Market updates on a whole range of agri-food products with up-to-date price trends
Fruit and Vegetables
Feb 28, 2024

Dried beans: New Year festivities keep prices stable

BEIJING. As trade is slow to pick up in the two weeks following Chinese New Year, prices for dried beans are largely stable. Adzuki beans are, however, an exception.
Dairy Products
Feb 22, 2024

Butter: gearing up for Easter

KEMPTEN/BRUSSELS. Butter manufacturers are gearing up for Easter in Germany. EU exports witnessed a record-breaking year in 2023. EU butter is highly competitive in the global market, despite internal quotations being on the rise.
Fruit and Vegetables
Feb 13, 2024

Pulses: positive prospects for 2024

ANKARA. After a very successful year 2023, market players in the Turkish pulses market are optimistic about 2024 as well. What matters here is the appropriate support, with which the sector can still achieve a great deal.
Dried Fruit
Feb 12, 2024

Dates: Ramadan drives demand

CAIRO. The demand for dates, which are an essential part of Ramadan, has increased massively, especially in Muslim countries. Egyptian exporters, who can look back on an excellent season, are among those benefiting from this.
Fruit and Vegetables
Jan 31, 2024

Dried beans: adzuki bean farmers empty their warehouses

BEIJING. Growers in China's adzuki bean-growing regions are currently selling their remaining produce, in some cases at very favourable prices. Meanwhile, organic kidney beans are becoming scarce and the remaining stocks of mung beans are also lower than last year.
Dairy Products
Jan 24, 2024

Butter: surprising twist in demand

KEMPTEN/BRUSSELS. Contrary to expectations demand for butter is surprisingly strong in Germany. EU exports are still experiencing a record high, whereas EU quotations range on a less welcome level.
Fruit and Vegetables
Jan 17, 2024

Dried beans: prices for kidney beans are rising

BEIJING. While prices for Chinese kidney beans have risen significantly in recent weeks, other bean varieties have maintained their price levels for the time being. High freight costs are dampening export demand.
Dried Fruit
Jan 4, 2024

Dates: massive increase in demand in Egypt

CAIRO/TUNIS. As the experts at FreshPlaza report, buying interest for Egyptian Medjool dates has skyrocketed - this harbours many opportunities for market players, but also challenges. In Tunisia, premium dates of the Deglet Nour variety are already in short supply.
Dried Fruit
Dec 19, 2023

Dates: record crop and water crisis

BANDAR ABBAS. Although the prevailing water crisis is forcing producers to rethink the way in which dates are cultivated in Iran, a record crop has been harvested in Hormozgan Province.
Fruit and Vegetables
Dec 6, 2023

Dried beans: China increases mung bean imports

BEIJING. According to the Chinese customs office, the country has significantly increased its mung bean imports from Uzbekistan. Snowfall is making loading difficult in some areas where black kidney beans are grown.
Dairy Products
Nov 30, 2023

Butter: strong demand overwhelms manufacturers

KEMPTEN/BRUSSELS. Manufacturers in Germany are overwhelmed by the strong retail demand for butter at the start of the Christmas season. EU exports retained their record strength in September.
Dried Fruit
Nov 22, 2023

Dates: work resumed

TEL AVIV. After the Hamas attack at the beginning of October, the Israeli date sector has now resumed work, albeit not yet at full capacity. German imports are declining.
Dairy Products
Nov 9, 2023

Butter: at a crossroads

KEMPTEN/BRUSSELS. Butter has enjoyed highly attractive prices in the EU and exports are up. Rates may still range lower than last year but are currently deemed expensive.
Fruit and Vegetables
Nov 8, 2023

Pulses: production planning becomes a matter for the ministry

ANKARA. It was recently decided in Turkey that production planning for various agricultural products will now be the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture. The fact that pulses have a low water requirement should benefit the sector in Turkey, where water is scarce.
Fruit and Vegetables
Nov 1, 2023

Dried beans: lower production in China

BEIJING. China's 2023/2024 adzuki bean crop may be smaller than last year, yet carry-in supplies should compensate for shortfalls. A similar situation persists for black kidney beans. The prices for red kidney beans are still on the rise.
Dried Fruit
Oct 25, 2023

Dates: positive outlook for the new season

TEHERAN/CAIRO. Growers in important origins such as Iran, Morocco and Turkey are optimistic about the new season, as the crops have turned out well and are convincing with their quality. In addition, big plans are being made for the future.
Dairy Products
Oct 12, 2023

Butter: remarkably resilient

KEMPTEN/BRUSSELS. Unusually warm weather prevails in many western European countries and autumn is slow to set in. This ties in with the unusual weather patterns witnessed throughout the EU in spring and summer, with unusually cold and wet conditions prevailing in some parts of the bloc and drought and heat in other parts. EU dairy production has, however, proved remarkably resilient this year and butter is performing really well in the global market.
Fruit and Vegetables
Oct 4, 2023

Dried beans: prices for red kidney beans extremely high

BEIJING. The high prices for Chinese red kidney beans are discouraging buyers, so there is currently little trade. Exports of black kidney beans, meanwhile, are declining sharply, and the situation is similar in the mung bean market.
Fruit and Vegetables
Sep 7, 2023

Pulses: Turkey increases exports

ANKARA. Turkish exports of pulses, oilseeds and cereals were more than 10% higher in the first seven months of the year compared to the same period last year. Nevertheless, there are still hurdles that market players are increasingly trying to overcome.
Fruit and Vegetables
Sep 6, 2023

Dried beans: sharp price declines for black kidney beans

BEIJING. Weak demand has caused prices for Chinese black kidney beans to decline significantly. The low buying interest is also still felt in the other bean markets.
Dairy Products
Aug 24, 2023

Butter: sustained run on EU supplies

KEMPTEN/BRUSSELS. While large parts of Germany are now witnessing a foreboding of autumn with rain and cooler temperatures, summers is still having an impact on the butter market. EU export have reached an absolute record in the first half of the year.
Dried Fruit
Aug 23, 2023

Dates: climate change has a strong impact

CAIRO/AMMAN. High temperatures are affecting date production in both Jordan and Egypt, albeit to different degrees. Israel, meanwhile, has high hopes for exports to China.
Fruit and Vegetables
Aug 8, 2023

Pulses: odd export restrictions apply in Turkey

ANKARA/OTTAWA. New export regulations apply in Turkey for red lentils and chickpeas. Harvesting is well underway for lentils and peas in Canada, but news could be better.
Fruit and Vegetables
Aug 2, 2023

Dried beans: low demand in summer

BEIJING. In the summer months, buying interest in the Chinese pulse market usually wanes, and beans are no exception this year. There are also reports from the growing regions of difficulties in loading the goods.
Fruit and Vegetables
Jul 31, 2023

Dried lentils: large price disparity

OTTAWA/ANKARA. In Canada, buyers are wondering about the large price differential between red and green lentils; market experts reckon that there could be adjustments soon. The outlook for the Turkish crop this year is very promising.
Dried Fruit
Jul 19, 2023

Dates: limited water resources cap production

KERMAN. Iran may only rank fourth in the INC’s table date production chart, but the country sports a rich diversity of different varieties. Suppliers admit that water supply is a problem.
Fruit and Vegetables
Jul 19, 2023

Dried lentils: smaller acreage in North America

OTTAWA/ANKARA. Lentil acreage in the US and Canada is smaller this season, which is expected to tighten supplies. In Australia, farmers are hoping for rain, while the outlook for Turkey is promising.
Fruit and Vegetables
Jul 5, 2023

Dried beans: prices for adzuki beans have increased

BEIJING. While prices for adzuki beans have increased a little, the situation on the other Chinese bean markets is largely different. Demand still leaves much to be desired and the drought is causing problems for farmers.
Sugar
Jul 5, 2023

Sugar: high prices fail to impress buyers

BRASÍLIA/BRUSSELS. Grounds are slippery in Brazil’s sugar market as local traders do not only need to keep a close eye on quotations in New York and London but are also confronted with manipulation and fraud. The EU may not be Brazil’s top export destination, but raw cane sugar imports have soared despite prices being high.
Fruit and Vegetables
May 31, 2023

Dried beans: sowing is almost complete

BEIJING. While sowing is almost complete in China, the dried bean market continues to be sluggish with little trading taking place. This also leaves prices largely stagnant.
Dairy Products
May 25, 2023

Butter: crazy run on EU supplies

KEMPTEN/BRUSSELS. Ridiculously low prices have prompted quite a twist in EU butter exports in March. Although shipments to the USA have almost doubled, Singapore has taken the lead for European exporters. Expectation is that the market will turn in Germany.
Fruit and Vegetables
May 24, 2023

Dried lentils: high production estimates

OTTAWA/NEW DELHI. If the current production estimates for 2023 come true, the global lentil crop would record the second highest yield in history. A tender from India has caused surprise in the market.
Fruit and Vegetables
May 3, 2023

Dried lentils: speculation shapes the market

OTTAWA. According to Chelmer Foods, various speculations and rumours are currently doing the rounds in the lentil market. This concerns especially the demand situation in India, but also the price development in Canada and the crop prospects in Europe.
Dried Fruit
May 3, 2023

Dates: first downturn in EU

TEHRAN/BRUSSELS. Ramadan boosted demand for dates in Iran in the first quarter. Demand has thereby taken a most peculiar twist in Turkey. EU imports, however, witnessed a downturn in 2022.
Fruit and Vegetables
Apr 26, 2023

Dried beans: price declines with one exception

BEIJING. Due to low demand, the Chinese market for dried beans has seen some significant price declines - with one exception. The prospect of price increases in the near future is rather slim.
Fruit and Vegetables
Apr 26, 2023

Pulses: export decline to be cushioned

ANKARA. The severe earthquakes that shook Turkey at the beginning of the year have also had an impact on exports of pulses. Massive countermeasures are now to be taken.
Dairy Products
Apr 6, 2023

Butter: Easter fails expectations

KEMPTEN/BRUSSELS. Easter sales for butter have failed to meet expectations in Germany. The EU has, however, reported record exports.
Fruit and Vegetables
Apr 5, 2023

Dried beans: production of black kidney beans declines

BEIJING. As profits for black kidney beans have been low this season, Chinese farmers are likely to increasingly switch to other agricultural commodities. Meanwhile, the mung bean crop in Myanmar is expected to be smaller than last year, which will benefit Chinese traders.
Fruit and Vegetables
Mar 29, 2023

Dried lentils: EU plans to become more independent

OTTAWA/MADRID. The cultivation of pulses, including lentils, is to be significantly expanded in Europe, and many countries are already making arrangements. At the moment, the EU is still heavily dependent on lentil imports, which mainly come from Turkey and Canada.
Dried Fruit
Mar 28, 2023

Dates: shock over export ban

TEHRAN. Reports over an intended export ban for dates over Ramadan sent shockwaves through the market in Iran. Although exporters are emphasising that enough dates are available, there are other issues at stake.
Dried Fruit
Mar 9, 2023

Dates: attractive prices fail to boost exports

TEHRAN. Exchange rate fluctuations have enabled Iran’s date exporters to offer competitive prices this season. Exports for 2022 are, however, roughly on par with 2021.
Fruit and Vegetables
Mar 1, 2023

Dried beans: low buying interest

BEIJING. Growers complain about low demand for most dried beans on the Chinese market, only sales of mung beans are satisfactory. Therefore, there have been some price changes compared to last month.
Fruit and Vegetables
Feb 28, 2023

Pulses: crisis teams look for solutions

ANKARA. The massive earthquakes in Turkey are also having an impact on the market for pulses such as lentils, dried beans and chickpeas. Specially established crisis teams are now to ensure that production can return to full capacity as soon as possible.
Fruit and Vegetables
Feb 1, 2023

Dried beans: traders need to stock up

BEIJING. After the good sales in the course of the Chinese New Year, traders in the bean markets are now forced to replenish the stocks in their warehouses. This should support prices in most cases.
Dairy Products
Jan 26, 2023

Butter: manufacturers are not amused

FRANKFURT/BRUSSELS. Butter manufacturers in Germany are far from amused with the current price trend. The slide has also continued in the EU and exports to China have declined by more than 30% between January and November 2022.
Dried Fruit
Dec 13, 2022

Dates: growing frustration

TEHRAN. Suppliers are watching with a growing sense of frustration how other countries are gaining a foothold in the Europe with the dates produced in Iran. Trouble are mismanaged branding, packaging and policies, which cost the industry dearly as neighbouring countries tend to reap the profits.
Dairy Products
Dec 9, 2022

Butter: not quite happy with demand

FRANKFURT/BRUSSELS. Retailers are busy refilling their shelves with butter as pre-Christmas demand has finally kicked in. Suppliers are, however, not quite content with this year’s demand. EU exports could be a lot worse.
Fruit and Vegetables
Dec 1, 2022

Pulses: Turkey increases red lentil exports by 80%

ANKARA. Turkey is one of the leading cultivating countries of pulses such as chickpeas, lentils and dried beans. According to statistics, exports of these products have been significantly lower this year in some cases.