Aligned to increase productivity – 18/05/2019

One of the virtues of this crop boom in this agricultural cycle of major crops, such as soybean, corn, and wheat, is that they have increased productivity per hectare every year because of large public investments and especially private. And at the other extreme are the vegetables, which have not yet taken the step that makes the sector competitive on a global level.

That's what the President of the House of Pulses of the Argentine Republic (CLERA) said. Sergio Rafaelli, during the technical and commercial update of dry legumes of Salta held by the same chamber.

"For example, in white beans, of which Argentina is a very important player in the world, productivity levels have stagnated 15 years ago at 1,100 kilos per hectare." And in the case of colored beans , new alternatives are important in terms of seed since the sustainability of the company depends ", illustrates the brand new Clera head.

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As a result, he badured that the genetic improvement of varieties or the appearance of new materials is very important.

"The seed law would be important because it would integrate new technologies and provide funding for farmers so that we can rely on new materials. We do not have new varieties because there is no funding to have them. We would improve our productivity, which limits our activity, "he said.

Thereafter, María Elisa Maggio, one of the leading experts in pulses, has been involved in this topic since Cerrillos, Salta, and is leading the vegetable improvement program at the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA).

For Maggio, it must be badumed that obtaining an improved variety of a crop can take from six to twenty years.

"It's a medium-term business and you need a permanent investment, between line crossings, trials to obtain better yields, resistance to disease or improve quality conditions such as size or color of grains, "explained the expert from Salta.

The problem is that this investment has historically declined in this area in the public sector, which is experiencing cyclical fluctuations in investment in research due to recurrent fiscal and financial crises in the country.

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"The genetic improvement of legumes is mainly in the hands of the public sectorbecause large companies and nurseries are not tempted to investigate what kind of seeds are self-pollinating and also have a small market, "said Maggio.

However, the President of Clera said that Canada, the United States and Egypt, Argentina's main competitors in the legume sector, benefit from the government's support for the development of chain.

"In Argentina, export duties and the reduction of export refunds have weighed heavily on activity.We lost 15% between the two decisions in a very competitive market is really difficult to compete. "

The legumes campaign

In the Northeast of the country (NOA), the star legume is bean, with its different varieties. This year, many chips were placed on the crop and developed optimally, although a large part of the area was planted at term. .

First, the area in white beans was 140 000 hectares, a slightly larger area than last year. However, Rafaelli warned that there was little activity in the market unlike in other years, although its reasonable price is $ 1,100 per tonne (cost and freight).

"We expect a percentage that is never less than 35% and up to now only 10% of the estimated harvest volume has been sold," he said.

In the case of porto negro, the area was 130 000 hectares and the countryside is also normal, with yields of 1,300 kilos to the hectare.

"The time is coming," he said. In this segment, prices are much lower, around $ 600 per tonne, which would be very profitable. "We depend mainly on Brazil, and the neighboring country is harvesting normally, so the outlook is not good for the harvest," he said.

And compared to the color of the beans, the area sown is smaller, reaching 15,000 hectares and 20,000 tons will be produced.

On the other hand, go to winter legumes, la projection for the garbanzo is not the best. For the president of Clera, the area will be smaller than last year because it was lower than the profitability of the harvest.

"Because prices were bad, the worst of the last 10 years, and in the north, their productivity was poor because of the rains of the harvest period," he said, adding that prices were depressed cost and freight), the area will therefore be about 80 000 hectares.

According to Rafaelli, as long as productivity is corrected and the commodity is of good quality, the profit margin can be profitable.

In the case of pea, an area similar to that of last year is estimated, 60,000 hectares of green peas and 25,000 hectares of yellow peas.

"We are not carrying peas, which has not happened two or three years, which will allow the crop to be interested in planting because there is a demand for peas and that the Argentina is not available, "Rafaelli said.