Agriculture

China’s soybean imports in April jumped 18% from a year earlier, reaching a record high of 8.57 million metric tons for the month, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. This surge was driven by Chinese buyers snapping up cheap and plentiful Brazilian beans as the South American producer wrapped up its harvest […]

Chicago wheat futures rose on Thursday, driven by concerns over the impact of frosts in Russia, the world’s top wheat exporter. Three of Russia’s key grain-growing areas have declared a state of emergency due to severe damage to crops from May frosts, which is expected to reduce this year’s harvest. The most-active wheat contract on […]

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia has accused the European Union of illegally holding around 100,000 tons of Russian fertilizers in various European ports. In a statement, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow will continue its efforts to unblock these fertilizer shipments and will then hand them over free of charge […]

Olam Agri, the agribusiness arm of Singapore’s Olam Group, has increased its offer to acquire Australia’s Namoi Cotton NAM.AX, as an international bidding war escalates between the Singapore-based firm and Dutch company Louis Dreyfus Co (LDC). Olam Agri will now offer Namoi shareholders A$0.70 per share, a three-cent increase from Louis Dreyfus’ previous bid, valuing […]

The Malaysian government has unveiled plans to introduce “orangutan diplomacy” in its relations with major palm oil-importing countries, offering the endangered animals as trading gifts in an effort to allay concerns about the environmental impact of palm oil production. Plantations and Commodities Minister Johari Abdul Ghani said Malaysia would offer gifts of orangutans to trading […]

The Zimbabwean government has released a crop assessment report that forecasts a staggering 72% drop in staple maize production for the 2023/24 season, worsening the country’s already dire food situation due to an El Nino-induced drought. Zimbabwe is one of the three southern African countries to have declared the ravaging drought a national disaster, following […]

In a significant move, China has approved the safety of a gene-edited wheat variety for the first time, marking a cautious step towards the commercial growing of genetically-modified crops to bolster the country’s food security. China has previously ramped up approvals of genetically-modified corn and soybean seeds that are higher-yielding and resistant to insects and […]

According to traders, the lowest free-on-board (FOB) offer presented at an Egyptian state purchasing tender for wheat on Wednesday was $255 per metric ton for Russian wheat. Several suppliers submitted offers at this price. The tender was issued by Egypt’s state grains buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), which is seeking wheat in […]

Chicago wheat futures fell on Wednesday, as forecasts called for welcome rain in the grain belts of Russia and the United States. Corn and soybeans also saw selling pressure, following the downward trend in wheat. The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) fell 0.8% to $6.37-1/2 a bushel. Corn declined 0.2% […]

China and France have signed deals that will allow China to import pig origin protein feed and pork offal from France, effective immediately. This move is expected to boost French pork exports to China by around 10%. The announcements come after a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, […]