The International Grains Council on Thursday cut its forecast for global maize and wheat crops in 2012-13, further tightening supplies with grain stocks at the end of the season seen sinking to a five-year low. "Inventories (of grain) for the major exporters will be even tighter and the smallest for 17 years," the IGC said […] Read more
IGC cuts grain stocks forecast to five-year low
World powers eye emergency food meeting; action doubted
Leading members of the Group of 20 nations are prepared to trigger an emergency meeting to address soaring grain prices caused by the worst U.S. drought in more than half a century and poor crops from the Black Sea bread basket. France, the United States and G20 president Mexico will hold a conference call at […] Read more
Rains threaten Western Europe’s wheat quality
Repeated rains threaten to reduce the quality of wheat crops in western Europe, though there remains the potential for reasonable yields in most areas, crop analysts said on Tuesday. "There is still potential, but there are threats to quality," Jean-Paul Bordes, head of research at Arvalis, said, referring to the crop in France, the European […] Read more
IGC cuts 2012-13 wheat crop outlook
The International Grains Council on Monday cut its forecast for global wheat production in 2012-13 as the outlook for the crop in key exporter Russia deteriorated. World wheat production was cut to 665 million tonnes from a previous forecast of 671 million and now stands well below the prior season’s 695 million. "The outlook for […] Read more
Women key to world food security
Reading Time: 2 minutes A policy aimed at ensuring future security of food supplies must centre around the world’s 500 million smallholder producers, many of whom are women who farm less than two hectares of land, a leading United Nations official said Dec. 14. “Unless they are at the centre of the future strategies for food security, we will […] Read more
Exploring For Oil In Pork Pies
Reading Time: < 1 minute Major British independent oil firm Greenergy sees its future as an exploration company, but one that hunts for fuel in piles of stale pork pies and other ever more challenging waste products after abandoning, at least for now, the widely criticized use of virgin vegetable oils. We are investing more and more so we can […] Read more
Biofuels Only Major Way To Decarbonize Road Fuel
Reading Time: 2 minutes Biofuels represent the only way to significantly reduce carbon emissions in road transport fuel and are likely to account for at least 12 per cent of supply by 2030, an official with oil giant BP said March 2. “There is no other alternative that I can really subscribe to in terms of decarbonizing road transport,” […] Read more
Human Waste Could Be Phosphate Source
Reading Time: 2 minutes Human excreta could have a key role in securing future food security, helping prevent a sharp drop in yields of crops such as wheat due to a shortage of phosphorus inputs, a UK organic body said Nov. 29. “It is estimated that only 10 per cent of the three million tonnes of phosphorus excreted by […] Read more
Smaller World Wheat Crop Seen As Plantings Fall
Reading Time: 2 minutes World wheat production looks set to fall this year following a sharp drop in plantings in the United States but the crop should still be the third highest on record, the International Grains Council said Jan. 21. The London-based IGC, in a monthly report, forecast world wheat production in 2010 at 653 million tonnes, down […] Read more
Biofuel Profits To Boost Grain Prices
Reading Time: 2 minutes Maize (corn) will lead a rebound in grain markets next year, boosted by growing demand from the biofuels sector with U. S. ethanol production becoming profitable again, a leading grains analyst says. Simon Bentley, director of grains research for LMC International Ltd., said a combination of the global economic downturn and a surge in production […] Read more
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