San Juan is located in the western part of the country. Its neighbouring provinces are, moving clockwise from the north, La Rioja, San Luis and Mendoza. It borders Chile on the west.

Area: 89,651 km²

Population: 620,023 (2001)

Density: 6.92/km²

Viticulture is the main activity of the province with over 500 km² (56% of the productive area) and wine production from 90% of the crop. San Juan is the second Argentine wine producer after Mendoza. Other plantations include tomato, maize, potato, fig, peach and others.

Since 1980, San Juan has experienced an industrial expansion that now includes, in addition to the wineries, food processing plants and chemical factories, plastics, iron, auto parts and textiles. Manufacturing now accounts for nearly 20% of San Juan's output.

The mining industry of different materials is also important, from gold and lead to graphite and clay. Other industries include food industry and conserves, textiles and mineral processing.

This brief overview explains why you should consider visiting this province on an agricultural tour.

For more information, please visit our agritours page.

This province is located in the extreme northwest of the country, at the borders with Chile and Bolivia. The only neighbouring Argentine province is Salta to the east and south.

Area: 53,219 km²

Population: 611,888 (2001)

Density: 11.5/km²

Jujuy is, despite its rural profile, not particularly agrarian. Agriculture contributes about 10% to ouput and the main agricultural activity is sugarcane. Its processing represents more than half of the province's gross production, and 30% of the national sugar production. The second agricultural activity is the tobacco, cultivated in the Southeaster valley, as a major national producer. Other crops include beans, citrus and tomatoes, and other vegetables for local consumption.

Manufacturing is more prominent in Jujuy than in some neighboring provinces, adding 15% to its economy. Jujuy is the second largest Argentine producer of iron, used by the Altos Hornos Zapla steel mill. Other industrial activities include mining for construction material, petroleum extraction at Caimancito, salt production from Salinas Grandes salt basin, and the paper production feed by the Jujuy's forests with 20% of the industrial product of the province.

Cattle and goats for milk and wool are a minor activity, as well as llamas, vicuñas and guanacos.

This brief overview explains why you should consider visiting this province on an agricultural tour.

For more information, please visit our agritours page.

La Rioja is one of the Argentine provinces located in the west of the country. Neighbouring provinces are from the north clockwise: Catamarca, Córdoba, San Luis and San Juan.

Area: 89,680 km²

Population: 289,983 (2001)

Density: 3.23/km²

Agriculture (long limited by La Rioja's dry, mountainous terrain) adds less than 5% to its output. La Rioja's agriculture lays on the shore of the few permanents rivers and oasis that allow irrigation, with only 190 square kilometres of cultivated land. Vineyards, nuts and olive plantations are the most common, followed by cotton.

The province's main crop is the grape, and its associated wine production, especially around the Chilecito area, with a production of 8 million litres per year.

Cattle (250,000 heads) and goats (150,000 heads) are secondary activities, particularly for skin and leather. Clay represents the main mining activity, and uranium is also extracted near El Colorado.

This brief overview explains why you should consider visiting this province on an agricultural tour.

For more information, please visit our agritours page.

Mendoza is located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. Its neighboring provinces from the north clockwise are: San Juan, San Luis, La Pampa and Neuquén. To the west is Chile.

Area: 148,827 km²

Population: 1,692,000 (2005 est.)

Density: 11.4/km²

Famed worldwide for its viticulture (with 70% of the 1.5 billion litres in Argentine wine production), Mendoza's economy (Argentina's fifth largest) is, however, quite diversified.

Besides wine, other important crops (mainly for the Argentine market) are apples, pears, tomatoes, onions, plums, olives, cherries, peaches and quince. Apiculture, with 30,000 beehives, is another growing activity favoured by Mendoza's dry weather.

Mining is important to the province's economy and has grown sharply in recent years, now accounting for 22% of output in 2005 (nearly 5 times the national average). 14% of the national reserves of petroleum are in Mendoza, also home to large-scale mining of lime and uranium.

This brief overview explains why you should consider visiting this province on an agricultural tour.

For more information, please visit our agritours page.

Salta is a province located in the northwest of the country. Neighbouring provinces are: Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán, Catamarca and Jujuy. To the north it borders Bolivia and Paraguay and to the west lies Chile.

Area: 155,488 km²

Population: 1,079,051 (2001)

Density: 6.94/km²

Salta's economy is relatively underdeveloped, yet diverse.

Agriculture and its derived industries are still an imporant activity in the province, adding over 10% to ouput. Tobacco, sugar cane and viticulture are the most important and produce most of the exports from the area. Other crops mostly for local consumption are maize, beans, citrus, bananas and tomatoes.

Gas and petroleum from the Tartagal, Aguas Blancas, Madrejones and Campo Durán centres is transported to Buenos Aires and Rosario by pipes. Campo Durán also has an oil refinery located in the province. In all, manufacturing plays a significant role in Salta, adding 20% to the economy. Mining includes sulfur extraction at the La Casualidad mine, and uranium at Iruya, La Poma and San Carlos.

American breeds of cattle are raised only on the humid sub-tropical east, along with some sheep and goats.

This brief overview explains why you should consider visiting this province on an agricultural tour.

For more information, please visit our agritours page.

San Luis is a province of Argentina located near the geographical centre of the country (on the 32º South parallel). Neighbouring provinces are, from the north clockwise: La Rioja, Córdoba, La Pampa, Mendoza and San Juan.

Area: 76,748 km²

Population: 367,933 (2001)

Density: 4.8 /km²

San Luis' economy has, over the past generation, been among the most improved in Argentina.

Before the tax incentives for the industry applied in the province after 1982, its economy was more agricultural, this based mainly on maize and cattle, which is still very important specially related to dairies, meat plants, and tanneries.

Manufacturing, however, now contributes nearly half of San Luis' ouput, a higher proportion than in any other Argentine province. Of the industries installed in San Luis after the tax reform, mainly in the city of San Luis and in Villa Mercedes, it is worth mentioning the production of home appliances, textiles, ceramics, plastics, and paper/cardboard articles.

Mining is concentrated on construction materials such as limestone and marble, but also extracted are tungsten, uranium and salt.

This brief overview explains why you should consider visiting this province on an agricultural tour.

For more information, please visit our agritours page.

Santiago del Estero is a province of Argentina, located in the north of the country. Neighbouring provinces are from the north clockwise Salta, Chaco, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Catamarca and Tucumán.

Area: 136,351 km²

Population: 804,457 (2001)

Density: 5.9 /km²

Santiago del Estero had long been very rural and fairly agricultural (known for its excellent cotton and tobacco, as well as leather) and nearly lacking in manufacturing; despite this, it should be noted that the humble province has grown just as quickly as many of its better-positioned fellow provinces, in the recovery that Argentina has enjoyed since 2002.

The economy of the province still leans toward primary production, specially in agriculture, about 12% of the province's output. Centered on the basins of the Salado and Dulce Rivers, the main crops include cotton (20% of the national production), soybean, maize and onion.

Cattle farming is also important, mainly in the east, where weather conditions make it possible, but goats, with 15% of the national production, adapt better to the rest of the province.

This brief overview explains why you should consider visiting this province on an agricultural tour.

For more information, please visit our agritours page.

Tucumán is a province of Argentina located in the northwest of the country. The capital is San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neighbouring provinces are (from the north clockwise): Salta, Santiago del Estero and Catamarca. It is nicknamed "El Jardín de la República" (The Republic's Garden).

Area: 22,524 km²

Population: 1,338,523 (2001)

Density: 59.4/km²

Known internationally for its prodigious sugarcane (with 2,300 km², and the sugar production, 60% of the country's), Tucuman's economy is quite diversified and agriculture accounts for about 7% of output. After the sugar crisis of the 1960s, Tucumán tried to diversify its crops, and now cultivates, among others, lemon (world's first producer), strawberry, kiwifruit, beans, maize, alfalfa, and soybeans.

Cattle, sheep and goats are raised, mainly for local consumption.

Manufacturing is not prominent in Tucumán; but, still, adds about 15% to ouput. Besides the industrialisation of the sugarcane into sugar, paper and alcohol, there are food, textile and metallurgic industries. Among the latter, the freight-truck assembly operated by Swedish conglomerate Saab's SCANIA unit is probably the best-known. Mining is a minor activity, centered on salt, clay, lime and other non-metallic extractions.

This brief overview explains why you should consider visiting this province on an agricultural tour.

For more information, please visit our agritours page.