Grain Highlights 16.02.2021

16 Feb, 2021
Grain Highlights 16.02.2021
Given the severe and prolonged frosts in the United States and the lack of sufficient snow cover, 10% of the soft winter wheat crop and up to 15% of hard winter wheat crop in the US Wheat Belt are expected to be severely damaged.

- In 2020, the area planted with winter wheat in the United States was 6.714 million hectares, which is 4.8% more than the previous year. 1.08 million hectares were sown with barley (+3.2%) and 1.012 million hectares with winter rapeseed (-21.9%).

- According to AgRural estimates, 9% of the soybean areas were harvested in Brazil as of 12.02.2021 compared to 3.8% a week earlier and 16% a year earlier.

- According to the forecast of the Russian Grain Union, grain exports from Russia will be well below the quota of 17.5 million tons for the period until 01.07.2021, including:

  • wheat- 10 million tons
  • barley- 2 million tons
  • corn- 2.5 million tons

- As of the end of Jan 2021, sunseed stocks held by farming organizations of Russia were 1.248 million tons, which is 34% less than in 2020.
- In the week of Feb 8-14, 195,600 tons of soft wheat were exported from the EU compared to 405,200 tons a week earlier. 105,600 tons of wheat were exported from Poland and 68,200 tons from Latvia. Over the period of 1.07.2020 -14.02.2021, total wheat exports from the EU reached 16.24 million tons, including:

  • 16.24 million tons for Algeria
  • 1.67 million tons for Saudi Arabia
  • 1.63 million tons for China
  • 1.33 million tons for Nigeria
  • 1.02 million tons for Morocco

- From the beginning of the season until now, 9.17 million tons of soybeans have been imported into the EU (+4% compared to the previous season), 4.3 million tons of rapeseed (-2%), 702,900 tons of sunflower (+8%). Soybeans were imported from the United States (4.43 million tons), Brazil (2.87 million tons), Canada (1.35 million tons) and Ukraine (232,500 tons). Rapeseed was delivered from Ukraine (2.2 million tons) and Canada (1.35 million tons), and sunflower from Russia (274,200 tons), Moldova (166,400 tons) and Ukraine (120,400 tons). The largest importer of soybeans and rapeseed is the Netherlands with 2.6 million tons and 1.1 million tons, respectively. As for sunseed, the biggest importer is Bulgaria with 392,900 tons.

- Strategie Grains has raised its forecast for soft wheat exports from the EU and the UK in 2020/21 by 1 million tons to 26.1 million tons. Exports of barley increased by 0.4 million tons to 7.5 million tons.

- ABARES has raised its estimate for the wheat production in Australia to 33.34 million tons, which is a new record for the country. The previous best achievement was 31.8 million tons achieved in 2016/17. The barley production is 13.1 million tons - also a new record compared to the old 13.4 million tons from 2016/17.

- In the first half of February, exports of palm oil from Malaysia increased to 530,540 tons, which is 27.4% more than the previous month. 153,780 tons of palm oil (134,590) were exported to the EU, 72,260 tons (53,050) to China, and 71,670 tons (56,190) to India.