Reading Time: 2 minutes Moscow | Reuters — Russia, one of the world’s leading wheat exporters, will probably not extend a tax on wheat exports, imposed until June 30, if optimism over lower inflation and a large crop persists among officials, SovEcon consultancy said. Russia’s economy has been hit hard by low global oil prices and Western sanctions due […] Read more
Russia seen removing wheat tax in July if inflation slows
Guenther: ‘Full story’ sought on crop health in Ukraine, Russia
Reading Time: 4 minutes Given the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, the country might seem like a risky place to conduct a 10-day crop tour. But Mike Lee’s confident he can pull it off. “A lot of people think we’re completely nuts for going there. But to me, it’s not that crazy. It’s a fairly normal, straightforward place if […] Read more
Russia starts spring seeding with raised hopes for harvest
Reading Time: 2 minutes Moscow | Reuters –– Russian farmers have started their spring seeding campaign with prospects for the 2015 crop brighter than first thought, the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday. Russia, one of the main key wheat exporters to North Africa and the Middle East, needs a good crop after a sharp drop in the rouble has […] Read more
Ukraine ceasefire may, or may not, weigh on wheat
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada –– A tentative ceasefire in eastern Ukraine could lead to adjustments in the global grain markets, with softening wheat prices a possibility. Conflict in eastern Ukraine has been an underlying factor in grains and oilseeds markets over the past year, with the uncertainty of the situation providing both bearish and bullish incentives for […] Read more
Canada on the fringe of the grain export market
In a world where a country’s market power starts with its grain storage capacity, we’re losing ground fast
Reading Time: 6 minutes Canada’s performance, its objectives and its market power as a grain producer and exporter have changed significantly since the mid-1900s. Unfortunately those changes have not always been positive. In 1966 Alex McCalla, who was then at the University of Minnesota but who would go on to become one of the world’s top economists studying agricultural […] Read more
Politics no barrier as Iran, Russia buy U.S. grain
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. political tensions with Iran and Russia have proved no barrier to those countries buying American grain, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday. Iran bought 66,000 tonnes of U.S. corn last week for the first time in three years, according to USDA weekly export sales […] Read more
France says Russia to lift ban on live pigs, some pork products
Reading Time: 2 minutes Paris | Reuters –– Russia’s veterinary services has agreed to lift a ban on French live pigs, offal and fat imposed a year ago after an outbreak of African swine fever in the east of the European Union, the French farm ministry said. Russia imposed the ban on EU pork products early in 2014 following […] Read more
Russia may consider grain export ban, but not yet, deputy PM says
Reading Time: < 1 minute Moscow | Reuters — Russia might consider banning grain exports altogether if informal trade restrictions already in place fail to benefit the economy as hoped, a senior minister said Monday. The bulk of Russia’s grain output is wheat, for which it is expected to be the world’s fourth-largest exporter this year. But in response to […] Read more
Russia’s domestic wheat prices decline due to export curbs
Reading Time: 2 minutes Moscow | Reuters — Russia’s domestic wheat prices have declined since the start of the year as the government has curbed exports with informal limits ahead of the introduction of an official export tax, analysts said on Friday. Russia, expected to be the world’s fourth-largest wheat exporter this year, imposed tougher quality monitoring of grain […] Read more
Russia seen adding new informal grain export curbs in 2015
Reading Time: 2 minutes Moscow | Reuters — Russia has strengthened informal curbs on grain exports since the start of the year, further complicating trading before the introduction of an export tax, a Russian grain exporters’ lobby said Tuesday in a letter to officials. Russia, expected to be the world’s fourth-largest exporter this year, hopes export curbs will cool […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
