Argentina’s corn producers are asking the government to lift the cap on exports, saying they can boost output by up to 60 percent to take advantage of rising foreign demand due to the U.S. drought.
Growers could produce up to 31 million metric tons of corn in the 2012–2013 season if a 15 million-ton cap on exports is lifted, said the Argentine Association of Regional Consortia for Agricultural Experimentation. Production in the current 2011–2012 crop year is estimated at 19.3 million metric tons, according to the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange. “This should be the corn year for Argentina,” said the association. “Should the government announce the entire lifting of corn export quotas, farmers would have enough confidence to increase their planting.”
Argentina increased its quota in July from 10.5 million metric tons.