IV) CHACO ARGENTINO

Typical cattle yards of this zone

This is a vast area covering 416,000 km2 (41,600,000 hectares) with a population of 2,302,000 inhabitants. The zone includes 3 whole Provinces and part of another 3 Provinces. Geographically it is all very similar, flat land covered by natural Quebracho forest (Aspidosperma & Schinopsis). Agriculture is the principal source of wealth, producing cotton (Argentina is the Worlds No.4 Exporter of cotton, and 80% is grown in this area), corn, soya and black beans. Hard wood timber production is very active with many sawmills in this zone. Cattle breeding is now also progressing here and has a very good future, especially for those who have the know how in sub-tropical pastures such as Buffel Grass, Gatton and Green Panic. Formosa has some excellent natural grasses, used for cattle fattening, such as Pasto Clavel. This zone to the East has a very good rainfall of 48 inches per year, dropping down to 22 inches to the west, where it is very dry. The description per Province is the following:

Formosa: Total area 72,000 km2, with a population of 400,000 inhabitants. The capital city of the Province is also called Formosa, and has 160,000 inhabitants. This is the most northern Province, up against the border with Paraguay. It is very undeveloped with only 5% of the surface developed, that is why land is so cheap in this area. The best soils are to be found in the Central East, and to the South in the basin of the Bermejo River, which is the border with the Province of Chaco.

Developed ranch of 20,000 hectares on sale. In the best area of Formosa, full homestead, with internal roads, 50% land for agriculture, and 50% land with fantastic natural grasses, such as "Pasto Clavel", apt for fattening 10,000 head of cattle per year. Competent and honest Agronomist available for Management. Price: U$S 200/ha Total: U$S 4,000,000

All the production comes from this area, which is cotton, corn, soya, rice, vegetables, grapefruit and some bananas. All the cattle production is also in this area, using Cebu crosses (both Brahman and Nelore), Brangus and Braford are the most popular breeds. Practically all the cattle are fattened on natural "Pasto Clavel grass", beef which is then consumed locally, in Paraguay and Brazil. Fattening cattle on this and other good natural grasses, is a very profitable business, because the cost of the land is low, and no capital expenditure is necessary to implant annual or perennial varieties. The best areas in this Province, have high land with dense forest, which cleared makes very good agricultural land, mixed with lower humid open land where the good grasses grow naturally. This makes it ideal for mixed Farming, both for beef production and agriculture, hence not having all ones eggs in the same basket.

River Bermejo, boundary between the Province of Chaco (bottom right of the photo) and the Province of Formosa. Here there are several properties for sale, on both sides of the River: 160,000 hectares, and 90,000 hectares, both at U$S 200/ha, undeveloped, but have a higher value because they are both bordering the river, with much water available for irrigation. Also the soil in the basin of this river is very fertile. For example there is a ranch of 5,500 ha., 15 miles away from the river with no water available for irrigation, and is developed, with homestead, all fenced, with internal paddocks and roads, apt both for cattle breeding and agriculture, which is for sale also at U$S 200/ha. It does rain 40 inches per year, so this is also an interesting opportunity (see entrance to this ranch in bottom photo)

Chaco: Total area 100,000 km2, with a population of 840,000 inhabitants. The capital city of the Province is called Resistencia, and has 290,000 inhabitants. This city is to the East on the Parana River, joined by a long bridge over this river to the city of Corrientes, which is the capital of the neighbouring Province. In Chaco, cotton (without irrigation) has always been the main agricultural product. As this area is more developed, the land prices are higher than in Formosa.

Santiago del Estero: Total area 136,000km2, with a population of 672,000 inhabitants. The capital city of the Province is also called Santiago del Estero, and has 305,000 inhabitants. The good areas are to the East against the Chaco where most of the cotton is grown, and the central area close to the capital, which has plenty of irrigation water at a very low cost. The rest of the Province is very dry, with about 20 inches of yearly summer rainfall. So the main production in this Province is cotton, both dry and irrigated, soya and black beans, alfalfa for both cattle fattening and selling bails of hay (sold to the horse racing stables in Buenos Aires). The irrigated land is also apt for either vegetable production, or olive and citrus plantations.

West of Salta: About 30,000 km2 with a scant population of around 20,000 inhabitants. This is also a very dry with a rainfall of 20 inches per year. Soros has bought large tracts of land in this area, where they are chaining and burning the trees, implanting Gatton Panic pastures for cattle breeding, which is giving good results, Here the land is worth U$200/ha., plus another U$S 500/ha necessary to develop, and once down to Gatton Panic, these pastures will carry one cow to every two hectares, producing one calf per year, that is sold off at weaning, fetching U$S 1.20 per kg live weight. This is also giving good results in the dry areas of Santiago del Estero.

North of Cordoba: An area of about 18,000 km2, with only around 20,000 inhabitants, and very similar to the above description, except that being further South the weather is cooler. Also ideal for Gatton pastures.

North of Santa Fe: An area of 60,000 km2, with a population of 350,000 inhabitants. Covering 50% of this surface in the centre of this area there is a huge basin of low land, with salty soil and bad water, which is undeveloped, and only carry a few cattle. Then on either side, East and West, it is all developed land, used for cattle breeding, and agriculture: cotton, corn, soya beans, sunflower, rice, and a small area to the North East with sugar cane. Here it also rains well, oscillating from 48 inches yearly in the East to 34 inches in the West. In the East, up against the huge Paraná River, there is excellent fishing, with 20 different varieties of fish, some reaching up to 50 kgs. The most sporty of these varieties is the Golden fish (Dorado) that take a spoon or fly, and put up a tremendous fight, similar to salmon. There is some rice growing in this area, which attract wild duck by the millions, considered a plague, and so many hunting fanatics come from Europe to shoot the duck, especially Italians.

Also there are still many land investment opportunities in the agricultural and timber productive areas, with good soils and a yearly rainfall that ranges from 30 inches in the South East to 50 inches in the North East.

In this zone the land is today worth (2008) between 200 USD upto $ 2,500 USD per hectare.