Reading Time: 2 minutes Union general William T. Sherman once famously said, “War is hell.” However you describe it, war is expensive. For some, it’s extremely profitable, too. Shooting wars aren’t the only type of warfare that are costly, deadly and often without a winner. In January 2022, the International Monetary Fund estimated the total cost of the COVID-19 […] Read more
Opinion: War is expensive both on and off the battlefield
Big financial costs, big human costs, but also big agribusiness profits
Russia says will have talks with Turkey about alternative to Black Sea deal
Plan calls for Qatar's support to move Russian grain
Reuters — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan will discuss a proposal by Moscow for an alternative to the Black Sea grain deal when they meet this week, Lavrov’s ministry said Wednesday. Under the plan, Russia would send a million tons of grain to Turkey at a discounted price, with financial […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans dip after data shows crop less damaged than feared
Ukrainian farmers not expected to cut winter wheat area
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean and corn prices retreated on Tuesday following U.S. government data showing a smaller-than-expected decline in crop conditions than what many analysts had expected. Wheat hit a two-week low as sluggish demand for U.S. supplies and competition from cheap Russian grain limited the upside in prices. The most active soybean […] Read more
Weather woes, Russia upend outlook for global wheat suppliers
Stockpile levels expected to reach at least a 16-year low in 2023-24
Reading Time: 4 minutes Drought is expected to send global wheat stockpiles for major exporters to the lowest levels in more than a decade, a Reuters analysis shows. The decline is coming as top supplier Russia intensifies its conflict with Ukraine and creates more uncertainty for importers. Farms in areas of North and South America, Europe and Australia are […] Read more
Ukraine asks Lebanon to bar Syrian ship carrying ‘stolen’ corn
Corn taken from multiple storage units, Ukraine alleges
Beirut | Reuters — Ukrainian officials on Thursday asked Lebanon to bar a Syrian state-owned cargo ship carrying allegedly stolen Ukrainian grain from docking in Lebanon’s Tripoli port, according to the Ukrainian embassy and a diplomatic note seen by Reuters. The Ukrainian mission said in comments to Reuters that the Finikia was transporting 6,000 metric […] Read more
Russia hits grain facilities at Ukrainian Danube River port
Some 13,000 tonnes of grain destroyed says Ukrainian deputy prime minister
Reuters – Russian drones struck Ukrainian grain facilities at the Danube River port of Izmail overnight in what a senior official said on Wednesday was a systematic attempt by Moscow to prevent Kyiv exporting grain to the world. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said the port’s export capacity had been reduced by 15% and that […] Read more
U.S. says working to identify alternative paths for Ukraine grain
Danube grain facilities attacked overnight
Washington | Reuters — The United States on Wednesday condemned Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine’s grain infrastructure and said it was working with partners to identify alternative options to ensure Ukrainian grain exports. “The United States … calls for Russia to immediately return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel […] Read more
Ukraine announces ‘humanitarian corridor’ for other stuck ships
Moscow not yet commenting on plan
Kyiv | Reuters — Ukraine announced a “humanitarian corridor” in the Black Sea on Thursday to release cargo ships trapped in its ports since the outbreak of war, a new test of Russia’s de facto blockade since Moscow abandoned a deal last month to let Kyiv export grain. At least initially, the corridor would apply […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: August forecasts pulling prices down
Wheat prices went down during the week despite Russia’s withdrawal from Black Sea deal
MarketsFarm – Recent weather forecasts for much of the United States put pressure on grain prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) during the week ended Aug. 2. Cooler and wetter conditions are expected for the U.S. Midwest during the first half of August, which could help stabilize corn and soybean crops affected by […] Read more
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
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
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
