Agriculture

China’s market regulator conditionally approved the $34 billion merger between agribusiness giants Bunge Global SA and Glencore-backed Viterra on Monday, removing the final regulatory obstacle for the deal announced two years ago. The approval, confirmed after Bunge’s Friday announcement, comes with binding obligations addressing competition concerns. The regulator warned the merged entity’s increased market share […]

Brazil’s key center-south sugar region delivered stronger-than-expected results in the second half of May, with production jumping 8.9% year-on-year to 2.95 million metric tons, industry group UNICA reported Monday. Key Highlights: Market Paradox:Despite the bearish signal of higher production volumes, raw sugar futures ($SBc1) rose nearly 3% after the report, recovering from an earlier four-year […]

Industry expert Julian McGill forecasts a significant surge in palm oil purchases by India and China in the immediate future, driven by attractive prices following recent market corrections. Speaking at a palm oil forum in Jakarta on Tuesday, McGill, Managing Director of Glenauk Economics, stated, “We feel in the short term, those markets will come […]

1. Policy Shift & Immediate ImpactThe European Union reinstated pre-war trade quotas on Ukrainian wheat and barley Friday, ending three years of unrestricted access granted after Russia’s invasion. The move provides modest relief to EU farmers grappling with: 2. Farmer Reactions & Market RealitiesWhile French wheat union AGPB called it a “crucial first step,” traders warn benefits […]

Missouri authorities have launched a criminal investigation into a falsified press release about New World screwworm infestations that sparked panic selling in U.S. cattle futures last week. The state’s Department of Agriculture confirmed the fraudulent alert—sent to a northwest Missouri radio station on May 27—precipitated a 2% plunge in Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures before being debunked. Key […]

In Maqiao village, just an hour from the famed Terracotta Warriors, combine harvesters kick up dust as they work through parched wheat fields—a stark sign of the relentless drought gripping China’s northwestern Shaanxi province. But for farmers like Zhou Yaping, 50, this year’s harvest brings little joy. “I’ve grown wheat for over 20 years, and I’ve never seen a drought this […]

U.S. wheat prices surged by over 1% on Wednesday, driven by escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia and concerns over dry weather in China, according to market analysts. The conflict in the Black Sea region, where Ukraine intensified attacks on Russian infrastructure, heightened global supply worries, prompting investors to buy back short positions (short-covering) in […]

Ukraine’s 2025 grain harvest could decline by 10% to 51 million metric tons, down from 56.7 million tons in 2024, according to Agriculture Minister Vitaliy Koval. The drop is attributed to abnormal weather, wartime disruptions, and mined farmland from Russia’s ongoing invasion. Key Factors Impacting Production: Export Uncertainty:While Koval withheld an official 2025/26 grain export forecast, analysts project 40.9 million tons, including 15–15.5 million tons […]

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged two Chinese nationals—Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34—with smuggling Fusarium graminearum, a fungal pathogen labeled in scientific literature as a potential agroterrorism weapon, into the United States. The fungus causes devastating “head blight” in crops, resulting in billions in annual global agricultural losses. According to an FBI complaint, Liu smuggled […]

Tunisia expects its 2024 grain harvest to reach 1.8 million metric tons—a 64% increase from last year’s drought-stricken output—marking the country’s strongest season in five years and providing critical relief as it battles a severe financial crisis, Agriculture Minister Ezzedine Ben Cheikh announced Wednesday. Key Drivers 🌧️ Rainfall Revival: Broader Context 📉 Decadal Averages: Challenges Ahead 💸 Financial Strain: What’s Next?