Browse Data and Analysis

The cotton production forecast for 2024/25 has been revised downward to 5.2 million bales, with the area unchanged at 2 million hectares.

Post projects a slight increase in fresh apple production in Marketing Year (MY) 2024/25, forecast at 488,000 metric tons (MT), while pear production is expected to decrease to 655,000 MT from the previous year.

The Government of Argentina (GOA) approved five new genetically engineered (GE) events in late 2023 and 2024, including one cotton, two soybean, and two corn events. In 2024, the first three applications were submitted for joint assessment by the agricultural regulatory agencies of Argentina and Brazil under the Cooperation Agreement on Biosafety of Modern Biotechnology Products, signed in 2022.

In 2024, the Pakistan government issued revised Biosafety Rules and Regulations, creating a system to request genetically engineered (GE) commodity imports for food, feed, and processing (FFP). As of mid-October 2024, importers had submitted several applications to import GE soybeans for FFP.

In 2024, Argentina's dairy production faced significant challenges, primarily due to severe weather and economic issues which led to a projected 7 percent decline in milk output, estimated at 10,708 metric tons (MT).

Post increases marketing year (MY) 2024/2025 soybean production to reach 52 million metric tons (MMT), up 1 MMT higher than USDA official and Post’s previous estimate on 17.2 million hectares (MHA) harvested as producers shift to more soy away from corn over fears of the impact of corn stunt (leafhopper/Chicharrita) in corn, continued low prices, and expected dry conditions.

Argentine wheat production in marketing year (MY) 2024/2025 is estimated at 18 million tons (MMT) with exports (including wheat flour in its wheat equivalent) at 12 million tons, slightly above USDA official.

Post projects 2025 Argentine chicken meat production to rise to 2.55 million metric tons (MMT), while exports are projected at 180,000 metric tons as the Chinese market remains closed to Argentine exports.

With the outlook for the sugar industry largely unchanged from the previous report, no significant changes are made to the supply and demand tables.

No significant changes were made to the 2024/25 wheat supply and demand forecasts. Wheat imports and exports remain banned. The 2024/25 rice production forecast is unchanged at a record 10 million tons.

Argentine beef exports in 2025 are projected at a record 860,000 tons, carcass weight equivalent (cwe) as beef production is forecast to increase marginally.

The 2024/25 cotton area estimate is revised downward to 2 million hectares due to a decrease in cultivation in key production areas of Punjab and Sindh. With the lower area, the production forecast is lowered to 5.55 million bales.