Ukraine
For the first time since the war started, a Ukrainian ship carrying grain left port. The UN says the Razoni was carrying 26,527 MT of corn. The vessel was stuck in port since Feb. 18, before the start of the war.
U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Thursday that grain shipments from Ukraine could resume as soon as today but that details of the exact coordinates of shipping routes were still being finalized.
Heavy Russian strikes hit the southern Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv overnight and early on Sunday, killing the owner of one of the country’s largest grain producing and exporting companies, the local governor said.
Global grain trader Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (ADM) reported a 74% rise in second-quarter profit on Tuesday, benefiting from high demand for grains and tighter supplies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Five months after the invasion, Senators will receive a classified briefing Wednesday. Russia launched a missile attack on the key grain-exporting port of Odesa Saturday, a day after signing a deal to resume exports.
A day after Ukraine and Russia signed a deal to resume grain exports from Ukraine, Russian missiles hit the Odesa port. Ukrainian foreign-ministry accused Vladimir Putin of “spitting in the face” of U.N and Turkey.
With little to no diesel readily available to fuel harvest, wheat and other grains languish in the country’s fields. One analyst says he expects the global wheat market will be shorted 10 million metric tons.
Russian forces targeted at least two large grain terminals Wednesday in the port of Mykolaiv. Western governments claim Russia is carrying out a campaign to degrade Ukraine’s ability to export food.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict threatens to upend world trade.
Diesel prices are causing sticker shock, as fears of a possible diesel shortage are growing. It’s not just retail diesel prices that are rapidly rising. Some farmers report booking off-road diesel for above $5.
Tensions between Russia and the West are escalating as Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow would strike new targets if the U.S. supplied long-range missiles to Ukraine, according to Russian state media.
Participants who seek this one-time, voluntary termination do not have to repay rental payments. But they must make requests for voluntary termination in writing through their local USDA office.
After making it through the spring planting season, sometimes with the help of bulletproof vests and helmets, Ukraine’s farmers are facing another challenge – finding enough diesel for the harvest to come.
When farmers or ranchers in the U.S. face tragedy others in the industry are quick to help. That same mentality, of farmers helping farmers, has reached Ukraine as support rolls in from across the globe.
“Right now, Ukraine’s grain silos are full,” says David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Programme. “At the same time, 44 million people around the world are marching towards starvation.”
Biden says Ukraine has 20 million tons of stored grain awaiting export to various countries. He says lack of port movement coupled with halted planting in Ukraine will ignite a global food crisis unless action is taken.
Diesel prices hit historic highs this week. Due to increased demand and a drop in production, a diesel shortage may be looming as the largest diesel distribution hub in the U.S. is sitting on supplies at a 30-year low.
Rail backlogs in the United States are delaying shipment of grains as well as processed flour and corn syrup, contributing to the national problem of inflation, food and grain companies said at a hearing this week.
What’s included in the White House’s recent Ukraine aid proposal? AgriTalk Host Chip Flory reads between the lines with the Biden administration’s Candace Vahlsing, as industry leaders examine the potential consequences.
Concerns over the world’s supply of grains and oilseeds are prompting the Biden administration to step in and encourage more production. Grain analysts say supplies of grains are tight due to the situation in Ukraine.
Ukrainian farmers in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia are determined to get their fields planted this spring.
CBOT soybean oil prices hit a record high after Indonesia announced it will effectively ban palm oil exports as of April 28. With no timeline in place, some question the motive and duration of the announced ban.
Ukraine has planted 2.5 million hectares of spring-planted crops so far this year, 20% of expected area, according to the Ukrainian ag ministry. The country has warned of a potential decline of 20% in 2022 plantings.
Black swans emerge, to cast shadows of doubt on agriculture’s future
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is accusing Russia of using hunger as a weapon. He claims Russian forces are deliberately targeting the country’s essential food supplies.
Nearly 4 million acres of CRP expire this year. Secy. Vilsack wrote to National Grain and Feed Association’s Mike Seyfert to share converting CRP is “unfeasible.” However, Vilsack did offer one caveat in his letter.
Before Putin’s forces even breached the Ukraine border, fear and speculation drove commodity prices skyward. Concerns are warranted.
Nick Gordiichuk estimates farmers will plant about 25% of their crops this year. He has no idea when he will get back into fields. Many contain landmines, unexploded rockets and war’s debris.
Ukrainian farmers had sown about 400,000 hectares (988,000 acres) with various spring crops by Thursday, or a tenth more than by the same date last year, despite the Russian invasion, said deputy ag minister.
The Ukranian government announced removal of corn and sunflower oil export license requirements to allow for easier exports, while also hoping the sale of the commodities will provide money for spring planting.