BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — An outbreak of stunt disease spread by leafhopper insects is expected to significantly reduce corn planted area and production in Argentina in the 2024-25 marketing year, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture.

In its April 17 report, the FAS slashed its 2024-25 corn production forecast by 6% year-on-year, to 48 million tonnes on 6 million hectares, down 800,000 hectares and the lowest area in six years. 

“The outbreak of corn stunt disease is expected to make many farmers, especially in the central-northern areas, shift to soybeans,” the FAS said.

The agency also cut its corn production forecast for 2023-24 by 10% from its January projection to 51 million tonnes, because of the stunt disease outbreak and dry weather in some areas.

“This is an evolving disease, and its final damage will be known once the last fields are harvested in late June,” the FAS said. 

Argentina, the world’s third largest corn exporter, has seen roughly 3 million hectares impacted by the unprecedented insect outbreak, according to the FAS.  

The forecast for the country’s 2024-25 wheat crop is more positive, with the FAS expecting a 1-million-tonne increase year-on-year to 16.8 million tonnes, its highest output in four years, if realized.