Country News
Algeria: The National Agency for Animal Feed/Office National des Aliments du Betail closes out a tender for 35 KMT of corn on 3 December with delivery by 5 January. (Zawya/Refinitiv; AgriCensus)
Argentina: One analyst lowered the corn production estimate by 1 MMT to 48 MMT, versus USDA’s peg at 50 MMT. The two major agro-export industry unions ended what was supposed to be an indefinite strike in a bid for higher wages. (Refinitiv)
Australia: Canberra will file a WTO Case against China over the duties imposed on its barley exports. Meanwhile, there is hope that beer demand in India will absorb some of the surplus barley impacted by China’s trade actions. (DTN)
Brazil: A private analyst forecasts corn production at 106 MMT, with a neutral to lower bias, while another analyst calls it at 104 MMT, versus a USDA peg at 110 MMT. Brazil’s MinAg lowered its estimate of the crop to 112.9 MMT. Datagro forecasts the crop at 114 MMT, a 500 KMT reduction from its prior number. Approximately 30-40 percent of the crop remains stressed. Meanwhile, corn exports in November hit 4.9 MMT and ANEC forecasts 1.338 MMT of corn to be exported for the week ending Dec. 5. The Brazilian Trade Ministry forecasts November 2020 corn exports at 4.896 MMT, up 9.4 percent from a year ago. (AgriCensus; Reuters)
Canada: Weekly barley exports have doubled on China’s restrictions on purchases from Australia. (AgriCensus)
China: The International Grains Council increased its forecast for China corn imports to 16 MMT. Monthly corn imports hit their second highest level in history with volumes in 2021 seen hitting the top end of market expectations. State-owned Cofco has sold 10 MMT of corn into the domestic market. Meanwhile, China’s customs approved imports of sorghum from Mexico. (Bloomberg; AgriCensus)
EU: FranceAgriMer says that an estimated 95 percent of French planted winter barley was in good or excellent condition as of mid-November. French barley prices have surged on demand from China given Beijing’s barrier (83.5 percent duties) to sales by Australia. The volume of Chinese purchases from France and Ukraine have started early and could total 1 MMT. Prices are reported to be around $275-$280/MT CFR. French barley could reach parity with wheat prices as Kernel, once of Ukraine’s largest exporters, had its sales temporarily suspended. Meanwhile, corn imports are expected to drop b 1 MMT due to lower feed demand. (Refinitiv; AgriCensus)
Guyana: To boost corn production by eight to ten thousand acres and achieve self-sufficiency, the government has waived the value-added tax on farm inputs, reversed land lease fees and reduced water charges to 2014 levels. (Guyana Chronicle)
Indonesia: The government is targeting output of 24.2 MMT of corn next year, which is below the 26 MMT expected in June and well below the 30.35 MMT set for this year. (Reuters)
Iraq: The government will export about 700 KMT of barley in an international tender to neighboring countries and then distribute the income to farmers. (Refinitiv)
Mexico: According to the Grupo Consultor De Mercados Agrícolas, January to October corn imports were 2.4 percent larger than a year ago for the same period. (AgriCensus)
Russia: Weekly barley shipments fell by 42 percent. (AgriCensus)
South Africa: Maize farmers will likely harvest 15.408 MMT in 2020, a slight reduction from the Crop Estimates Committee’s prediction a month ago. That is the Committee’s final forecast for this year’s crop. (Refinitiv)
South Korea: Kocopia purchased 60 KMT of corn at tender to go into starch production, FLC bought 68 KMT of corn at $241.99/MT and 65 KMT at $239.90/MT, and NOFI bought 200 KMT of corn at $241/MT as total corn purchasing hit 3 MMT in October-November. (AgriCensus)
Thailand: The Thailand Feed Millers Association has taken advantage of China’s fight with Canberra by purchasing Australian barley for delivery during February/March. (AgriCensus)
Tunisia: The Office des Cereale purchased 75 KMT of barley. (AgriCensus)
Turkey: The Turkish Grain Board (TMO) purchased 350 KMT of corn and 155 KMT of barley. (AgriCensus)
Ukraine: The corn harvest is now 94 percent complete with 27 MMT collected. The export pace for corn accelerated to hit 5.2 MMT and the Cotecna inspection service says that GMO corn seed usage has doubled year-on-year. (AgriCensus)