Saudi Arabia will import 18.1 mln tons of grain during the current season which is 8% lower than the previos season, but 2 mln tons higher than the average level for the past 5 years. Barley import will be 9.4 mln tons while corn import will reach 3.5 mln tons. Wheat import level remains high at 3.8 mln tons while rice import will exceed the average level of 1.5 mln tons.

Iran bought 130,000 tons of fodder barley at 198.5 USD/ton C&F. The auction for the purchase of 120,000 tons of corn has been cancelled.

MARS announced that winter crops in Europe were not affected by January frost. The weather in Hungary and Slovakia was the coldest since 1975. There is not any concern about serious crops damage until the end of January.

In South Korea, rice consumption per capita was 61.9 kg/year in 2016, which is 1.6% lower than 2015. Consumption back in 1963 was 136.4 kg/year.

Grain harvest in Russia will be approximately 110 mln tons in 2017, Russian Grain Union says.