La Niña Effects in Argentina Continue with Country Unable to Salvage Soybean Crops

With Argentina in the middle of the worst drought the country has experienced in over 60 years, the estimated output of its soybean crops may wither to its smallest in the past 14 years, partly due to the effects of La Niña in the region.

The effects of La Niña in Argentina continues to be seen as the rains that were expected to come in January now appear to be poised to come in February instead. This has endangered the country’s soybean crops and are forcing many to reduce the production of the country significantly this year, according to Buenos Aires Times.

The conditions of La Niña have been present in Argentina and southern Brazil for over three years, though experts believed that it is close to its end. While Brazil’s crop estimates remain optimistic, the recent drought affecting Argentina has decreased these estimates due to the maize and soybeans’ need for more water, Successful Farming reported.

“While rains are expected to return in the coming months, alleviating the soil situation in the 2023/24 season, they will not improve the current production cycle,” the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said.

The government is currently looking closely into the crop forecasts due to the country’s reliance on agricultural exports. While government weather maps show that rainfall may occur in the region where soy farming is happening, global models show that this may not be enough for the crops’ health.

This trend of low rainfall may continue on to February and March before stabilizing in April, which the government and analysts believe will mark the end of the lower-tan-average crop output currently plaguing the country. The improved weather pattern in the region is believed to be in the future for farmers in Argentina.

This report comes as inflation in the country continues to increase, with a recent monthly inflation rate of 5.1% in December after it increased to 7.4% last July. Costs of goods continue to increase by up to 94.8% in the past 12 months as the government and its Central Bank struggles to control the economic inflation growth, BBC reported.