Country News
Argentina: The current corn crop harvesting is 89.8 percent complete and the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange forecasts that corn planted area in 2022/23 will be 7.5 million hectares, down 2.6 percent from a year ago. Meanwhile, crop sales this year are well behind a year ago. (Reuters; AgriCensus)
Brazil: Agrural reports that the safrinha corn harvest is 85 percent complete and Deral says that the second crop corn harvest is 79 percent finished in Paraná. (AgriCensus)
China: Beijing is taking steps to speed the approval of imports of Brazilian maize. A new phytosanitary requirement for educating farmers on chemical applications will be temporarily waived. (Bloomberg)
EU: Maize imports rose sharply last month as domestic output is now pegged at 55.4 MMT, its lowest level since 2007. French corn conditions deteriorated 9 points due to drought and dry heat is thought to have destroyed 600 KMT of corn production in Germany. Sorghum is proving to be a more sustainable crop than corn under these conditions. (Refinitiv; Reuters; AgriCensus)
Jordan: The state grain buying agency tendered for 120 KMT of animal feed barley. (Reuters)
Kenya: A severe drought is gripping East Africa and while the government has introduced corn and fuel subsidies to aid citizens, it says it is not sustainable. (Bloomberg)
Ukraine: With more than half a million tons of crops shipped in early August, Ukraine’s new shipping corridor is working and bringing down prices. The outlook last month for exports was 22.6 MMT but that has now been increased to 30.4 MMT. Visiting the country on 18 August, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that 21 ships departed Ukrainian ports less than a month after signing the deal, and 15 vessels were in transit for Ukraine to load grain and other food supplies. (Bloomberg; Reuters)