Uruguay: Controversial information about the nation’s malting barley acreage

Uruguay’s winter crops area has increased 49% over a year ago totalling 593.000 hectares, according to the country’s Agriculture Ministry Statistics Office, DIEA-MGAP, cited by Mercopress on September, 24.

However, malting barley acreage contracted by 14% from 138,000 ha to 121,000 ha this year, the Statistics Office reported.

Nevertheless, experts inform that DIEA-MGAP statistics in spite of their rigorous methodology do not necessarily coincide with private estimates given the so called “confidence window” when there could be changes in crop planning intentions.

A clear example is malting barley acreage, which, according to the private sector, reached 145 to 155,000 hectares under contract from breweries in 2008. The number is significantly higher than the 121,000 of DIEA.

26 September, 2008