Wedoany.com Report-Dec.3, Argentina's 2025-26 soybean planting campaign is significantly behind schedule. As of November 26, only 11 percent of the intended soybean area had been sown, compared with 36 percent at the same point last season and a five-year average of 44 percent.

The slow progress has led industry analysts to revise expectations for the country’s oilseed balance in the current cycle.

Oil World estimates that soybean planted area could decrease by approximately 1 million hectares year-on-year, reflecting both delayed fieldwork and deliberate shifts in cropping decisions.

Adverse weather conditions have been a primary factor limiting planting operations across key growing regions. Persistent dryness in parts of the core agricultural zone has delayed soil preparation and germination, prompting many producers to postpone soybean sowing or replace it with other crops.

Farmers are increasingly allocating land to sunflower, corn, and wheat, which currently offer more favorable planting windows, lower weather risk exposure, or better expected returns under prevailing price relationships.

The reduced pace of soybean establishment has already become a determining element in final acreage allocation. Areas originally planned for late-cycle soybeans are being redirected to alternative summer and winter crops that can still be seeded within agronomically viable periods.

Market participants continue to monitor soil moisture conditions closely, as timely December rainfall will be critical for any potential recovery in soybean planting intentions. However, the current delay has solidified expectations of a smaller national soybean area for the 2025-26 season compared with previous cycles.

The evolving crop mix reflects practical agronomic and economic considerations by Argentine producers as they adapt to seasonal challenges and relative profitability across available options.