Country News
Argentina: Barley production this campaign could hit 5 MMT with exports of 3 MMT. (AgriCensus)
Brazil: AgRural reported that farmers harvested around 30 percent of the Safrinha crop in the center-south through July l5. IMEA reports 52 percent of the corn in Mato Grosso has been harvested. Dr. Michael Cordonnier reduced his estimate of the total corn crop to 88 MMT with a neutral to lower bias. However, frost has sparked fears that the crop total could fall below 80 MMT. Feedlots have booked up to 1 MMT of Argentine corn. Traders report that corn marked for export is being redirected to the domestic market where prices are double previous sales and outweigh the cost of washouts. The washout wave is equivalent to 2016 when bad weather spoiled the corn crop. Corn exports in July have been running 75 percent less than a year ago. CONAB pegs corn exports for 2020/21 at 29.5 MMT, down from 35 MMT in 2019/20. The consultancy Safras & Mercado predicts the 2021/22 corn crop will expand 1.2 percent in area and output will be 122.6 MMT, versus 90.4 MMT in 2020/21. (Reuters; Soybean & Corn Advisor; S&P Global Platts; AgriCensus)
China: According to June 2021 customs data, corn imports were at a record 3.75 MMT, up 305 percent from a year ago, and brings the year-to-date total to 14.3 MMT. (Reuters; AgriCensus)
Kazakhstan: The government is debating whether to impose a ban on feed exports and placing an overall cap on grain exports. (AgriCensus)
South Africa: After producing 16.82 MMT of maize in 2020/21, production is expected to fall 9 percent to 15 MMT in 2021/22 due to the unusually high yield in the previous year. (World-Grain; FAS GAIN)
Ukraine: The Agriculture Ministry says 2021/22 corn exports are at 498,000 MT and barley at 207,000 MT. (Reuters)