Venezuela corn planting suffers from drought

The important Venezuelan agricultural area of Portuguesa State has suffered from dry weather and delayed rains, which has reportedly resulted in damage to some 100,000 hectares (ha) of corn in the region, according to representatives of the Venezuelan Producers Association, Fedeagro, says a GAIN report from the US Department of Agriculture Foreign Agriculture Service.

The lack of rainfall could require growers to replant some land and purchase additional inputs and labor, increasing costs for what will likely be a smaller crop. During this season, 230,000 ha of corn are expected to be planted in Portuguesa -- almost a third of the national projection of 750,000 ha. From the estimated loss of 100,000 ha, 70,000 ha is white corn and the rest is yellow corn. Producers are asking for an urgent review of corn prices to avoid a collapse in planting next year, having requested a review of the farm-gate corn price and a price increase for precooked corn flour.