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Projections for the 2025/26 season indicate a recovery in the corn-growing area, with greater certainty for the central part of the country, but a more conservative outlook in the north, where the leafhopper is once again causing concern.
In the central region, planting intentions forecast a year-on-year increase of between 15% and 20%. This scenario is explained by the loss of appeal of soybeans due to lower margins, incipient integration with livestock farming in some areas, and good prospects for corn, thanks to moisture reserves for early planting. In southeastern Buenos Aires, the area planted is expected to remain unchanged from the previous season.
In the northeast, progress is more conservative. In Santiago del Estero, the crop ratio is projected to be 60% corn and 40% soybeans, along with an increase in the area devoted to sunflowers. The high proportion of soybean-soybean or soybean-wheat-soybean rotations—around 90%—is driving diversification toward corn. However, the intention of some producers to plant corn early is worrying technical advisors, who warn of a possible increase in inoculum pressure for later plantings.
In Chaco, an increase in corn planting is also expected, although still far from the levels seen before the major leafhopper outbreak. Traps installed in Gancedo, Pinedo, and Sachayoj have recorded more than 300 insects, a population considered very high. The pest is already present in wheat fields, which, although not affected, serve as winter hosts. Added to this threat are tight margins: production and transportation costs make cotton and sunflowers the most profitable options in the province.
August 15, 2025/ Rosario Stock Exchange/ Argentina.
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