BUENOS AIRES, May 1 (Reuters) - Argentina's grains exports brought in some $3 billion in April, the CIARA-CEC chamber of exporters and oilseed producers said on Saturday, driven by high global prices for soybeans, corn, wheat and other cereals.
The South American country is the world's top exporter of processed soymeal and oil, the global No. 3 corn supplier and a major producer of wheat. The country relies heavily on farm exports to bring in much-needed foreign currency.
The monthly result, which comes despite some farmers holding back on selling crops as a hedge against a weak local peso currency, marked a 9.29% increase against the month before, which was already at least an 18-year record high.
The chamber added that foreign exchange income from agricultural exports in the first four months of the year hit $9.76 billion. It added that harvests were progressing well, but noted the low level of the Paraná River, a major grains transport route. (Reporting by Adam Jourdan; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
