Grain Highlights 30.04.2023

As of 04/24/2023, according to FranceAgriMer data, 44% of the planned corn areas in France have been sown (+24% for the week and 56% a year earlier).

- During the week of May 4-11, the export tax on Russian wheat will be 5,573.2 rubles/ton (5,678.9 a week earlier),2,195.4 rubles/ton on barley (2,496) and 3,000 rubles/ton on corn (3,215.8).

- The American bank JPMorgan Chase received a license from OFAC to process payment orders from the Russian bank Rosselkhozbanka, which are used to pay for the export of agricultural products.

- Over the period of January - March, sunseed oil production in Russia reached 2.3 million tons.

- Over the period of 01.07.2022 - 28.04.2023, 41.354 million tons of grain were exported from Ukraine (45.709 a year earlier), including 3.378 million tons in April (763,000). 14.278 million tons of wheat (1.28), 2.461 million tons of barley (185,000) and 24.29 million tons of corn(1.908) were exported.

- As of April 27, 2023, 1,368 million hectares were sown with spring cereals in Ukraine, including 206,100 hectares with wheat, 639,000 hectares with barley, 252,700 hectares with corn. 460,200 hectares have been sown with sunseed.

- The European Commission has raised its forecast for the ending wheat stocks of the 2022/23 crop in the EU to 19.6 million tons (18.1 in the March report). Exports will be 31 million tons (-1), and imports will be 8 million tons (-0.5). Corn imports will reach 24 million tons (+1), and corn exports will reach 3 million tons (+1). Rapeseed imports will be 6.4 million tons (6.2). In 2023/24, the wheat production will reach 130.2 million tons (130.9), barley production is projected at 52.2 million tons (54.2) and corn production is estimated at 64.4 million tons (65). Rapeseed production will be 20 million tons (19.8), and sunseed production will be 10.5 million tons (10.9).

- According to the forecast of the European Commission, the sunseed production in the EU will be 10.45 million tons in 2023/24 (9.17 a year earlier), rapeseed production is projected at 20 million tons (19.54) and soybean production is estimated at 2.83 million tons (2.44). Ending sunseed stocks will reach 878,000 tons (867,000), ending canola stocks will be 833,000 tons (500,000) and ending soybean stocks are estimated at 1.3 million tons (1.2). Sunseed imports will be 1.48 million tons (2.2), rapeseed imports are expected at 5.82 million tons (6.5) and soybean imports are projected at 14.02 million tons (13.5).

- As of 04/24/2023, according to FranceAgriMer data, 44% of the planned corn areas in France have been sown (+24% for the week and 56% a year earlier). 94% of wheat crops are in good and excellent condition (93% a week earlier and 91% a year earlier).

- Chinese importers have canceled a deal to supply 233,000 tons of corn from the 2022/23 US corn crop.

- According to data from the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange, as of 04/26/2023, 98.5% of sunseed crops were harvested in Argentina, and 3.84 million tons of sunseed was harvested at a yield of 1.99 tons/hectare. 28% of the soybean areas have been harvested (33% a year earlier and 54% on average for the last five years). 6.95 million tons of soybeans were harvested at an average yield of 1.59 tons/hectare. Soybean production may reach 22.5 million tons (43.3). Corn was harvested on 17.5% of the areas (25% and 29%), 5.26 million tons of corn were harvested with an average yield of 4.3 tons/hectare.

- The Indonesian government has lowered the requirement for palm oil producers to sell up to 300,000 tons of production domestically per month. In recent months, 2.9 million tons have been exported from the country per month. Since the beginning of 2023, the authorities have reduced exports in order to build up domestic stocks and keep prices lower.

- Algeria has bought milling wheat ata price of 295 – 296.5 USD/ton C&F and delivery within 16.05 – 31.06.2023