In a previous post I noted some of the areas of the world that were feeling the effect of El Niño in contributing to regional droughts. Today I highlight the impact of heavy rains (also affected by El Niño) that are hurting the harvest of crops around the world.
According to AgWeb here, “Argentina, the top exporter of soybean meal and vegetable oil, got as much as six times the normal amount of rain this month, flooding flat fields that the Santa Fe province’s governor said will result in a crop “failure.” Adverse weather will reduce output by more than 8 percent, officials at provincial exchanges said.” This may be good news for American producers, who will have to pick up the slack and may benefit from higher prices.
The Packer noted here that heavy rain has also affected the harvest of grapes in Chile, although good forecasts ahead of the storms allowed them to pick most of the ripe grapes before damage was done.
The Packer also noted here that heavy rain in parts of California delayed the harvest of cherries, but also noted that damages were minimal and they will still be ahead of normal delivery, with good volumes expected.
