South America Calling

The forecast for increasing episodes of scattered showers and thunderstorms over the weekend and next week in Argentina will be very timely and beneficial rainfall.

Latin America has limited domestic fertilizer production, and it is extremely reliant on fertilizer imports from across the world.

Brazil's currency takes a bearish turn.

Much of the reason for a faster planting pace, especially in Mato Grosso, is weather-related.

Rain has been more frequent for most Brazil and Argentina crop regions this month.

Brazil saw its cattle herd grow to a new record level in 2015, according to new government statistics.

Brazil's soybean season has started slow amid spotty rains, and it is probably going to stay that way until late October.

Brazil's massive poultry and pork industry will buy less corn than previously expected in 2016. Chicken and pork production has slowed due to sky-high prices, said an industry head.

Argentina's 2015-16 corn harvest has finally finished with output of 28.0 million metric tons confirmed, said the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange.

Brazilian soybean area will rise 2.6%, driven by positive margins, says Celeres, a local farm consultancy.

Brazil and China have created a $1 billion fund to promote investment in Brazilian agriculture with the focus on infrastructure.

Brazil's CTNBio biosecurity commission approved one Monsanto GM corn variety commonly used in the U.S. but demanded further analysis on another three, complicating the local poultry and pork industries' plans to import U.S. corn at the end of the year.

A sharp reduction in trucks carrying corn from Brazil's center-west to ports has led to a jump in the cost of freighting fertilizer for the upcoming soybean crop on the return trip.

Limitations to subsidized farm credit could limit the expansion of Brazilian grain area in the coming years, warned a former top Agriculture Ministry official.

Brazil will probably import around 500,000 metric tons of U.S. wheat in 2016-17 (Sep-Aug), down from a record 2 million metric tons in 2014, amid an expected recovery in Argentine production and the promise of a good local crop.

Brazil's Ag Ministry is looking to accelerate ag chemical approvals amid clamor from farmers.

While U.S. farmers fret about tight margins, Brazilian growers are spending, buying record volumes of fertilizer in 2016. Fertilizer deliveries in the first seven months are up 10.4% on the year amid a positive outlook for the upcoming 2016-17 season.

Brazilian agriculture confidence bounced back strongly in the second quarter amid hopes that the economic recession had bottomed out.

Signs that Brazil may be near the bottom of the worst economic slump since the Great Depression are heartening agribusiness. The improved economic outlook may be prompting farmers to return to investments.

Brazilian farmers will have a preference for corn in 2016-17, but soybean area will still expand, according to a leading local analyst.