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
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
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
Brazil exported 3.3 per cent more beef in 2014, industry says
Reading Time: < 1 minute Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Brazil, the world’s top beef exporter, shipped 1.56 million tonnes of meat abroad in 2014, 3.3 per cent more than it did in 2013, industry association Abiec said on Thursday. Volumes exported were near the 2007 record of 1.62 million tonnes. Beef exports by value were a record US$7.2 billion […] Read more
Russian grain exports seen reviving as informal curbs ease
Reading Time: 2 minutes Moscow | Reuters –– Russian grain exports have picked up again after a decision to impose official export duties reduced informal curbs that had all but stopped sales abroad, SovEcon agriculture consultancy said on Saturday. Russia, the world’s fourth-largest wheat exporter, introduced informal grain export controls last week to try and cool domestic wheat prices […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat retreats from rally fuelled by Russia export worries
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago / Reuters – U.S. grain and soybean futures slumped on Wednesday, with wheat dropping by 4 per cent in a setback from a rally fuelled by concerns over Russian export restrictions. The market extended a retreat from gains last week amid talk that Russia, expected to be the world’s fourth-largest exporter this year, won’t impose grain export duties until Feb. […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn reaches new five-month high, wheat advances
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago / Reuters – U.S. corn futures on Tuesday jumped to a new five-month high for the second consecutive session on increasing global demand and wheat advanced amid uncertainty about the impact of Russian export restrictions. Soybean futures also were firmer in thin volume before the Christmas holiday on Thursday. Nearby March corn futures hit a session high of […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
