Market Commentary
The overnight session opened with little price direction. Grain and soy prices were down just slightly, although they recovered enough to trade in mixed fashion but very light volume. At the morning recess, corn and soybeans were in slightly positive territory, but wheat was a little weaker. Th...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN COMMENTS Morocco has reportedly reduced the import tariff on grains from Russia to zero, although it has not been a major importer of that origin with only a few wheat shipments from there to date in 2018. Russia does hope that it will import more, and...
Beans versus Cows; USMCA versus Biofuel; U.S. Trade Policy; Hollow Africa Plan; Food Mislabeling
Beans versus Cows This week EU agriculture commissioners are considering the policy proposals for replacing imported oilseeds with newly incentivized, domestically-produced sources of plant-based proteins. This import substitution plan has the support of Europe’s farmers but draws the enm...
Southeast Europe Regional Analysis
Milling Wheat The Black Sea market is firmer as stocks are decreasing. Russia has already exported 21 MMT since the start of the campaign, and those stocks in the southern region are significantly depleted. The remaining wheat must be transported from areas located far from the ports at a highe...
SPS Minus Minus; Transatlantic Food Differences; Weighing Pressure on China
SPS Minus Minus U.S. agriculture groups responded to a U.S. request for comments on what should be the objectives in negotiating a transatlantic trade agreement, and their focus was on the usual suspect – sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) barriers. Europe’s current technical barriers...
Market Commentary
Corn was higher with soybeans up slightly and wheat mixed in the Thursday night session. Trading volume was fairly strong overnight. This morning USDA announced sales of another 300,000 MT of soybeans to China plus 130,000 MT to “unknown” and 125,000 MT of corn to Japan. There is st...
U.S. Export Prospects Improving
USDA trimmed the U.S. wheat export forecast by 25 million bushels (680,000 MT) in the December WASDE (supply & demand), but that wasn’t a surprise given the 9 percent lag in sales against a year ago. Its revised export goal is an 11 percent increase over last year. Export sales of har...
Unveiling Good and Bad; Trump’s Effect?; The Shutdown Wolf
Unveiling Good and Bad Members of the European Parliament voted 427–172 to obligate the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to publish all relevant scientific study data ahead of its decisions. This contrasts with those in the U.S. who want to stop the Trump administration from making a...
Tale of the Tail; USMCA Strategy; Up in Smoke; Delhi Dirt
Tale of Trade Restrictions’ Tail China came into the U.S. market today for soybeans, but American farmers now realize they need to diversify their markets. Perhaps they’ve learned something from past trade wars. Consider the following: Soviet Grain Embargo 1) Before the Soviet Union...
Transatlantic Angst; Breakdown in Geneva; Mercantilist Trade Negotiations; Biofuel Bust; Quick Farm Bill Read
Transatlantic Angst The American side accuses Brussels of delaying tactics in the negotiations and insists that agriculture is an agreed part of the effort. European officials point to the literal text of the July Juncker-Trump letter of agreement and say agriculture is not included for two rea...
WASDE Soymeal
USDA notes the following: Global 2018/19 oilseed production is forecast up 0.9 million tons to 600.5 million, with greater soybean production for Brazil and Nigeria...
WASDE Soybeans
USDA notes the following about soybeans: Soybean supply and use projections for 2018/19 are unchanged from last month. With soybean exports and crush unchanged, soybean ending stocks are projected at a record 955 million bushels. The U.S. season- average soybean price for 2018/19 is forecast at...
Market Commentary
The overnight session opened with little price direction. Grain and soy prices were down just slightly, although they recovered enough to trade in mixed fashion but very light volume. At the morning recess, corn and soybeans were in slightly positive territory, but wheat was a little weaker. Th...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN COMMENTS Morocco has reportedly reduced the import tariff on grains from Russia to zero, although it has not been a major importer of that origin with only a few wheat shipments from there to date in 2018. Russia does hope that it will import more, and...
Beans versus Cows; USMCA versus Biofuel; U.S. Trade Policy; Hollow Africa Plan; Food Mislabeling
Beans versus Cows This week EU agriculture commissioners are considering the policy proposals for replacing imported oilseeds with newly incentivized, domestically-produced sources of plant-based proteins. This import substitution plan has the support of Europe’s farmers but draws the enm...
Southeast Europe Regional Analysis
Milling Wheat The Black Sea market is firmer as stocks are decreasing. Russia has already exported 21 MMT since the start of the campaign, and those stocks in the southern region are significantly depleted. The remaining wheat must be transported from areas located far from the ports at a highe...
SPS Minus Minus; Transatlantic Food Differences; Weighing Pressure on China
SPS Minus Minus U.S. agriculture groups responded to a U.S. request for comments on what should be the objectives in negotiating a transatlantic trade agreement, and their focus was on the usual suspect – sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) barriers. Europe’s current technical barriers...
Market Commentary
Corn was higher with soybeans up slightly and wheat mixed in the Thursday night session. Trading volume was fairly strong overnight. This morning USDA announced sales of another 300,000 MT of soybeans to China plus 130,000 MT to “unknown” and 125,000 MT of corn to Japan. There is st...
U.S. Export Prospects Improving
USDA trimmed the U.S. wheat export forecast by 25 million bushels (680,000 MT) in the December WASDE (supply & demand), but that wasn’t a surprise given the 9 percent lag in sales against a year ago. Its revised export goal is an 11 percent increase over last year. Export sales of har...
Unveiling Good and Bad; Trump’s Effect?; The Shutdown Wolf
Unveiling Good and Bad Members of the European Parliament voted 427–172 to obligate the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to publish all relevant scientific study data ahead of its decisions. This contrasts with those in the U.S. who want to stop the Trump administration from making a...
Tale of the Tail; USMCA Strategy; Up in Smoke; Delhi Dirt
Tale of Trade Restrictions’ Tail China came into the U.S. market today for soybeans, but American farmers now realize they need to diversify their markets. Perhaps they’ve learned something from past trade wars. Consider the following: Soviet Grain Embargo 1) Before the Soviet Union...
Transatlantic Angst; Breakdown in Geneva; Mercantilist Trade Negotiations; Biofuel Bust; Quick Farm Bill Read
Transatlantic Angst The American side accuses Brussels of delaying tactics in the negotiations and insists that agriculture is an agreed part of the effort. European officials point to the literal text of the July Juncker-Trump letter of agreement and say agriculture is not included for two rea...
WASDE Soymeal
USDA notes the following: Global 2018/19 oilseed production is forecast up 0.9 million tons to 600.5 million, with greater soybean production for Brazil and Nigeria...
WASDE Soybeans
USDA notes the following about soybeans: Soybean supply and use projections for 2018/19 are unchanged from last month. With soybean exports and crush unchanged, soybean ending stocks are projected at a record 955 million bushels. The U.S. season- average soybean price for 2018/19 is forecast at...