Drought in Cordoba: they estimate that the loss of agricultural production is equivalent to nearly 40,000 departments

Cordoba It is one of the most complicated regions of the country due to the effects of the drought. According to estimates made by the Bag of Córdoba Cereals, agricultural production this season in the province will be the lowest in five seasons, down 8 million tonnes from the previous season. In this regard, a total harvest of soybeans, maize, groundnuts and wheat of 29 million tons is expected, which is also 14 million tons less than the record reached in the 2018/2019 cycle.

But in addition, technicians from the Córdoba Stock Exchange have stated that with normal yields and climatic conditions, the agricultural production potential of Córdoba would have been 41 million tons. And if the estimate of 29 million tons is taken with the effect of the drought, a potential loss of 12 million tons is recorded. For all this, the gross value of production drops by $4,700 million and the gross income of producers is estimated to be down by $3,800 million.

For comparison, the loss of the gross value of production, according to the Cordoba Grain Exchange, is equivalent to 39,400 one-bedroom apartments in Nueva Córdoba (one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the capital)105,400 pick-up trucks, 6,900 harvesters, 400,000 fewer truck journeys and 6,000 million pesos less in tax collection for the province.

According to the economist of the Grain Exchange of Córdoba, gonzalo agusto, “a large part of Cordovan producers will suffer economic losses. They will not cover production costs. In soybeans, the net result is negative in the various production areas of Córdoba. In maize, the central/northern departments of Cordoba could have a better result, although the lowest in recent years. This would be possible thanks to better late yields compared to the early yields of the southeastern and eastern provinces. »

Agusto also pointed out that in the estimates that have been presented, an impact of the drought is observed not only in productive and economic terms in the field of the agricultural sector, but also in other actors of the economy linked to it. , such is the transport of crates, freight, agricultural machinery, construction, the automotive industry, among others. Moreover, he said that the areas most affected by adverse weather conditions are those that generally have more consistent yieldswhich is the southeast of the province of Córdoba, such as the departments of Marcos Juárez, Unión and eastern San Justo, where late crops have been affected, but mainly those with early sowing.

In addition, he maintained that in the current campaign, the sowing of corn, the main crop of the province, where 87% of what has been sown has been carried out late and in soybeans this number is 70%, has been greatly reduced. postponed. For all this, the economist predicted that “in Marcos Juárez, the losses in value are close to 900 million dollars, where the early corn usually yields 110 and 115 quintals per hectare, and now it will yield 60 quintals per hectare with many luck. And these are also areas where rents are more expensive and therefore the economic results are negative”.

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