Black Sea wheat exports are projected at an all-time high this year, and there is good reason to have confidence in this forecast. During the 2015/16 marketing year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that the states of the former Soviet Union excluding Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia (FSU-12) will export a record 45 million […] Read more
Black Sea in it for the long haul
The Former Soviet Union, once Canada's largest wheat customer, is now its largest competitor
U.S. grains: Wheat falls on profit-taking
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures sank on Friday on a round of end-of-week profit taking after prices hit an 8-1/2 week high on Thursday, traders said. Soybeans also fell, pressured by the expanding harvest of what is expected to be a bumper crop in the U.S., while corn was close to unchanged. Wheat […] Read more
Russian government proposes cutting wheat export tax
Semikarakorsk, Russia | Reuters — The Russian government has proposed cutting its floating wheat export tax from Oct. 1 and to exempt durum wheat from the levy, a senior official said on Thursday. Russian wheat exports have been constrained by the tax, which has prevented exporters from fully benefitting from the weaker rouble and a […] Read more
Russia defends crop data reliability
Moscow | Reuters –– Russia’s agriculture ministry defended the reliability of its crop data on Thursday, after a farmers’ lobby said regional officials were pressuring farmers to report bigger grain crops to the ministry than they actually harvested this year. The ministry said its numbers, compiled by its regional departments which send “operational information” to […] Read more
Russian farm lobby says crop reports artificially high
Moscow | Reuters — Russian regional officials are pressuring farmers to report more grain crop than they actually harvest this year, the head of farmers’ lobby the Grain Union said on Tuesday. Arkady Zlochevsky said the difference between the actual harvest and the declared figures was not significant. However, his comments could be troubling for […] Read more
After food, now Russia burns Dutch flowers
Moscow | Reuters –– A week after angering many in Russia by burning illegally imported Western food, authorities have started feeding Dutch flowers to the flames. Officials say blooms from the Netherlands, which supplies much of Russia’s US$2.5 billion flower market, pose safety risks because they may be infected. Critics say the “flower war” marks […] Read more
Russia to add more countries to food import ban list
Moscow | Reuters — Russia said on Tuesday it planned to add new countries to the list of those from which it has banned food imports in retaliation for western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis. Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich did not name the countries to be added to the list. “I […] Read more
Russian ‘food crematoria’ spur outrage
Moscow | Reuters — Russian government plans for mass destruction of banned Western food imports have provoked outrage in a country where poverty rates are soaring and memories remain of famine during Soviet times. Even some Kremlin allies are expressing shock at the idea of “food crematoria” while one orthodox priest has denounced the campaign, […] Read more
Trade mission to Kazakhstan
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Agriculture and Forestry is leading a trade mission to Kazakhstan with a focus on livestock and genetics. “Kazakhstan has identified its livestock sector as a priority” and wants to increase beef exports to Russia, said trade officer Aarij Bashir. The mission will include meetings with government officials and pre-qualified buyers of live cattle and […] Read more
Russia, Ukraine may cut grain crop forecasts as temperatures rise
Moscow/Kiev | Reuters — Major Black Sea wheat exporters Russia and Ukraine may cut their official 2015 grain crop forecasts as recent hot weather has raised the risks to plants and rains elsewhere have delayed the harvest and dented quality, farmers and officials said. Russia and Ukraine’s agriculture ministries have said if hot weather persists […] Read more
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