Post-Trump Outcomes; Food but Not Income; Between Elephants
Post-Trump Outcomes Analysts in Washington are war gaming the possible aftermath of next Tuesday’s presidential election and finding nothing good. On the one hand, if Mr. Trump wins reelection, the “swamp” as he likes to call it, predicts a newly emboldened incumbent White Hou...
Organic Requires Scale
Advocates for organic food in the U.S. lament that acreage devoted to organic food production is expanding at a slower pace than the increase in the number of farms devoted to this type of production. The result is that the average organic farm size has fallen. Based on the number of acres curr...
FOB Prices and Freight Rate App (Updated 27 October)
Ocean Freight Comments for 22 October 2020: By Jay O'Neil Commodity Consulting The Baltic Dry-Bulk indices are lower for the week. After a weak start through Wednesday, buyers finally showed up on Thursday to stop the slide and add a little support. Daily hire rates for November Capesize ves...
Interactive Ocean Freight Rates (Updated 27 October)
Ocean Freight Comments - 22 October 2020 By Jay O'Neil Commodity Consulting The Baltic Dry-Bulk indices are lower for the week. After a weak start through Wednesday, buyers finally showed up on Thursday to stop the slide and add a little support. Daily hire rates for November Capesize vessels&...
European Market Analysis
Regional News The EU Commission lowered the region’s corn and soybean 2020 yields in its 26 October monthly bulletin. The EU corn yield was revised 5 percent lower from the agency’s September estimate to land at 7.42 MT/ha. Similarly, soybean yields were pared back 1.3 percent...
WTO Bad/Good/Indifferent; EU Food Fun
WTO Bad/Good/Indifferent Bad: The U.S. Congressional Research Service has concluded that trade war payments and COVID relief payments to farmers have likely exceeded WTO limits on such cash transfers. U.S. officials retort that that they are legal. However, the real problem is that the U.S. has...
COVID II Policy; Meet Meat; Needing Liberalization
COVID II Policy Financial markets continue to be confused about the direction of the economy amidst a new surge in COVID cases and political uncertainty. The U.S. jobless claims report this morning was lower than expected while September existing home sales were strong. But the job market is de...
Future Volatility; Special Goose
Future Volatility As if the past few years have not been tumultuous enough, markets must now brace for what could be intensified volatility in the weeks ahead. No matter which side loses in next month’s U.S. elections, there is likely to be a lot of political angst and outrage. While the...
CAP Reform in Focus; New Trade Policy; COVID Adjustments
CAP Reform in Focus This is a busy week in Brussels as tripartite negotiations hit a fever pitch over how green the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will be. Delegations are split with some wanting to increase the mandatory level of 2nd Pillar support for eco-schemes to 40 percent, and boo...
Pasta versus Bread
Wheat is the largest and possibly oldest consumed food grain in the world, but its future is slowing down. Known as the staff of life, about 50 percent more wheat is consumed than rice, though about 18 percent of wheat destruction is from feed use. Bread is a predominant use of wheat, though pa...
Denuded Logic; Tax Consequences
Denuded Logic A key argument by some Europeans in both opposing palm oil imports, voting against a trade agreement with Brazil, and seeking self-sufficiency in plant proteins is deforestation. Politicians are reminded that Brazil’s rainforests are the earth’s “lungs” and...
European Market Analysis
Regional News Russia plans to bring an additional 6 million hectares (Mha) of land into agricultural production by 2024, per the country’s ag ministry. The country noted that an estimated 9.6 Mha of arable land is still undeveloped, and two-thirds of that will likely enter productio...
Post-Trump Outcomes; Food but Not Income; Between Elephants
Post-Trump Outcomes Analysts in Washington are war gaming the possible aftermath of next Tuesday’s presidential election and finding nothing good. On the one hand, if Mr. Trump wins reelection, the “swamp” as he likes to call it, predicts a newly emboldened incumbent White Hou...
Organic Requires Scale
Advocates for organic food in the U.S. lament that acreage devoted to organic food production is expanding at a slower pace than the increase in the number of farms devoted to this type of production. The result is that the average organic farm size has fallen. Based on the number of acres curr...
FOB Prices and Freight Rate App (Updated 27 October)
Ocean Freight Comments for 22 October 2020: By Jay O'Neil Commodity Consulting The Baltic Dry-Bulk indices are lower for the week. After a weak start through Wednesday, buyers finally showed up on Thursday to stop the slide and add a little support. Daily hire rates for November Capesize ves...
Interactive Ocean Freight Rates (Updated 27 October)
Ocean Freight Comments - 22 October 2020 By Jay O'Neil Commodity Consulting The Baltic Dry-Bulk indices are lower for the week. After a weak start through Wednesday, buyers finally showed up on Thursday to stop the slide and add a little support. Daily hire rates for November Capesize vessels&...
European Market Analysis
Regional News The EU Commission lowered the region’s corn and soybean 2020 yields in its 26 October monthly bulletin. The EU corn yield was revised 5 percent lower from the agency’s September estimate to land at 7.42 MT/ha. Similarly, soybean yields were pared back 1.3 percent...
WTO Bad/Good/Indifferent; EU Food Fun
WTO Bad/Good/Indifferent Bad: The U.S. Congressional Research Service has concluded that trade war payments and COVID relief payments to farmers have likely exceeded WTO limits on such cash transfers. U.S. officials retort that that they are legal. However, the real problem is that the U.S. has...
COVID II Policy; Meet Meat; Needing Liberalization
COVID II Policy Financial markets continue to be confused about the direction of the economy amidst a new surge in COVID cases and political uncertainty. The U.S. jobless claims report this morning was lower than expected while September existing home sales were strong. But the job market is de...
Future Volatility; Special Goose
Future Volatility As if the past few years have not been tumultuous enough, markets must now brace for what could be intensified volatility in the weeks ahead. No matter which side loses in next month’s U.S. elections, there is likely to be a lot of political angst and outrage. While the...
CAP Reform in Focus; New Trade Policy; COVID Adjustments
CAP Reform in Focus This is a busy week in Brussels as tripartite negotiations hit a fever pitch over how green the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will be. Delegations are split with some wanting to increase the mandatory level of 2nd Pillar support for eco-schemes to 40 percent, and boo...
Pasta versus Bread
Wheat is the largest and possibly oldest consumed food grain in the world, but its future is slowing down. Known as the staff of life, about 50 percent more wheat is consumed than rice, though about 18 percent of wheat destruction is from feed use. Bread is a predominant use of wheat, though pa...
Denuded Logic; Tax Consequences
Denuded Logic A key argument by some Europeans in both opposing palm oil imports, voting against a trade agreement with Brazil, and seeking self-sufficiency in plant proteins is deforestation. Politicians are reminded that Brazil’s rainforests are the earth’s “lungs” and...
European Market Analysis
Regional News Russia plans to bring an additional 6 million hectares (Mha) of land into agricultural production by 2024, per the country’s ag ministry. The country noted that an estimated 9.6 Mha of arable land is still undeveloped, and two-thirds of that will likely enter productio...