FOB Prices and Freight Rate App (Updated 22 October)
Ocean Freight Comments - 21 October 2021 By Jay O'Neil Commodity Consulting Volatility is the one constant in dry-bulk markets, and I have no doubts about it continuing through the next year or more. The global fleet is insufficient to meet growing market needs – especially those of China...
Interactive Ocean Freight Rates (Updated 22 October)
Ocean Freight Comments - 21 October 2021 By Jay O'Neil Commodity Consulting Volatility is the one constant in dry-bulk markets, and I have no doubts about it continuing through the next year or more. The global fleet is insufficient to meet growing market needs – especially those of China...
Sorghum Dominance
Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) is the largest sorghum producing region in the world, growing nearly 44 percent of global output. Yet it exports and imports only a small fraction of globally traded milo. Production in the region has been relatively stable. By contrast, world trade in sorghum has been...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhara Holdings announced plans to build five animal feed facilities in Eastern Europe (Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria). The company’s first venture is a 120,000 MT per year feed mill in Serbia with 20,000 MT...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA The World Bank estimates that MENA region economies have been affected by about $200 billion in costs due to COVID-19. The region’s GDP shrunk by 3.8 percent in 2020. However, things have improved for 2021 with the MENA GDP now...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Iran officials say 2021/22 wheat imports are expected to reach 8 MMT – three times last year’s level. Iran’s wheat consumption is about 12.5 MMT while local production is only 4.5 MMT. Russia is expected to be the m...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Pakistan sees a wheat cargo of 59,700 MT arrive with another 58,000 MT to arrive this week. The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) is “under directives” to import 2.3MMT of wheat this year and has imported 338,000 MT p...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Morocco is forecast by USDA-FAS to be importing about 4.5 MMT of wheat in 2021/22 – down from 5.4 MMT in 2020/21. The drop is due to the greatly increased wheat production, up from last year’s drought affected production...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Turkey has stopped the import tax on wheat (45 percent), barley (35 percent), and corn (25 percent) until 31 December due to the lower local production this year. The import tax of 19.3 percent on sorghum was also stopped. Turkey&rsq...
Making Big Better; Papering Over/Jawboning; Policy; Powerfully Wrong
Making Big Better The Biden Administration claims that big is bad and that it wants to elevate competition, including by funneling cash to small meat processors. President Biden also wants to compel 80 million unvaccinated Americans to receive a jab and has ordered all companies with 100 or mor...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Pakistan wheat prices are increasing, especially in the Punjab, which has caused the Pakistan Flour Mills Association to suggest that the government should release some “official” stocks to help control prices. Wheat supp...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Pakistan’s government says it will have about 530,000 MT of certified wheat seeds available for CY 2021/22 - up from 513,000 MT last year. The government is also working to control the recent increases in fertilizer prices. The...
FOB Prices and Freight Rate App (Updated 22 October)
Ocean Freight Comments - 21 October 2021 By Jay O'Neil Commodity Consulting Volatility is the one constant in dry-bulk markets, and I have no doubts about it continuing through the next year or more. The global fleet is insufficient to meet growing market needs – especially those of China...
Interactive Ocean Freight Rates (Updated 22 October)
Ocean Freight Comments - 21 October 2021 By Jay O'Neil Commodity Consulting Volatility is the one constant in dry-bulk markets, and I have no doubts about it continuing through the next year or more. The global fleet is insufficient to meet growing market needs – especially those of China...
Sorghum Dominance
Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) is the largest sorghum producing region in the world, growing nearly 44 percent of global output. Yet it exports and imports only a small fraction of globally traded milo. Production in the region has been relatively stable. By contrast, world trade in sorghum has been...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhara Holdings announced plans to build five animal feed facilities in Eastern Europe (Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria). The company’s first venture is a 120,000 MT per year feed mill in Serbia with 20,000 MT...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA The World Bank estimates that MENA region economies have been affected by about $200 billion in costs due to COVID-19. The region’s GDP shrunk by 3.8 percent in 2020. However, things have improved for 2021 with the MENA GDP now...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Iran officials say 2021/22 wheat imports are expected to reach 8 MMT – three times last year’s level. Iran’s wheat consumption is about 12.5 MMT while local production is only 4.5 MMT. Russia is expected to be the m...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Pakistan sees a wheat cargo of 59,700 MT arrive with another 58,000 MT to arrive this week. The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) is “under directives” to import 2.3MMT of wheat this year and has imported 338,000 MT p...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Morocco is forecast by USDA-FAS to be importing about 4.5 MMT of wheat in 2021/22 – down from 5.4 MMT in 2020/21. The drop is due to the greatly increased wheat production, up from last year’s drought affected production...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Turkey has stopped the import tax on wheat (45 percent), barley (35 percent), and corn (25 percent) until 31 December due to the lower local production this year. The import tax of 19.3 percent on sorghum was also stopped. Turkey&rsq...
Making Big Better; Papering Over/Jawboning; Policy; Powerfully Wrong
Making Big Better The Biden Administration claims that big is bad and that it wants to elevate competition, including by funneling cash to small meat processors. President Biden also wants to compel 80 million unvaccinated Americans to receive a jab and has ordered all companies with 100 or mor...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Pakistan wheat prices are increasing, especially in the Punjab, which has caused the Pakistan Flour Mills Association to suggest that the government should release some “official” stocks to help control prices. Wheat supp...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Pakistan’s government says it will have about 530,000 MT of certified wheat seeds available for CY 2021/22 - up from 513,000 MT last year. The government is also working to control the recent increases in fertilizer prices. The...