Why, despite the "fall armyworm" and the "leafhopper," did Argentina come to dominate the world corn market?

Argentina is projected to dominate the global corn market for the 2025/26 season, with shipments expected to reach 34,2 million metric tons between March and October. This volume surpasses the previous record of 32,5 million tons set during the 2020/21 period, despite agricultural challenges posed by pests such as the fall armyworm ("gusano cogollero") and the corn leafhopper ("chicharrita").

Concurrently, a persistent crisis in the domestic labor market has left 54,5% of employed individuals without retirement contributions. This high level of informal employment costs the pension system 3,3 trillion pesos annually, constraining social security coverage and severely straining public finances.