Market updates on grains and related products with up-to-date price trends
Grains
Dec 6, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: large volumes reclassified

BRUSSELS. Although the prospects for Australia’s wheat crop are highly encouraging, large volumes have been downgraded as feed wheat. Trump’s proposed tariffs have stirred a high degree of irritation for corn. Prospects for Brazil’s bumper soybean crop have improved. Palm oil is a price driver for rapeseed and canola.
Grains
Dec 4, 2024

Buckwheat: Kazakhstan is the top player in the EU

DALIAN/KYIV. Traders in China are still busy buying buckwheat from other countries. Yields are only showing a small uptick in Ukraine. As recent EU import statistics illustrate Kazakhstan has gained impressive market shares.
Grains
Dec 4, 2024

Millet: yields 20% lower in Ukraine

DALIAN/KYIV. Supply pressue is an issue for millet in China. Harvesting is nearly complete in Ukraine. EU imports have slumped.
Grains
Nov 29, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: Trump sparks nervousness

BRUSSELS. Harvesting is underway for wheat in Argentina and in Australia. Ethanol is providing support for US corn. Soy traders are nervous over Donald Trump’s proposed policies. His tariff’s will also have a big impact on Canadian canola.
Grains
Nov 22, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: Ukraine war developments fuel fears

BRUSSELS. With the war in Ukraine taking new terrible turns concerns are growing that wheat and corn will be impacted. Rumour has it that France exported much more wheat to Morrocco than official figures suggest. US soybean exporters depend much less on China than one may think. Euronext rapeseed futures have slipped.
Organic Commodities
Nov 12, 2024

Chia seeds: season fraught with challenges

ASUNCIÓN. As yields dropped to shockingly low levels for chia seeds in South America, the new season started off with a shock for the market. Silver lining is that things may change in December.
Grains
Nov 8, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: Trump is bad news for US and EU trade

BRUSSELS. Donald Trump’s imminent return to office as the 47th US president is sending shockwaves through the markets for grains and oilseeds. His proposed tariffs do not only spell bad news for US corn and US soybeans but also for EU rapeseed. Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria are offering more competitive prices for wheat than Russia.
Grains
Nov 1, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: China about to announce retaliatory tariffs

BRUSSELS. Russia’s failed attempt to drive up wheat prices has slowed shipments. Ukraine’s corn exports are 18% up. Rain has prompted sowing to gain pace for soybeans in Brazil and Argentina. Rumour has it that China will slash retaliatory tariffs on Canada's canola.
Grains
Oct 31, 2024

Buckwheat: Ukrainian crop around 40% lower

DALIAN/KYIV. Smaller acreages are causing a significant drop in production in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the EU was able to increase its total imports by 12% thanks to increased shipments from Kazakhstan.
Grains
Oct 30, 2024

Millet: yields in Ukraine down by 18%

DALIAN/KYIV. The new crop is causing prices to fall in China. In Ukraine, the average yield per hectare of the 2024 millet crop has fallen by 18% compared to last year.
Grains
Oct 17, 2024

Quinoa: larger crop in Peru

LIMA. Favourable weather conditions and larger acreages led to an increase in quinoa production in Peru this year. In some regions, the crop was 85-90% larger than last year.
Grains
Oct 8, 2024

Buckwheat: spotlight on Kazakhstan and Ukraine

DALIAN/KYIV. As rains prompted harvest delays for buckwheat in China the crop is still arriving. EU imports are up with Kazakhstan and Ukraine posing as attractive alternatives for Russia.
Grains
Oct 8, 2024

Millet: lower yields in Ukraine

DALIAN/KYIV. Harvesting is finally in full swing in China after the rains have stopped. The EU's millet imports have nearly slumped by 50%.
Grains
Oct 4, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: Kazakhstan risks cold trade war

BRUSSELS/ASTANA. Trade tensions are escalating between Russia and Kazakhstan over cheap wheat. The East Coast strike has disrupted US corn and soybean exports. Lower yields and high demand are exacerbating the EU supply squeeze for rapeseed.
Grains
Sep 27, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: mysterious upsurge in EU demand

BRUSSELS. Dry weather conditions have delayed sowing for wheat in Ukraine and in Russia. Demand for corn has surged in Spain. Much to the detriment of US suppliers China has turned to Brazil for soybeans. Eastern European rapeseed does not stand a chance against the attractive rates prevailing for canola in Canada.
Grains
Sep 6, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: worries over new plague in Argentina

BRUSSELS. Australia may have put the wheat market in Asia under pressure but the situation is different in Russia and the EU. Drought and cicadas are a worry for corn. Argentina’s farmers will switch to soybeans. In a standoff with Canada China has issued an anti-dumping investigation concerning canola.
Grains
Aug 30, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: drought claims headlines

BRUSSELS. This year the quality of the wheat harvested in France is exceptionally bad. Bulgaria’s corn exports have come to a near standstill due to drought. This is also an issue for sowing soybeans in Brazil and the reason why winter rapeseed sowing has been delayed in Ukraine.
Grains
Aug 29, 2024

Millet: harvest is in full swing

DALIAN/KYIV. In Ukraine, growers are busy harvesting millet, with 13% of the sown area harvested so far. Meanwhile, EU imports from Russia are suffering significantly from the new import duties.
Grains
Aug 29, 2024

Buckwheat: massive increase in EU imports from Kazakhstan

DALIAN/KYIV. Around 5% of buckwheat fields have been harvested in Ukraine so far, significantly more than this time last year. Meanwhile, the EU primarily imported buckwheat from Kazakhstan and Ukraine in the first two months of the 2024/2025 season.
Grains
Aug 23, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: buyers shun Russia

BRUSSELS. With buyers shunning Russian wheat Ukraine has seized the opportunity to step up exports. Railway strikes are disrupting trading activities for corn and rapeseed in North America. A bumper crop for US soybeans is very well possible.
Grains
Jul 31, 2024

Buckwheat: EU increases imports from Kazakhstan 14-fold

DALIAN/KYIV. Prices are rising on the Chinese market and in Ukraine the wait is on for the first buckwheat crop data. Meanwhile, EU imports rose by around two thirds in July.
Grains
Jul 31, 2024

Millet: EU imports from Russia are close to zero

DALIAN/KYIV. Ukrainian farmers have harvested the first millet fields. Meanwhile, the import duties on agricultural products from Russia were clearly noticeable in the first month of the 2024/2025 season.
Organic Commodities
Jul 31, 2024

Chia seeds: drought affects yields

ASUNCION/SUCRE. Lower yields are the result of a lack of rainfall in the South American growing regions. While prices were still falling in early summer, chia seeds are now becoming more expensive again.
Grains
Jul 12, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: Canada to profit from EU import tariffs

BRUSSELS. Prospects are far from sunny for wheat in France. Tropical storm Beryl only has a limited impact for US corn. China has signed the first deal for US soybeans. Canada may very well replace Russia and Belarus as a supplier of rapeseed in the EU.
Grains
Jul 3, 2024

Millet: upbeat expectations in China

DALIAN/BRUSSELS. Production prospects are highly encouraging for millet in China. Although Ukraine is the main supplier for the EU, the bloc still heavily relies on Russia as recent import figures show. Sowing in Ukraine has missed the target.
Grains
Jul 3, 2024

Buckwheat: EU confronted with slumps

DALIAN/BRUSSELS. Domestic supplies for buckwheat have dwindled in China. EU imports have declined sharply in 2023/2024. Sowing has witnessed a dip in Ukraine.
Grains
Jun 14, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: USDA refuses to comply with expectations

BRUSSELS. Few surprises were in store for wheat in the recent WASDE report. With regards to corn and soybeans the report, however, failed to comply with expectations. Production will range lower for rapeseed.
Grains
Jun 5, 2024

Millet: good prospects in China

DALIAN/KYIV. By the end of May, millet farmers in Ukraine had sown 75% of the planned acreage. Meanwhile, larger areas under cultivation and good growing conditions in China give hope for an increase in production.
Grains
Jun 5, 2024

Buckwheat: 22% of the Ukrainian acreage still to be sown

DALIAN/KYIV. In Ukraine, 22% of the area planted with buckwheat is still outstanding, with 124,800 ha planned in total. In China, market players expect sowing to be lower than initially assumed.
Grains
May 17, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: Biden disappoints with refusal to issue tariffs

BRUSSELS. Frost will force Russian farmers to resow an extensive area with wheat. Brazil’s CONAB has issued a rather surprising production estimate for corn. US soy traders are taken aback by Biden’s refusal to impose tariffs on used cooking oil imports from China. The EU will need to import more rapeseed from Canada and Australia.
Grains
Apr 26, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: vile attack sparks renewed concerns

BRUSSELS. Cold and rainy weather spells bad news for Europe’s wheat, rapeseed and corn crops. Prospects for soybeans are far from encouraging in South America. Russia’s missile attack on the port of Pivdennyi in Ukraine has sparked concerns over the Black Sea grain exports.
Grains
Apr 5, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: estimates prompt scepticism

BRUSSELS. Ukrainian wheat will not be subjected to import restrictions in the EU and US traders are sceptical about recent estimates for corn. Uncertainty prevails over Brazil’s soybean crop and the EU will need to import more rapeseed from Ukraine and Australia.
Grains
Apr 3, 2024

Buckwheat: EU imports have halved

DALIAN/BRUSSELS. The Chinese buckwheat market is currently characterised by low trading activity. Shipments to the EU have also roughly halved this year.
Grains
Apr 3, 2024

Millet: Ukraine increases shipments to the EU

DALIAN/BRUSSELS. Chinese growers are holding back their supplies, but buying interest is also moderate. Meanwhile, the EU has increased its millet imports by 22% this year.
Grains
Mar 22, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: EU debates tariffs for Russian imports

BRUSSELS. Coceral has slashed the EU and UK production estimates for wheat and for rapeseed. Farmers will sow less corn this year in the US and Ukraine. China has tripled its imports of soybeans. Tariffs are a matter of debate for grains and oilseeds in Europe.
Grains
Mar 8, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: China seizes the day

BRUSSELS. Panic has broken loose after China cancelled a large order for US wheat. Attractive prices have also prompted China to buy extraordinary volumes of corn in Ukraine. With farmers holding back Brazil will hardly be able to ship as much soy in March and the Red Sea crisis will prompt buyers in Europe to turn to Canda for canola.
Grains
Mar 1, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: Zelenskiy urges Poland to resolve dispute

BRUSSELS. Wheat is still under pressure and tensions are escalating in Poland over Ukraine’s transit shipments of corn and rapeseed. US exporters are struggling to compete with Brazil's soybeans.
Grains
Feb 28, 2024

Buckwheat: firm market in China

DALIAN. Buckwheat quotations are surprisingly firm in China considering that export demand is on the rise. Germany's imports from China surged by 44% in 2023.
Grains
Feb 28, 2024

Millet: Germany cuts back on imports

DALIAN/WIESBADEN. Farmers in China are reluctant to sell millet. Germany has slashed its imports from China by 20%.
Grains
Feb 23, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: frost risk in China

BRUSSELS. Exporters in Ukraine fear that the Red Sea crisis will render wheat shipments to Indonesia more expensive. Opinions are divided over Argentina’s corn crop. China can afford to wait for soy, but frost may considerably damage the country’s rapeseed crop.
Grains
Feb 16, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: frustration over low yields

BRUSSELS. Russia has dragged down US and EU wheat quotations. Limited optimism prevails for corn in Argentina. Soybean yields are frustratingly low in Brazil and rapeseed is only marginally affected by the blockages at the Polish-Ukrainian border.
Grains
Feb 9, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: Ukraine stages incredible export recovery

BRUSSELS. Ukraine’s exports have recovered to an incredible degree for wheat and corn. China’s soybean stocks have slumped by 19% and Tallage expects EU rapeseed production to decline in 2024/2025.
Grains
Feb 7, 2024

Millet: global production to decline by 4% in 2023/2024

DALIAN. Large stocks and low demand could put pressure on prices; this is not immediately apparent to foreign buyers due to increased freight costs, nevertheless it is causing concern for Chinese exporters.
Grains
Feb 6, 2024

Buckwheat: export orders are delayed

DALIAN. High freight costs are making buckwheat trade difficult for Chinese exporters. In addition, domestic demand also leaves much to be desired.
Grains
Feb 2, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: Russia to profit from illegal seizures

BRUSSELS. Russia’s wheat industry is set to profit from illegal land seizures in Ukraine. Improved weather conditions have turned the table for corn. Sluggish demand in China has highly embarrassing consequences for US soybeans. Canada’s canola production may fall short of expectations.
Grains
Jan 26, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: analysts caught out by weather

BRUSSELS. While wheat is trading firm, a high degree of uncertainty prevails over the corn crop in Argentina and Brazil. Analyst estimates are being called into question for soybeans and global rapeseed sowing is down.
Grains
Jan 19, 2024

Grains and oilseeds: estimates spark confusion

BRUSSELS. Wheat buyers have turned active and the production estimates issued for corn and soybeans have sparked confusion in Brazil. Exporting to the EU has become too expensive for rapeseed suppliers in Ukraine.
Grains
Jan 18, 2024

Buckwheat: organic goods from China remain competitive

DALIAN. Imported buckwheat is outperforming the domestic crop in the Chinese market. Meanwhile, the first few months of the new season have seen noticeable shifts in the main sourcing countries for German imports.