Reading Time: 2 minutes The Baltic Dry Index (BDI), a major indicator of bulk shipping rates, has climbed sharply higher over the past few weeks to hit its highest level in 18 months.
Baltic Dry Index at 18-month high
Restrictions at the Panama Canal and congestion at Brazilian ports behind rate hike
Canada’s Indo-Pacific ag office takes step forward
The joint CFIA-AAFC venture is part of a plan to diversify exports to the Indo-Pacific region
Reading Time: < 1 minute The federal government took another step yesterday toward establishing its Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office (IPAAO) in Manila, Philippines, with the appointment of its first executive director. Federal ag minister Lawrence MacAulay announced that Diedrah Kelly had been appointed to the post. Kelly is a long-time representative of Global Affairs Canada and recently was Canada’s […] Read more
Ukraine says 151 ships have used new Black Sea corridor
Promised free grain shipments are headed for Africa, says Moscow
Reading Time: 2 minutes Some 151 ships have used Ukraine's new Black Sea shipping corridor since it was set up in August, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported on Friday, citing a senior government official.
IGC raises world crop projections
If realized, the world wheat crop will the second largest on record
Reading Time: < 1 minute Projected worldwide wheat, corn and soybean production in 2023/24 was raised by the International Grains Council in its latest update, with better-than-expected corn yields in the United States and larger Black Sea wheat crops behind the adjustment.
Russia strikes Ukraine’s Danube port, sending global grain prices higher
Port hit on Danube opposite NATO-member Romania; Kyiv says aim is to intimidate shippers considering return
Reading Time: 4 minutes Kyiv | Reuters – Russia attacked Ukraine’s main inland port across the Danube River from Romania on Wednesday, sending global food prices higher as it ramps up its use of force to prevent Ukraine from exporting grain. The attacks destroyed buildings in the port of Izmail and halted ships in their tracks as they prepared […] Read more
Russia could be ready for Black Sea grain deal talks, but no evidence yet: US
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. said Russia has to return to Black Sea deal to market fertilizer, make agriculture transactions
Reading Time: 2 minutes United Nations | Reuters – The United States has been told that Russia is prepared to return to talks on a deal that had allowed the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, but “we haven’t seen any evidence of that yet,” the U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Tuesday. Russia quit the […] Read more
EU looks to cover transport costs for Ukraine grain exports by land
About 60 per cent of Ukraine's exports were shipped via solidarity lanes when the Black Sea deal was in operation
Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels | Reuters – The European Union is ready to export almost all of Ukraine’s farm produce via “solidarity lanes” and help cover costs after Russia withdrew from a U.N.-backed Black Sea grain deal, EU agriculture commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski said on Tuesday. Solidarity lanes are rail and road transport connections through EU member states that […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
