Overview

• The Buenos Aires Grain Exchange projects 7.8 million hectares for maize in 2025/26, up 9.6% year over year and the second-largest area in its series.
• Planting plans show regional recomposition with NOA and NEA returning to maize, Córdoba and the core belt recovering area, and late sowings gaining traction.
• Growers increasingly choose earlier sowing to reduce exposure to the Dalbulus maidis leafhopper, pairing it with tactics such as removing volunteer maize and targeted hybrid selection.
• Soil profiles are well moistened after a wet autumn and winter, while forecasts point to irregular spring–summer rainfall with excess risk in the north and possible deficits in the southwest and Cuyo.
• Abundant global supply, including a U.S. crop near 425–426 Mt and strong Brazilian output, weighs on prices as April 2026 futures hover around USD 174/t, with lower costs for some inputs offset by pricier fertilizers and tight margins supported by firm domestic demand.