grain
World corn harvest to contract by 5 percent this year
In its first forecast of this year's crops, the International Grains Council sees "a sharp fall" in the global corn crop, to 941 million tonnes, down 49 million tonnes from last season.
Working for high-yielding wheat as world gets hotter
Wheat scientists say new, higher-yielding varieties are needed to meet rising world demand for food and to offset the impact of climate change. The food grain provides 20 percent of the calories and protein consumed worldwide.
Senate bill obliges USDA to keep grain flowing for export
The Senate Agriculture Committee approved by voice vote a bill that obliges the USDA to minimize any disruption in federal inspection of grain for export, a vital step before U.S. grain can be loaded on cargo vessels. The legislation is a response to last summer's labor dispute that led to a month-long lapse in inspection at Vancouver, Washington. The House Agriculture Committee included similar language a month ago in its bill to reauthorize the Grain Standards Act.
On-farm grain storage declines as share of U.S. total
More than a decade ago, farmers began building more grain bins for on-farm storage, says economist David Widmar. On-farm storage gives growers more flexibility in terms of when to sell their grain.
More farmers are worrying about paying their bills
Some 44 percent of farmers worry about paying back their debts, up sharply from 28 percent in 2012 when grain prices were at record highs, says Farm Futures, based on its survey of 1,300 farms.
EU easily tops US as world’s largest wheat exporter
The United States, traditionally the No 1 wheat exporter, will take a back seat to the European Union for the second year in a row, says the Grains: World Markets and Trade report. The EU is forecast to export a record 33.5 million tonnes of wheat this year, some 9.5 million tonnes more than the United States, which would tie for second-place with Canada. Last year, the EU edged the United States by half-a-million tonnes for the top spot. For Canada, this would be the first time its wheat exports match the U.S. volume, says USDA.
Farmers’ planting plans point to No. 2 soy, No. 3 corn crops
U.S. farmers intend to sow a record amount of land to soybeans and pare back on corn planting this spring, the government said in a report that puts the second-largest soybean crop ever and the third-largest corn crop on the horizon. Mammoth crops would mean at least one more year of comparatively low commodity prices after the price peaks of 2012. Abundant supplies would help hold down food price inflation.
EU overtakes U.S. as top global exporter of wheat
The European Union will be the world's largest wheat exporter this year, and by a wide margin, says the USDA report Grain: World Markets and Trade.
Ag giants Australia and United States eye quinoa
Two of the world's leading grain exporters "are racing to become mass producers" of gluten-free quinoa, native to South America and the world's newest super food, says Reuters.
Another huge world wheat crop on its way, says IGC
With conditions mostly favorable for winter wheat in the northern hemisphere, the International Grains Council forecast the second mammoth wheat crop in a row - a world total of 701 million tonnes, down 2 percent from the record crop of 2014 but...
Grassland prices on the rise, cropland to plateau
With cattle prices at record highs, grassland prices are a good bet to rise in the coming year, the head of a farm management company tells DTN.
Russia wheat exports second-highest ever despite duty
Russia's newly announced duty on wheat exports will discourage sales but exports still would be the second-highest ever, says USDA's Grain: World Markets and Trade report.
USDA reports today may steer commodity prices until spring
The Agriculture Department is to release a handful of potentially pivotal reports today at noon ET that could set the tone for futures markets until spring-planting data becomes available. They include a final look at 2014 U.S. crop production; the monthly WASDE report with its estimates of crop output and usage worldwide; the Winter Wheat Seedings report, the first hint of this year's crops, and the quarterly Grain Stocks report, which will indicate...
Record world soybean crop and China soy imports
World soybean production will hit a record 308 million tonnes this year, up 8 percent from the previous season and fractionally larger than an estimate made a month ago, said the International Grain Council. In its Grain Market Report, the IGC said "planting weather in South America was more favourable and, with potentially large 2014/15 outturns in Brazil and Argentina, as well as a bumper US harvest," peak soybean production was in the cards.
Northern Plains grow a lot more grain than they used to
A huge increase in grain production in the Northern Plains over the past decade is an unspoken factor in the transportation snarls reported in the region, says economist David Widmar in the blog Agricultural Economic Insights.
Food price index dips, so does global grain outlook
Lower dairy and meat prices led to a decline in the world Food Price Index for the seventh month in a row, said the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Barge system may be next bottleneck for grain
Transportation consultant Walter Kemmsies is skeptical the barge industry will be able to move the huge corn and soybean crops being harvested this fall, said Farm Futures, based on an interview at a grain industry meeting in New Orleans.
Farm-subsidy decision tool is available to growers
A software program to help farmers decide which farm subsidy program is best for them is available for free, said Kansas State and Oklahoma State universities. In an announcement, the universities said they plan a webinar to provide an update of farm program details and to discuss how to use the decision tool. They said "this computer aid will allow farmers to evaluate the program and to start thinking about the option that best fits their farm."
War has limited impact on world grain and oilseed output
Commodity prices soared when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 amid fears of grain shortages with two of the world's leading grain exporters engaged in war. Instead, global production of grains and oilseeds has exceeded forecasts based on production before the invasion, said four agricultural economists on Monday.