mill demand at current prices is critical. Manmade fibers continue to pose serious competition for U.S. cotton emphasizing importance of promotion efforts of Cotton Incorporated and Cotton Council International.

A Dose of Optimism: Beltwide Cotton Conference, New Orleans, Day 2

It's 32 degrees and sunny in New Orleans as I move among cotton growers, consultants and industry folks attending the multitude of meetings. I did gain perspective on the cold weather as I shivered on the elevator next to someone who arrived yesterday from Iowa. It was 16 degrees below when he left home.

I got a nice dose of Optimism at early morning Dow AgroSciences breakfast. Mid-South Cotton Specialists anticipate increased cotton acreage despite a dismal weather year. Texas High Plains are holding their own where there is little choice in crop rotation other than cotton and grain sorghum. And, Arizona had a great cotton year.

Congratulations to Mississippi Crop Consultant Joe Townsend, Cotton Farming magazine Consultant of the Year

Congratulations to Mark Williams of Farwell, Texas, 2009 Cotton Grower magazine Grower of Year.

The Cotton Museum at Memphis Cotton Exchange adding new exhibit on mechanization, biotechnology, and cotton as versatile fiber late February. Sponsored by Monsanto, Cotton Incorporated Case IH.


Debra

Happy 2010!

Agfax.com Items of Note as the new year begins:

Ernie Flint, Mississippi Field Notes columnist, notes that Tom Vilsack, Ag Secretary, made a Christmas Eve announcement about Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments program (SURE).

Was anyone left out of weather problems this year? I don't think so. Wettest, Latest Harvest in 30 Years

Texas: Working to beat corn yield challenges, Drought Tolerance and Aflatoxin

Louisiana Jazzman, not Jasmine. Sometimes the name makes all the difference, at least when it comes to Rice.

Why (maybe) it always seems to rain in town

By Owen Taylor, Editor
AgFax.Com - Your Online Ag News Source

A Purdue University scientist contends that man-made changes to the landscape have affected Indian monsoon rains, and he suggests that land-use decisions play an important role in climate change. Sprawling and packed urban areas are seeing an increase in heavy rainfall, according to the researcher, Dev Niyogi, an associate professor of agronomy and earth and atmospheric sciences.

Consider Houston, Texas, if you want a closer example of this effect.Every summer it seems that parts of the city flood, and the rainfall is generally unrelated to hurricanes. The flooding also can play havoc with crop production around the city.“All the asphalt, concrete and buildings accumulate heat, which rises into the atmosphere and creates a kind of thermal wall,” a Texas Extension worker noted last summer during one of those downpours. “When cool air carrying moisture hits that warm wall, it releases the moisture, and you end up with flooding rain in parts of the metro area and in rural areas where the 2 air masses meet.”

In India, this effect is clearly evident, Niyogi says. Some storms in urban areas have dropped as much as 37 inches of rainfall in a single day.

Analysis of the areas that have received increases in heavy seasonal rainfall, based on Indian Meteorological Department and NASA satellite data, showed that those areas were experiencing fast urban growth, which also describes Houston.

"You only see these types of heavy rainfall events in those areas with heavy urbanization," said Niyogi, whose research on the urban effect was published in the International Journal of Climatology. "The more urbanization spreads in those areas, the more of these heavy rain issues we'll see and the more flooding will become a problem."

Meanwhile, back in the Sierras...

Weekend storms have increased California’s Sierra snowpack – excellent news for farmers in the state’s Central Valley, who depend on winter accumulations for irrigation water in the spring and summer.

California Department of Water Resources officials say it is a good start to the season, the state’s Farm Bureau noted today on its web site. “However, they add this does not mean the drought has ended,” the report emphasized. “The overall snowpack for the Sierra is 95% of average for this date. That compares favorably to the 17% of average last year at this time. The Pacific Ocean El Nino current gives hope to farmers and urban dwellers alike for above-average precipitation, at least in the Central and Southern Sierra.”

A reduced snowpack going into the 2009 crop season meant severe limitations on water allotments in parts of the San Joaquin Valley, which makes up the southern half of the Central Valley and accounts for nearly all of the state’s cotton production area.

Growers and their crop advisors indicate that they will significantly increase cotton acreage in 2010, providing water is available again. Their projections are based on a strong price for Pima cotton and a falloff in other commodity prices, especially for tomatoes and dairy feed.

Owen Taylor Up Early: Asian Oil Demand, Onions For Energy, Remote Moisture Monitoring

AgFax.Com - Your Online Ag News Source By Owen Taylor, Editor December 14, 2009 – Worth noting this morning: Asian Oil Demand: The federal Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasted in a report last week that Asian countries will increase their short-term demand for oil. The heightened demand will be fueled mainly by a turnaround in industrial production. The upswing, EIA noted in a report last week, will be led by “countries such as China and India. Oil demand in 2010 should grow on average around 0.5 million bbl/d (barrels per day), rising to 25.5 million bbl/d for the region. Georgia Gasifying Onions For Fuel: Georgia researchers are finding a use for spoiled Vidalia onions: turning them into methane gas for fuel. That fact was included in a University of Georgia report that gave consumers a string of Vidalia facts. Why turn them into energy? “They (unmarketable and spoiled onions) can pollute soil and pollute the water,” says UGA biological and agricultural engineer Changying “Charlie” Li. “And, for neighborhoods, the smell is a social issue. How to manage this waste stream is very critical.” Diseased onions put back on fields can lead to more diseases. Gary Hawkins, a CAES pollution prevention and alternative energy specialist, is working to turn unwanted onions into fuel, specifically methane gas. To do so, he shuts them in containers called anaerobic digesters, which are void of oxygen and contain bacteria. The digesting onions produce methane gas that can be used to heat buildings or to run electricity-producing generators. Based on chemical tests, onions are second only to blueberries in their potential to produce the most methane, Hawkins said. Water Watching Remotely: We’ve just returned from the California almond conference where much of the emphasis was on how to produce almonds and other crops in 2010 with the looming potential for another year of restricted water supplies. So, a press release about a new wireless mesh moisture monitoring system caught my attention. The ClimateMinder system was initially developed to assist drought-stricken farmers in Turkey and has since been deployed in 60 farming and greenhouse operations worldwide. According to the release, it consists of 3 technologies: GrowFlex, a patent-pending seamless hardware and software integration for 24/7 monitoring and control; GrowMobile, a unique mobile handset application; and ClimateMinder Server a secure server that provides management and connectivity. The system is managed through a “cloud-based” computing system, meaning that all the software and data functions are managed through a service.

Peanuts: Argentine Planting Off To Reasonable Start, Export Report Includes U.S.-Bound Tonnage

Andres H. “Hari” Georgalos -- who operates the Argentine trading company Georgalos Peanut World in Río Segundo, Cordoba -- filed the following report on crop planting progress and exports, which include some tonnage that ended up in the U.S.

About 5% of the anticipated 2009-10 Argentine peanut crop still has not been planted due to dry conditions. Although the area under these conditions is not highly significant, this continues to be a very worrying situation because of the lateness of the planting period at this point.

Fields planted early (in October) look good, with appropriate stands. The fields planted during November germinated well, without having significant emergence problems, so far. Wind damage was reported in some fields, leading to replanting in some cases.

Argentine HPS peanut kernel exports reached 350,000 tons in the January-October period. That number does not include the shipments of peanutbutter, peanut oil, peanut flours and pellets.

The main destination was Holland at 142,000 tons, followed by England with 32,000, Russia at 30,000, Algeria with 27,500, Poland with 14,000 and France importing 13,000.

The rest is distributed in other 60 countries, including 5,500 tons of "peanut of Cordoba" shipped to the United States.