A total of USD 7.464 billion was generated by agro-industrial exports in the first two months of the year, representing an increase of USD 489 million, or 7% more than last year, according to a report from the Argentine Agroindustrial Council (CAA).
“This performance was mainly driven by the wheat, sunflower, and beef + bovine leather sectors, which were the pillars of growth so far this year. Meanwhile, the corn, soybean, and peanut sectors showed a decline that tempered the overall index growth,” the report stated.
The CAA also added that, in relative terms, the most dynamic sectors during this period were tobacco, sunflower, and pork.
Sunflower “takes off”
In this context, the Council stressed that “the growth of the sunflower sector is remarkable, posting a positive variation of 220% in the cumulative two-month period compared to 2025.”
Similarly, the Rosario Board of Trade stated that foreign trade in this oilseed “is booming,” with values that “break all records and are at historic highs.”
“With 391,000 tons of oil shipped so far in the first quarter, it is the best start to an oil-producing campaign since 2005. However, beyond the extraordinary export performance of the industry, sunflower seed exports are reaching unprecedented figures,” the Rosario institution emphasized.
Specifically, so far this quarter, 421,136 tons of seeds have been shipped—12 times last year’s figure (31,688 tons) and nearly 17 times the five-year average (25,000 tons) for this point in the season.
Thus, when standardizing exports of sunflower oil, pellets, and meal into processed seed equivalents, it is estimated that 1.12 million tons of seeds have been used so far this year to produce exported industrial derivatives.
“This figure is more than double the five-year average and 1.7 times last year’s level at this point,” the Rosario Board of Trade emphasized.
Under this scenario, the exchange confirmed what Infocampo had been anticipating: within this highly dynamic commercial environment for a large sunflower harvest, Argentine production has even entered markets that are not typically buyers.
For example, in an unprecedented development, one of the world’s largest exporters of sunflower seeds and oil has purchased Argentine shipments: Bulgaria appeared for the first time in years among the destinations for this crop, accounting for 37% of raw seed purchases.
Corn starts its year strong
Meanwhile, although corn had a weak first two months, the start of the 2025/26 marketing season is also showing surprising figures.
“Considering the tons already shipped and those scheduled for shipment during March, the export program for the first month of the corn campaign is expected to be a record, surpassing 4 million tons of cereal exports,” the Rosario Board of Trade stated.
What is driving this momentum? “Despite increases in global maritime freight costs, Argentine corn remains the most competitive in the world, taking advantage of the typical window of global competitiveness until Brazilian supply enters the market starting in June/July,” the institution explained.
A relevant factor in this context is that this high export flow is occurring amid a recovery in international prices.
In Chicago, corn futures have been supported by tensions in the Middle East and increased investment exposure by funds to agricultural commodities. As a result, since the international situation began to tighten, the benchmark corn contract has risen by 6%.
At the same time, FOB premiums for Argentine corn have weakened, partly due to supply pressure and partly due to higher maritime freight costs. However, gains in Chicago have helped boost the harvest-time export price by USD 15 per ton since January.