Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN COMMENTS As part of its budget control measures, Egypt has announced price increases of 35-40 percent for gasoline (depending on the grade) and 60 percent for home cooking gas. This announcement was made during the Eid Al-Fitr holidays to avoid any org...
WASDE Corn
USDA noted that export inspection data for the month of May implies continued robust global demand for U.S. corn, while old crop outstanding sales at this point in the marketing year are record high. Corn feed and residual use is lowered 25 million bushels with increased ethanol by-product prod...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis Regional Updates MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN COMMENTS Tunisia’s grain harvest for this year is forecast to drop 200,000 MT to a total 1.4 MMT, which includes 923,000 MT of durum wheat, 119,000 MT soft wheat and 362,000 MT of barley. Dr...
U.S.-China Transaction; Industrial Policy; Farm Bill Calamity; Pollan on LSD
U.S.-China Transaction U.S. President Donald Trump is offering to resurrect Chinese smartphone maker ZTE in exchange for improved market access by American businesses, including agriculture. ZTE was practically shut down after being denied critical U.S. technology due to violating sanctions aga...
WASDE Wheat
The 2018/19 U.S. wheat crop is projected at 1,821 million bushels, up 5 percent from the prior year. The year-over-year increase is due to greater harvested area and slightly higher yield. Reduced beginning stocks and imports bring total supplies down 49 million bushels from the previous year...
Market Commentary
As most expected, President Trump announced the U.S. was withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear pact with Iran with the intention of resuming sanctions against it and the countries that buy its oil. So certain were analysts that President Trump would do this that the actual announcement was anticlim...
No Pain, No Gain
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Benjamin Cardin (D-Maryland) had criticism yesterday for both former President Barack Obama and current President Donald Trump. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, he said that President Obama was leery of imposi...
More Things to Keep You Up at Night
USDA will release the May WASDE on Thursday, which will include its first glimpse at the 2017/18 U.S. supply and demand estimates. It will presumably use trend-line or near trend-line yields for corn, spring wheat and soybean crops because it is so early, but it is unlikely to factor in any wea...
Mercosur Regional Analysis
Soybeans Brazil The Brazilian market remained under pressure last week as U.S. negotiators traveled to China to resolve the escalating trade war. It was rumored on Wednesday that there would be an announcement that day, and this drove soybean futures sharply higher as traders anticipated a posi...
Market Commentary
Grain and soy markets were in a corrective mode overnight. Prices for soybeans, wheat and corn edged a few cents lower after Tuesday’s broad May Day rally. Soymeal was lower, but soyoil traded higher in very mild reversals of yesterday’s action. Trading volume was light with many As...
China In-Country Analysis
Oilseeds China Looks to Russia for Alternative Soybean Supplies With a trade war looming between the U.S. and China, much of the commentary has focused on the latter’s limited alternative sourcing options for soybeans. While its threat of a 25-percent tariff on U.S. soybeans would certain...
2018 Crop Production May Not Be So Perfect
After noting in last Monday’s analysis (see Ag Perspectives, 23 April) that markets will be on cruise control for a month or so until crops get planted and growing season weather can be more fully assessed, it seems they have decided the 2018 growing season around the world will not be as...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Regional Updates MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN COMMENTS As part of its budget control measures, Egypt has announced price increases of 35-40 percent for gasoline (depending on the grade) and 60 percent for home cooking gas. This announcement was made during the Eid Al-Fitr holidays to avoid any org...
WASDE Corn
USDA noted that export inspection data for the month of May implies continued robust global demand for U.S. corn, while old crop outstanding sales at this point in the marketing year are record high. Corn feed and residual use is lowered 25 million bushels with increased ethanol by-product prod...
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis
Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional Analysis Regional Updates MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN COMMENTS Tunisia’s grain harvest for this year is forecast to drop 200,000 MT to a total 1.4 MMT, which includes 923,000 MT of durum wheat, 119,000 MT soft wheat and 362,000 MT of barley. Dr...
U.S.-China Transaction; Industrial Policy; Farm Bill Calamity; Pollan on LSD
U.S.-China Transaction U.S. President Donald Trump is offering to resurrect Chinese smartphone maker ZTE in exchange for improved market access by American businesses, including agriculture. ZTE was practically shut down after being denied critical U.S. technology due to violating sanctions aga...
WASDE Wheat
The 2018/19 U.S. wheat crop is projected at 1,821 million bushels, up 5 percent from the prior year. The year-over-year increase is due to greater harvested area and slightly higher yield. Reduced beginning stocks and imports bring total supplies down 49 million bushels from the previous year...
Market Commentary
As most expected, President Trump announced the U.S. was withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear pact with Iran with the intention of resuming sanctions against it and the countries that buy its oil. So certain were analysts that President Trump would do this that the actual announcement was anticlim...
No Pain, No Gain
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Benjamin Cardin (D-Maryland) had criticism yesterday for both former President Barack Obama and current President Donald Trump. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, he said that President Obama was leery of imposi...
More Things to Keep You Up at Night
USDA will release the May WASDE on Thursday, which will include its first glimpse at the 2017/18 U.S. supply and demand estimates. It will presumably use trend-line or near trend-line yields for corn, spring wheat and soybean crops because it is so early, but it is unlikely to factor in any wea...
Mercosur Regional Analysis
Soybeans Brazil The Brazilian market remained under pressure last week as U.S. negotiators traveled to China to resolve the escalating trade war. It was rumored on Wednesday that there would be an announcement that day, and this drove soybean futures sharply higher as traders anticipated a posi...
Market Commentary
Grain and soy markets were in a corrective mode overnight. Prices for soybeans, wheat and corn edged a few cents lower after Tuesday’s broad May Day rally. Soymeal was lower, but soyoil traded higher in very mild reversals of yesterday’s action. Trading volume was light with many As...
China In-Country Analysis
Oilseeds China Looks to Russia for Alternative Soybean Supplies With a trade war looming between the U.S. and China, much of the commentary has focused on the latter’s limited alternative sourcing options for soybeans. While its threat of a 25-percent tariff on U.S. soybeans would certain...
2018 Crop Production May Not Be So Perfect
After noting in last Monday’s analysis (see Ag Perspectives, 23 April) that markets will be on cruise control for a month or so until crops get planted and growing season weather can be more fully assessed, it seems they have decided the 2018 growing season around the world will not be as...