some geographic data

more uruguay soil maps
more uruguay climate/rainfall maps

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Uruguay climate, soils and topography

Uruguay is situated entirely in the humid subtropics, with 1200-1400mm annual rainfall, statistically evenly distributed throughout the year, though in reality droughts do occur. It is however the most benign climate belt for both agriculture and livestock
The land is in most parts gently undulating with smaller streams never being far away ( and ground water at 10–50m depth ).
Soils are mostly of the dark brown to black color type, of medium depth, favourable soil properties and medium high nutrient content (generally with P deficiency)

The two maps below serve well to indicate Uruguay’s agri pontial in global comparison because they take all major factors into account.

map suitability wheat cultivation, rain fed

map suitability corn cultivation, rain fed

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The most fertile soils are found in Uruguay's western/southwestern fringe.
The Uruguay soil fertility map below is based on Uruguay's Coneat soil productivity classification system, ranging from dark blue (high fertility) to red (poor fertility)

for detailed scientific description of each soil type follow links below :
soils type 0
soils type 1+2
soils type 3+4+5
soils type 6+7
soils type 8+9
soils type 10
soils type 11+12+13

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prices for farmland paid in the first half of 2017, USD per hectare (2,47 acre)

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Germany's Lateinamerika Verein's December 2014 country report on Uruguay states that Uruguay with its 3 million people can feed 28 million people. That should be the best such ratio (population to food production potential) in the entire world, a world that has seen the ratio arable land per capita halve to 0,2 hectare over the last decades.

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Uruguay's climate does not vary significantly regionally, shown below :anual rainfall and mean temperature

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Global climate change effects on Uruguay

Projections mostly predict a milder temperature increase compared to other world regions, and slightly increasing annual rainfalls, so that the precipitation - evaporation balance of soil humidity should remain roughly unchanged, with slightly increased vegetation periods and hence slightly rising yields for crops like soya and corn (maize). Rainfalls may on the other hand become more erratic, causing damage through droughts and run off. In total, the balance of effects for the next 40-50 years should be roughly neutral.

This 2010 World Bank publication map on estimated effects on yields in 2050 mainly confirms that high latitude regions will gain and most others will loose. The map has its shortcomings, it does not differentiate within such climatically diverse countries as Argentina or Chile which will have their distinct gaining and loosing regions, but confirms the rather benign outlook for Uruguay.

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some Uruguay economic data

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GDP $58.4 billion (2017 est.)
GDP - per capita: $22,400 (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 65.3%
government consumption: 14.1%
investment in fixed capital: 18.6%
investment in inventories: -0.2%
exports of goods and services: 22.3%
imports of goods and services: -20.1% (2013 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 6.2%
industry: 25.5%
services: 68,3

Unemployment rate: 7.3% (2013 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 45.3

Taxes and other revenues: 29,3% of GDP (2017 est.)
Budget deficit (-):-3.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
Public debt: 66.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.2% (2017 est.)
Central bank discount rate: 9% (31 December 2017)
Commercial bank prime lending rate: 13.6% (31 December 2017 est.)
Current account balance: 955 million (2017 est.)

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agri export sector

Break up of Uruguay’s export earnings by agri commodity type. Weaker global prices of grains and soya will take their toll on export earnings in 2015, estimates shown below. Reduced earnings in grains and soya will be partly offset by an estimated US$500m earnings increase in pulp, with at least one giant paper mill coming into production

agri commodity type exported	2014 metric tons(t)	2014 average price USD/t	2014 export earnings x1000USD	2015 metric tons(t) estimate	2015 average price estimate USD/t	2015 export earnings estimate x1000USD
wheat	1.445.000	297	330.000	900.000	209	189.000
soya	3.177.000	508	1.651.000	3.400.000	370	1.035.000
dairy (milk powder etc)			810.000			565.000
beef			1.863.000			1.844.000
rice			506.000			452.000

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Uruguay Agri Export main destinations 2017

Uruguay main crops, break up and expansion 1995 to 2017

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though some years old, this graph still gives a first glance idea where Uruguay stands within Latin America

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political risk perception

Marsh & Maplecroft, the economics intelligence providers, rate Uruguay as "Low Risk" as political country risk for foreign investors, for 2013 and again 2014. Of all countries of the Americas, it is a rating they only apply to the US, Canada, Chile and Uruguay.

click to enlarge

above mentioned characteristics compare favourably to taxes, regulations in Argentina (in farmland investments news)

some figures, farming related, aproximate

- Diesel fuel per litre : US$ 1,35
- farm worker monthly labour cost all in : US$1000
- grain prices : differing little (+/- 0-10%) from US and global prices
- life cattle / steers : US$1,70/kg

cattle/beef in Uruguay, numbers for the year ending June 2017
- size of Uruguay's national herd: 11,7 million head
- mortality, long term average : 2,5%
- slaughtered : 2,3 million head
- life cattle exported : 0,3 million
- beef exported : 445.000t at avarage US$3400/t, equalling US$1,5bn

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Uruguay commodity prices, Mar 20-30.2018
grain prices : ex port Nueva Palmira or Montevideo, slaughter cattle : put in plant

- wheat US$/ton $190
- maize US$/ton $210
- soya US$/ton $350
- slaughter cattle, steers US$/kg life weight $1,70
- slaughter cattle, cows US$/kg life weight $1,50
- calves 150 kg US$/kg $2,00

(sources : www.camaramercantil.com.uy, www.acg.com.uy)