It is estimated that for two months, a period that has already begun, 74,500 truck trips will be made to transfer the production of grains of wheat, barley and rapeseed from this new harvest of winter crops, highlighted The Observer the senator and agricultural producer Sebastián da Silva.
By the end of the winter crop harvest, which was activated with the rapeseed harvest a few weeks ago, Da Silva estimated a production of 4,000 kilos of barley per hectare, 3,800 kilos of wheat per hectare and 1,600 kilos of rapeseed per hectare, Yields higher than expected when spring was installed, several weeks passed with little or no rainfall on the farms.
Based on data from the Directorate of Agricultural Statistics (DIEA) of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP), this year winter crop area is recordwith 287,710 hectares of wheat, 267,253 hectares of rapeseed and 182,606 hectares of barley.
The record area and the estimated yields will allow us to have enough grains to cover the internal demand and the export requirements in each one of the items.
Increase of 8% in transport
The loading of the harvest is being done with a reference rate for cargo transport 8% more expensive than in the past harvestfor his part informed The Observer Ignacio Asumendi, president of the Uruguayan Interunion of Professional Land Freight Transport (ITPC).
The increase in the reference occurred after a year in which there were increases of around 20% in costs, highlighted the carrier. Some of the costs where there were increases were fuel and labor, he noted.
During these weeks and due to works on various routes there have been delays, Asumendi said. “There is a projection of the road issue,” he said, referring to works that, he stressed, “will bring better possibilities in the long run,” for example the widening or strengthening of bridges.
The possibility of carry more load It is an issue that the union is discussing with the Ministry of Transport and Public Works (MTOP), he commented. Trucks are currently allowed to carry up to 45 tons, although high-performance equipment is allowed a maximum of 48 tons.
The ITPC disagrees with the ministry because the carriers suggest that if high-tech equipment, such as pneumatic suspension, were reinforced, the transported load could be increased and thus better options could be offered to producers who sell their crops, Asumendi explained. . But so far the MTOP refuses to allow such equipment reforms, he added.
Tens of thousands of trips are needed to move the production achieved in a record area.
More yields and half sold
So far the yields and quality of the harvested crops have been positive, despite the fact that they suffered for several months from the water deficit.
“Apparently it will be a slightly better harvest than we initially estimated”Said about that Diego Guigou, head of agricultural production of Agronegocios del Plata (ADP).
slightly cooler temperatures and the rains they helped for an adequate filling of grains, he highlighted.
Juan Foderé, manager of Fadisol, agreed with this assessment in an interview with The Observerand highlighted that prior to the harvest, a yield of 1,300 kilos per hectare was estimated for the rape (the winter crop that grew the most in area), but so far approximately 2,000 kilos are averaged.
As reported by Guigou, half of what is expected to be harvested in this harvest is already soldand to place what remains “we are waiting to see the qualities a bit,” he said.
The production output from the farms is carried out exclusively in trucks.
A surprising harvest
Da Silva said that if the harvest estimates are met, the producers will be able to maintain the chain of payments “in a record winter crop yearwhich speaks volumes about the farmer’s courage to face a year of extremely high costs and volatility”.
“In January, when the pattern of economic growth is known, many economists will have to once again recognize the impact that the Uruguayan countryside has on the entire economy,” he said. And he maintained that this has been “a surprising harvest”which together with an “excellent harvest of summer crops will allow us to round off some more economic growth.”
“If everything continues as it is, it will allow the government to announce a reduction in personal income tax (Personal Income Tax) and IASS (Social Security Assistance Tax) and there you will see the effort of the Uruguayan countryside and the spillage it causes to the whole society”, highlighted Da Silva.
