Market Perspectives – July 8, 2021

Country News

Argentina: Corn sales have been running ahead of last year, but the UOCRA workers union blocked San Rosario and other ports, hindering the shipment of grain. The Buenos Aires Grain Exchange says the corn harvest is 52 percent complete. (AgriCensus)

Brazil: Frost has damaged the crop and AgRural reduced its corn production forecast by another 5 MMT from May to a season total of 85.3 MMT. The safrinha crop is 12 percent harvested. Up to 20 percent of the corn crop could go to ethanol by 2030.  (Reuters; AgriCensus)

China: Farmers will plant more corn in place of soybeans, sorghum and other crops with JCI predicting a 6.2 percent increase in output for a total corn crop in 2021/22 at 253.9 MMT. That would be slightly higher than official and semi-official forecasts of between a 3.96 and 4.9 percent increase. The government will boost its crop insurance policies to boost production of corn and other crops. Sinograin auctioned 130,294 tons of corn imported from the U.S. and Ukraine. Corn imports for 2020/21 may be 20 MMT instead of USDA’s forecast of 26 MMT. (Reuters; USDA/FAS)

EU: Barley exports out of Rouen have picked up pace and France was Europe’s largest exporter of barley in 2020/2021. (AgriCensus)

Jordan: State grain buyer MIT purchased 60 KMT of barley for November shipment at $271.95/MT. (AgriCensus)

Russia: The government has lowered the export tax on barley for the first time since its launch. (AgriCensus)

South Africa: Up to 75 percent of the corn crop is now harvested. (AgriCensus)

South Korea: NOFI tendered for corn and NOFI purchased 65 KMT of Black Sea corn in a private transaction. (AgriCensus)

Turkey: State grain buyer TMO purchased 440 KMT of barley for July-August shipment. (AgriCensus)