Country News
Algeria: The government’s purchasing agency has issued a new tender to buy barley. (AgriCensus)
Argentina: The government’s increase in the export tax has lowered the forecast for 2018/19 corn production by 2 MMT to 43 MMT. Farmers will switch production from corn to soybeans. A draft bill by the government would provide authority to raise the export tax even higher. (AgriCensus; Reuters)
Brazil: The planting of the 2018/19 corn crop has begun, and a government official says prices could hit the minimum guaranteed price level after the October presidential election. (AgriCensus; Reuters)
China: Higher prices drove corn auction sales to 2.9 MMT but the Heilongjiang corn auction saw volume drop by more than 25 percent. (AgriCensus)
EU: The Monitoring Agricultural Resources (MARS) bulletin indicates that improved rains late in the season were not enough to help corn and barley yields. The September estimate for both crops is lower than the August forecast. However, this did not prevent funds from shorting corn on the Euronext. (Europa)
Jordan: The state purchasing agency had issued a tender for buying barley but had to cancel it as sellers kept their distance. (AgriCensus)
Philippines: Almost all of the corn crop suffered typhoon damage and imports may be required to fill the gap. (Reuters)
South Korea: Formerly reluctant buying by feed millers reversed on lower CBOT prices and purchases were made by NOFI and FLC at $201-203/MT. (AgriCensus)
Tunisia: The government buying agency has issued tenders for barley. (AgriCensus)
Ukraine: Corn prices have finally fallen enough to spur purchases by importers and UkrAgroConsult says production next year will be lower. By contrast, barley prices are at a 4.5 year high and will spur increased plantings. (AgriCensus; Reuters)