Grains, Seeds, Vegoils, Meals, Softs, Agri News

Jan 27 - U.S. pushing India to buy $5-6 bln more farm goods to seal trade deal - sources
The United States wants India to buy at least another $5-6 billion worth of American farm goods if New Delhi wants to win reinstatement of a key U.S. trade concession and seal a wider pact, four sources familiar with the talks told Reuters. U.S. President Donald Trump cited trade barriers last year when removing India from its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme that allowed zero tariffs on $5.6 billion of exports to the United States. 

 Jan 27 - India's rice exports fall sharply as sanctions delay payments from Iran
Reluctance among Indian traders to ship premium basmati rice to Iran as U.S. sanctions hobble its ability to pay has contributed to a sharp drop in overall exports from the world's biggest supplier of the grain, trade and government sources said. Rice shipments from India slipped by more than a quarter to 5.5 million tonnes between April and November 2019 -- the first eight months of the fiscal year -- from 7.5 million tonnes in the year-ago period, the sources said. 

 Jan 27 - Funds continue CBOT wheat obsession, but sour on soybeans - Braun
Speculators stuffed even more Chicago-traded wheat into their already-full portfolio through last Tuesday, but that may have marked the peak of funds' unusual wheat bullishness as futures prices have since eased. Investors last week shed what little optimism they previously held for soybeans as China has failed to make any big U.S. buys following the trade deal. 

 Jan 27 - Argentine soy crusher Vicentin in takeover talks with firms including Glencore - sources
Argentina's top exporter of processed soy, Vicentin, is in talks over a potential takeover deal with firms including European grains giant Glencore to help resolve a debt crisis, according to two sources close to the negotiations. The near 90-year-old firm, which defaulted on payments to suppliers late last year, has also told grains farmers it owes money to that it will make a debt restructuring offer in the days ahead, the sources said on Friday.

Jan 27 - Court forces U.S. EPA to reconsider three refinery biofuel waivers
A U.S. appeals court has ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency must reconsider three of the biofuel waivers it recently granted to small oil refineries, arguing the agency's justification for approving the exemptions was flawed. The decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit dated Jan. 24 came after a coalition of biofuel industry groups had challenged the 2016 exemptions for Holly Frontier's Woods Cross and Cheyenne refineries, as well as CVR Energy's Wynewood refinery.

Jan 27 - Egypt allocates 28.17 bln pounds for urgent commodity and service needs
Egypt has allocated 28.17 billion Egyptian pounds ($1.79 billion) for urgent commodity and service needs for a six month-period, the finance ministry said on Sunday. About 25 billion pounds of the amount was allocated for the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), a finance ministry statement said.

Jan 27 - Indonesia to increase imports from India amid New Delhi-Malaysia spat - sources
Indonesia has agreed to immediately increase imports of Indian buffalo meat, sugar and auto parts after India boosted purchases of Indonesian palm oil amid a spat with rival supplier Malaysia, two Indian government sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday. Indonesia and Malaysia account for 85% of the world's palm oil output while India is the biggest buyer of edible oil. 

Jan 27 - Bayer Roundup cancer trial postponed to continue settlement talks
Bayer AG said on Friday it has reached an agreement with plaintiffs' lawyers to postpone a Missouri jury trial over allegations its popular weed killer Roundup causes cancer to provide room for negotiations to settle the litigation. "While Bayer is constructively engaged in the mediation process, there is no comprehensive agreement at this time.

Jan 27 - U.S. pork producers well-equipped to supply China's needs - Braun
China’s pork imports should surge to an all-time high in 2020 after African swine fever decimated its hog herd, and the United States is ready to take on the task as it also eyes a new export record. The United States closed out last year with the largest-ever year-end inventory of frozen pork, some 15% more than at the end of 2018, according to data published Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Jan 27 - Saudi Arabia's SAGO buys 900,000 tonnes barley
Saudi Arabia's state grain buyer SAGO said on Monday it had bought 900,000 tonnes of barley in its latest international purchasing tender. The barley was purchased at an average price of $224.45 per tonne for arrival in Saudi Arabia in March and April.

Jan 24 - IGC raises forecast for 2019/20 world corn crop
The International Grains Council (IGC) on Thursday raised its forecast for global corn (maize) production in the 2019/20 season, driven mainly by upward revisions for China and the United States. In its monthly update, the inter-governmental body increased its global corn crop forecast by 8 million tonnes to 1.111 billion tonnes, still below the previous season's 1.129 billion tonnes.

 Jan 24 - Asian feed mills turn to Ukrainian corn as U.S. quality suffers
Some key Asian feed makers are having to pay more for higher-quality corn from the Black Sea region as a key traditional supplier, the United States, struggles with a weather-damaged crop. China, South Korea and Bangladesh have turned to Ukraine for a part of their feed corn demand for February arrival, according to three trade sources and shipping data.

 Jan 24 - Brazil urges India to cut import taxes on chicken products
Brazil wants India to cut its import taxes on chicken and chicken products, so it can cash in on India's burgeoning demand for poultry and poultry products as incomes rise and food habits change. India imposes a 100% import tax on chicken products and a 30% duty on whole chickens, too high for countries such as Brazil and the United States to gain a foothold in the market, where the poultry industry is growing at more than 10% a year.

 Jan 24 - A growing problem: Nigerian rice farmers fall short after borders close
Thomas Tyavwva Maji is planting rice on more of his land in Nigeria's Benue State than ever to take advantage of a surge in prices since the country shut its land borders in August. But he says he cannot go much further. With no machinery or irrigation, limited manual labour and no spare cash for fertilizers, the 45-year-old is not expecting any dramatic change in his fortunes.

 Jan 24 - Trump administration scales back U.S. water protections
The Trump administration finalized a rule on Thursday to pare back the types of waterways protected from pollution under federal law, easing burdens on industries like agriculture and mining but angering environmental groups. The Navigable Waters Protection Rule could win political points ahead of the November election for Republican President Donald Trump in the Farm Belt, a key constituency.

 Jan 24 - Zimbabwe says grain stocks running out after drought
Zimbabwe has only 100,000 tonnes of grain in its strategic reserves, enough to last just over a month, as the southern African nation suffers the effects of a severe drought, according to the agriculture minister. More than half the country's population faces food shortages after maize harvests halved last year. 

Jan 23 - Malaysia to buy more Indian sugar to resolve palm oil spat – sources
Malaysia's top sugar refiner said it will increase purchases of the commodity from India, which according to two sources is part of efforts to placate New Delhi amid an ongoing spat over palm oil imports. MSM Malaysia Holdings Berhad will buy 130,000 tonnes of raw sugar from India worth 200 million ringgit ($49.20 million) in the first quarter, the company told Reuters. 

 Jan 23 - Brazil farmers see higher soybean yields in Mato Grosso as harvest kicks off - crop tour
As harvesters start collecting Brazil's most prized agriculture commodity, soybeans, yields and output in the fields of Mato Grosso are positively surprising farmers, according to observations from an analyst at Agroconsult who traveled in the region last week. After surveying fields around the world's soy soybean capital Sorriso and close-by grain towns including Sinop, Fabio Meneghin, an Agroconsult partner and agribusiness consultant, said initial field work show soybean yields between 10% and 15% higher than last season.

 Jan 23 - Algeria Wheat : some trade estimates put the purchase at about 450,000 tonnes.
First assessments put prices paid at about $245 a tonne c&f. Some traders put the price range at between $244 and $246 a tonne c&f. Algeria does not disclose the results of its tenders and purchase reports are based on trade assessments.

 Jan 23 - Have CBOT wheat futures finally reached the top? -Braun
The recent climb in Chicago-traded wheat futures to 17-month highs has lasted longer than most market participants probably expected, but prices faced a setback on Wednesday after surging to another high early in the session. Investors have packed on the long positions in CBOT wheat over the last month, with a large focus on tightening supplies globally and challenges in some major exporting countries. But funds’ unusually bullish views leave wheat highly susceptible to a hefty sell-off.

 Jan 23 - Egypt may add Indian wheat to list of acceptable import origins
Egypt is studying the addition of Indian wheat as an acceptable origin for its international import tenders, the head of the country's agriculture quarantine said on Wednesday. Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer, would not be affected if any country's wheat was scarce in the market due to its diverse list of acceptable origins, Ahmed al-Attar said.

Jan 23 - Italy seizes 9.5 tonnes of Chinese pork to prevent African swine fever contagion
Italy's tax police seized and destroyed 9.5 tonnes of pork from China which was banned by the Health Ministry after African swine fever broke out in the Asian country, police in the northeastern city of Padoa said on Wednesday. The illegally-imported pig meat was hidden under a shipment of vegetables from China in a storage facility near Padoa managed by a Chinese citizen.

Jan 23 - New Zealand's Fonterra expects more deals in 2020 amid restructuring
New Zealand's Fonterra said on Thursday that fiscal 2020 would see more deals as the world's biggest dairy exporter reviews its assets and shifts focus back home. The company, which reported a record annual loss in September, had decided to end its ambitious overseas expansion plans and vowed to cut debt by focusing on domestic production.

Jan 23 - Germany says swine fever case found just 12 km from its border
A case of the pig disease African swine fever (ASF) has been discovered in a wild boar in Poland just 12 kilometres (7.4 miles) from the German border, Germany’s agriculture ministry said on Wednesday. Germany is intensifying discussions with the Polish government about creating a “white zone” which is fenced off to stop wild boars with the disease wondering into Germany, Germany’s agriculture ministry said in a statement.

Jan 23 - Storm Gloria leaves eight dead, ruins rice paddies in Spain
At least eight people have been killed as Storm Gloria has rampaged across eastern Spain, unleashing winds of up to 144 kmh (90 mph) and waves up to 13.5 metres (44 feet) high, officials said on Wednesday. Three people remained missing four days after Gloria began pummelling the region with torrential rain and heavy snowfall alike.

Jan 22 - U.S. soy trade mission to China reveals relief, uncertainty after trade war détente
As dozens of U.S. and Chinese officials gathered at the White House for last week's Phase 1 trade agreement signing, a much smaller group of U.S. soy industry leaders watched the event on television from Myanmar's Yangon International Airport before departing for Shanghai. The pact signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and China's Vice Premier Liu He was aimed at defusing a nearly two-year trade dispute between the world's top two economies that has rattled markets, curbed American farm income and threatened the global economy.

 Jan 22 - China issues biosafety certificates for domestic GM corn, soybean traits
China's agriculture ministry issued biosafety certificates on Tuesday for domestically grown, genetically modified (GM) corn and soybean traits, moving closer to commercialisation of GM grain production in the world's top market. The certificates, valid from Dec. 2, 2019 until Dec. 2, 2024, were granted to a corn trait developed by Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group Co Ltd and a double-stacked corn product developed by Hangzhou Ruifeng Biotech Co Ltd and Zhejiang University, according to a statement published on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

 Jan 22 - Palm oil prices to climb 17.9% in 2020 on tight supplies, biodiesel programmes
Average palm oil prices will surge 17.9% this year, a Reuters poll of industry participants showed, as reduced output in the first half of the year and higher biodiesel consumption in top producers Indonesia and Malaysia tighten the market. Benchmark palm oil prices will average 2,650 ringgit ($650.80) a tonne in 2020, up from 2,248 ringgit last year, according to the median estimate from a poll of 18 analysts and industry players.  

 Jan 22 - French grain industry warns of severe impact of ongoing strikes
French grain industry players warned of a severe impact on the cereal sector if ongoing strikes over pension reform that have disrupted the country's rail services and port activities since last month were to last. A month-old public transport strike that has crippled rail services and rolling stoppages by dock workers have left firms in the European Union's biggest grain producer struggling to get their crop to ports and factories. 

Jan 22 - China to continue selling state frozen pork reserves after Lunar New Year - notice
China will continue selling state frozen pork reserves after the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, said a notice on the website for the China Merchandise Reserve Management Center on Wednesday. Beijing released 20,000 tonnes of frozen pork from the reserves on Tuesday to increase supplies during the national holiday, when pork consumption typically spikes. 

Jan 22 - Spanish olive growers claim first victory against U.S. duties
Spanish olive growers have claimed an important victory in a U.S. court, which could help lift some of the duties imposed by President Donald Trump's administration, Spain's olive exporters' association said on Tuesday. Spain is the world's largest olive and olive oil producing country. Its industry was hit hard when the U.S. Commerce Department imposed duties of around 35% on Spanish black olives in 2018 after concluding they were being sold too cheaply and benefited from unfair subsidies. 

Jan 22 - Jordan buys 60,000 tonnes hard wheat in tender – trade
Jordan's state grains buyer purchased 60,000 tonnes of hard milling wheat to be sourced from optional origins in a tender for up to 120,000 tonnes which closed on Tuesday, traders said. It was bought at $229.90 a tonne c&f for shipment in the second half of July from trading house Agro Chirnogi, they said.

Jan 21 - U.S. Agriculture Secretary says no need for more farm aid after China trade deal
With China poised to increase purchases of U.S. agricultural goods this year as part of a Phase 1 China trade deal, the U.S. Agriculture Secretary said on Monday there is no need for a third year of trade-related aid for farmers. Farmers have increasingly relied on aid from the U.S. government to survive during the past two years as exports have lagged throughout the U.S.-China trade war. 

 Jan 21 - Chinese beef importers seek to renegotiate prices for Brazilian shipments - report
Chinese beef importers are seeking to renegotiate prices previously agreed when they closed deals to buy dozens of shipments from Brazil because values are too high, according to a report in the online edition of a local newspaper on Monday. The website of Folha de S.Paulo reported that some Chinese importers are refusing to pay for shipments that already arrived in China, seeking a discount from Brazilian exporters.

 Jan 21 - Funds' CBOT wheat, soy longs under pressure after U.S.-China deal - Braun
Speculators last week cruised past a comparatively mundane U.S. government data dump as they fixated on the U.S.-China Phase 1 trade deal, which is set to boost Chinese purchases of U.S. farm goods. Investors did not largely alter their positions last week, but uncertainty around the Phase 1 deal and its feasibility leaves grain and oilseed bulls somewhat exposed.

 Jan 21 - Asia set for record volume of Argentine wheat in Feb, March - traders
Argentine wheat shipments to Asia are poised to climb to a record high over the next two months as a drought curbs Australian production and Black Sea inventories tighten, two trade sources said. Indonesia, Asia's biggest importer, along with Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines are expected to receive close to 1.2 million tonnes of wheat from the South American country, said the traders, who have access to shipping data. 

Jan 21 - Brazil harvests just 1.8% of soy area so far, narrowing corn planting window
Brazil's soybean farmers have harvested only 1.8% of the soybean area so far this season, agribusiness consultancy AgRural said on Monday, reducing the ideal window for planting of the country's second corn that is sowed after the oilseed is collected. Most of the soy harvested through last Thursday is in Mato Grosso, Brazil's largest grain state. In other states, harvesting is expected to pick up in February due to planting delays, AgRural said.

Jan 21 - Pakistan to import 300,000 tonnes of wheat to meet flour crises
Pakistan on Monday approved the import of 300,000 tonnes of wheat to relieve a shortage of flour supplies that has created a crisis for the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Prices of flour and bread shot up last week as the ingredient disappeared from shops and wholesale markets, while bread makers shut in protest at what they called government pressure to sell the staple at controlled prices.

Jan 21 - Ukraine's 2019/20 grain exports up 29% so far
Ukraine increased its grain exports by about 29% to 33.9 million tonnes in the 2019/20 July-June season, helped by higher wheat and corn exports, the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture said on Monday. Wheat exports rose by 4.2 million tonnes to 15.46 million tonnes, the ministry said in a statement, adding that it had also exported 3.8 million tonnes of barley and 14.2 million tonnes of corn.

Jan 20 - New York will remain closed today due to Martin Luther King Day.

Jan 20 - India says no meeting with Malaysia in Davos as palm row simmers
India's trade minister will not meet with his Malaysian counterpart in Davos next week because of his tight schedule, an Indian trade ministry official said on Sunday, as a spat simmers between the top buyer of palm oil and its biggest supplier. Hindu-majority India has repeatedly objected to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaking out against a new citizenship law which critics say discriminate against Muslims.

Jan 20 - No pigging out on pork delicacies for China this Lunar New Year
For Xu, a mother and wife from central China, losing her family's entire pig herd to African swine fever almost meant not serving the cured pork, known as la rou, and dried sausage central to her Lunar New Year meals. "I wasn't going to make any this year, but then my son said 'Ma, I want to eat sausage, every year we have it', so I said ok I'll make a bit," she said, standing in her yard strung with homemade sausages, fish and cured pork on a line in a village in Gushi County, in Henan province.

Jan 20 - Trump promises farmers that China trade deal will be good for them
President Donald Trump sought on Sunday to assure American farmers and ranchers hit by a protracted tariff war with China that a trade agreement he signed with Beijing will lead to major purchases of U.S. agricultural products. Trump's remarks in Texas, a state he won in 2016 and will need again in November's election, had all the hallmarks of a political stump speech, with a slam at Democrats trying to remove him through impeachment and a wish he could wear a cowboy hat in Washington.

 Jan 20 - China to sell 20,000 tonnes of frozen pork from state reserves on Jan 21
China will release 20,000 tonnes of frozen pork from its state reserves on Jan. 21, according to a notice on the website for the China Merchandise Reserve Management Center on Monday. The notice comes just ahead of the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, kicking off on Friday, when pork consumption typically spikes.

 Jan 20 - Singapore's Olam divides businesses into two units, eyes listings
Commodity trader Olam International said on Monday it is dividing its portfolio of diverse products into two new operating businesses, with an intention to potentially spin out each unit and list them separately.  The decision follows a business review last year, and a multi-year plan announced early in 2019 to invest $3.5 billion into key growth areas, such as edible nuts, coffee and cocoa, while shedding other sectors.  

 Jan 20 - Bangladesh would buy Ukrainian wheat if Russian grain unavailable
Bangladesh will increase its wheat purchases from Ukraine if Russian grain becomes unavailable because of new export curbs being considered by Moscow, Bangladesh's agriculture minister Abdur Razzak said on Thursday. Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, said on Tuesday it was looking to set a non-tariff quota for grain exports of 20 million tonnes for the first half of 2020. 

 Jan 20 - Rain-hit French wheat sowing seen down 10% at 19-year low - survey
The area sown with soft wheat for this year's harvest in France, the European Union's biggest grain producer, is estimated to have declined by 10% compared with 2019 to a 19-year low after heavy rain disrupted field work, a survey showed on Friday. The area was seen at 4.47 million hectares, down from 4.97 million hectares last year, Sigma Conseil, a market analysis firm, said in a survey of French grain handling firms.

 Jan 20 - China opens its market to Russian beef producers
China has opened its market to Russian beef supplies and has certified two Russian producers for deliveries starting from this Friday, Russia's agriculture safety watchdog said. The world's biggest pork consumer has been clearing imports of meat from exporters worldwide to plug a deficit after African Swine Fever (ASF) killed millions of pigs in the country.  

Jan 20 - Colombian farmers under pressure from frosts linked to climate change
Potato farmer Pedro Gomez stared out across rows and rows of ruined potato plants, the usually green foliage brown and withered by heavy frost. "They are very significant losses for the farmers who benefit from these crops, which is the only thing they can grow here," he said. 

Jan 20 - Malaysian palm giant Sime Darby geared to handle India curbs - executive
Malaysia's Sime Darby, the world's largest oil palm planter by land size, could export more crude palm oil (CPO) to India and divert refined oil to other markets after India placed curbs on refined imports, an executive told Reuters on Friday. India, the world's biggest buyer of edible oils, last week changed rules to effectively, say traders, ban imports of refined palm oil from Malaysia, the world's second-biggest producer and exporter of palm oil after Indonesia.

Jan 17 - China's 2019 pork output plunges to 16-year low as disease culls herd
China's 2019 pork output plunged to a 16-year low, official data showed on Friday, as the fatal hog disease African swine fever killed millions of pigs in the world's top producer. China, which is also the world's biggest pork consumer, produced 42.55 million tonnes of the meat last year, down 21.3% from 2018, and the lowest output since 2003, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data.

 Jan 17 - Disease that killed millions of China's pigs poses global threat
Bettie the beagle, a detector dog for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, picked up the scent of pork on a woman arriving from China at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Soon the dog's handler discovered and confiscated a ham sandwich in the purse of a passenger who had flown on a China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai.

 Jan 17 - India's import curbs deal big blow to Malaysian palm oil
India's move to restrict palm oil imports from Malaysia will create a huge challenge for the world's second biggest producer of the edible oil as India has been its top market for the past five years. India, the world's largest buyer of edible oils, last week restricted imports of refined palm oil and effectively halted all palm oil purchases from Malaysia in retaliation for criticism by the Malaysian prime minister of India's policy towards Kashmir. 

 Jan 17 - U.S. farmers expected to get third and final tranche of trade aid - Ag secretary
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said he expected the federal government to pay farmers a third and final tranche of 2019 trade aid a day after an initial deal with China was signed, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. Washington and Beijing signed the Phase 1 pact on Wednesday, setting trade tensions between the two economic giants on pause, though some major outstanding issues remain.

Jan 17 - COFCO International's head of grains leaves trading firm – sources
Paul Bateson, head of grains at COFCO International since 2018, has left the the Chinese-owned trading firm, market sources said on Thursday. Bateson worked for Bunge and Nidera, also international grain merchants, before joining COFCO International.

Jan 17 - Strategie Grains raises EU wheat export outlook on brisk demand
Consultancy Strategie Grains increased sharply its forecast of European Union soft wheat exports this season, saying it saw the EU benefiting from strong overseas demand at a time of reduced availability in some other export zones. The French-based firm now expects EU exports of soft wheat, excluding durum, to reach 30.5 million tonnes in the 2019/20 season to June 30, up from its previous projection of 28.7 million in December.

Jan 17 - Market reacts positively to Brazil beefpacker Minerva's $327 mln share offering
Brazilian beefpacker Minerva SA announced a share offering on Thursday that could raise as much as 1.368 billion reais ($327 million), sending the company's shares up on expectations that it will improve the company's debt profile. Minerva said in a filing that it plans to sell 80 million new shares in the offering, with proceeds earmarked to pay certain debt obligations.

Jan 17 - EU awards 7,800 T wheat in second round of 2020 grain quota imports
The European Union approved licences to import 7,784 tonnes of wheat in its second award under this year's tariff-rate quotas (TRQ) for cereals, official data showed on Thursday. Most of the wheat was booked under a reduced-tariff tranche for various origins.

Jan 17 - India's state-run cotton buyer raises procurement to help farmers
India's state-run cotton buyer is set to procure more than 5 million bales from farmers in 2019/20, the highest in five years, as local prices come under pressure due to surplus production, the head of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) said. Increased buying by the CCI could keep local raw cotton prices near government-set levels and help farmers, but could limit exports from the world's biggest producer of the fibre and support global prices. 

Jan 17 - China to curb farming near rivers in push to reverse water pollution – official
China will impose more curbs on agriculture and widen restrictions on industrial development in the next five years in a bid to protect scarce, already contaminated water supplies from further pollution, a government official said on Friday. The government is planning to restrict farming that encroaches on major rivers, restore wetlands and ecosystems and tackle excess water consumption in its 2021-2025 five-year plan, said Zhang Bo, head of the water department at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, speaking at a news briefing.

Jan 16 - China's 'market condition' caveat on U.S. ag purchases adds to trade deal doubts
China's pledge to buy U.S. farm goods based on "market conditions" during the Phase 1 trade deal signing ceremony on Wednesday added to doubts among farmers and commodity traders over Beijing's lingering tariffs on U.S. exports. The agreement, meant to reduce tensions after nearly two years of a tit-for-tat tariff war, included a pledge by China to purchase at least an additional $12.5 billion worth of agricultural goods in 2020 and at least $19.5 billion over the 2017 level of $24 billion in 2021. 

 Jan 16 - U.S.-China deal creates much uncertainty over Brazil’s soybean business -Braun
China finally placed a dollar value on its planned boost of U.S. agricultural purchases during Wednesday’s trade deal signing ceremony, something it was previously unwilling to do, validating some of the earlier unconfirmed figures cited by the U.S. side. There are still many important details that are unclear to market-watchers, such as the specific breakdowns by commodity, but another large unknown lurking in the background is how the newly inked agreement will impact trade between China and its No. 1 soybean supplier, Brazil.

 Jan 16 - Malaysia talks to India over palm curbs as wider trade spat looms
Malaysia is talking to Indian government and trade officials in a bid to resolve concerns over New Delhi's new palm oil import restrictions, a minister in Kuala Lumpur said on Thursday amid a trade spat between the countries. India's Hindu nationalist government has repeatedly objected to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaking out against recent policies of New Delhi that critics say discriminates against Muslims. Malaysia is a Muslim-majority nation.

 Jan 16 - NOPA December soy crush tops estimates at 174.812 million bushels, second largest ever
The U.S. soybean crush in December topped all trade estimates, rising by 6% from November's lower-than-expected rate to the second highest level for any month on record, according to National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) data issued on Wednesday. NOPA said its members, which handle about 95 percent of all soybeans crushed in the United States, processed 174.812 million bushels of soybeans last month, up from the 164.909 million bushels crushed in November and above the December 2018 crush of 171.759 million bushels.

 Jan 16 - French wheat export forecast raised but strikes cloud outlook
France's farming agency increased its forecast of soft wheat shipments outside the European Union this season for a fourth month in a row but warned month-old transport strikes could cost the country exports as grain supplies fail to reach ports. In monthly supply and demand projections on Wednesday, FranceAgriMer pegged French soft wheat exports outside the EU in the 2019/20 season to June 30 at 12.4 million tonnes, up from 12.2 million seen in December and compared with its initial outlook of 11 million tonnes in September.

 Jan 16 - Mexico's Supreme Court rules against hiking ethanol fuel content
The Mexican Supreme Court ruled against the modification of a fuel rule on Wednesday that would have allowed higher ethanol content in gasoline, similar to content rules in the United States, arguing that regulators exceeded their authority. The court's decision follows a three-year-old modification of a gasoline regulation by Mexico's Energy Regulatory Commission, or CRE, which sought to allow up to 10% ethanol in gasoline sales nationwide, excluding in the country's three biggest cities, where air pollution is a long-standing concern.

 Jan 16 - Thailand's 2020 rice exports forecast to fall to lowest in seven years
Thailand's rice exports in 2020 are forecast to drop to their lowest in seven year, the country's rice exporters group said on Thursday, as the strong baht reduces the competitiveness against other shippers. Exports from Thailand, the world's second-biggest exporter of the commodity after India, are expected to drop to 7.5 million tonnes this year, the Thai Rice Exporters Association said. 

Jan 16 - Britain launches farm bill as Brexit paves way for major reforms
An agriculture bill will be introduced in Britain's parliament on Thursday, with funding for the industry increasingly linked to tackling environmental challenges as the country develops its own farm policy for the first time in decades. Britain currently abides by the EU's Common Agricultural Policy but is set to leave the European Union at the end of this month. 

 Jan 16 - Irish farmers fire election warning shot with Dublin tractor protest
Irish farmers paralysed parts of central Dublin for the second time in as many months by parking more than 100 tractors in the streets on Wednesday in a protest against the government on the first day of its re-election campaign. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar launched his party's campaign for the Feb. 8 vote - which he called on Tuesday - near the border with Northern Ireland to focus on his key role in Britain's divorce deal with the European Union.

 Jan 16 - French strikes hit production at livestock feed factories
Strikes over pension reform in France have led to production outages at some livestock feed factories as companies have struggled to bring in enough crop supplies, farm sector representatives said on Wednesday. Several factories have suspended production since Friday due to a lack of raw materials, Benoit Pietrement, head of the grain committee at farm office FranceAgriMer, told reporters.

 Jan 16 - Algeria gets offers in tender for 15,000 tonnes barley - trade
The lowest offer in the tender Algerian state agency ONAB to purchase 15,000 tonnes of feed barley which closed on Wednesday was believed to be $219.90 a tonne c&f for Ukrainian-origin barley, traders said. This was closely followed by $219.95 a tonne c&f offered for French origin. EU origin including British barley was offered at $227.70 a tonne c&f.

Jan 15 - U.S., China set to sign massive purchases deal, easing trade war
The U.S.-China trade war is set to enter a new, quieter phase on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier sign an initial trade deal that aims to vastly increase Chinese purchases of U.S. manufactured products, agricultural goods, energy and services. The Phase 1 agreement caps 18 months of tariff conflict between the world's two largest economies that has hit hundreds of billions of dollars in goods, roiling financial markets, uprooting supply chains and slowing global growth.

 Jan 15 - Recent rains, better ENSO outlook bolster Argentina's dry corn, soy areas - Braun
Argentina’s soybean and corn crops are in still in the earlier growth stages and soils ended 2019 on the driest note in several years. But recent rainfall has been helpful and the temperature outlook in the Pacific Ocean has grown more supportive of good Argentine harvests. Through the first third of January, rainfall in Argentina’s primary grain belt was running moderately below the monthly average, though December provided some much-needed relief.

Jan 15 - Russian ministry seeks to limit grain exports at 20 mln T in Jan-June
Russia's agriculture ministry is looking to set a non-tariff quota for grain exports of 20 million tonnes in January-June, it said in a statement on Tuesday, adding the quota would be scrapped later in the most active part of season for trading. This follows comments last month by the ministry that Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, was looking for a new way to restrict grain exports at the level of its exportable surplus under "certain market conditions". 

 Jan 15 - Farming family faces bleak future after deadly Australian bushfires
There is little that Australia's deadly bushfires didn't take from dairy and cattle farmers Tim and Warren Stalway. For nearly two days over New Year the brothers battled fierce blazes that tore through the family's farms, the flames igniting on multiple fronts and wiping out almost everything in their path.

 Jan 15 - Anglo American likely to confirm deal to buy Sirius ahead of deadline – sources
Anglo American Plc is likely to confirm a deal to buy fertiliser company Sirius Minerals Plc for more than $500 million excluding debt, ahead of an early February deadline to finalise its bid, three sources close to the matter said. Anglo said on Jan. 8 it was in advanced talks over a 5.5 pence ($0.7138) cash offer for the venture that is Britain's biggest mining project. 

 Jan 15 - France's Limagrain to launch plant-based protein food next year
French agricultural cooperative Limagrain on Tuesday said it is launching a new legumes business that aims to deliver plant-based food products from next year, betting on the fast-growing plant protein sector and a trend towards eating less red meat. Many large agricultural companies, including Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill and France's Roquette have invested in plant proteins in search of higher profit margins that have helped them cushion the impact of sluggish commodity prices and trade war woes. 

Jan 15 - India trade body wants cap on refined palm oil imports
India should cap imports of refined palm oil and palmolein at a maximum 50,000 tonnes per month to boost local refining capacity and support local oilseed growing farmers, a top trade body said on Tuesday. The plea to the government by the Solvent Extractors' Association comes amid a virtual ban on imports of refined palm oil from Malaysia amid a diplomatic row.

Jan 15 - Brazil's Petrobras idles loss-making fertilizer plant, fires 396 -statement
Brazil's state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, known as Petrobras, said on Tuesday it will idle a fertilizer plant in Paraná state because it has been consistently losing money since its acquisition in 2013. Petrobras said in a statement it has been trying to sell the nitrogen fertilizer unit unsuccessfully for more than two years, adding it will fire its 396 employees as a result of the decision.

Jan 14 - China's Dec soybean imports surge on year as cargoes clear customs
China's soybean imports in December surged 67% from a year earlier to a 19-month-high, customs data showed on Tuesday, as a flurry of U.S. and Brazilian cargoes booked earlier cleared customs. China, the world's top market for soybeans, brought in 9.54 million tonnes of the oilseed, up from 5.72 million tonnes a year earlier, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

 Jan 14 - China Dec pork arrivals up almost 4-fold y/y - Reuters calculations
China's pork imports in December rose almost four times from a year earlier, according to Reuters calculations of customs data released on Tuesday, as the country bought more of the staple meat ahead of Lunar New Year holidays in January. December arrivals were 375,000 tonnes according to Reuters calculations compared with 95,384 tonnes a year earlier and 229,707 tonnes in November 2019. 

 Jan 14 - India urges boycott of Malaysian palm oil after diplomatic row – sources
Indian palm oil importers have effectively stopped all purchases from top supplier Malaysia after the government privately urged them to boycott its product following a diplomatic spat, industry and government sources said. The warning, issued last week, comes almost in parallel with New Delhi's move to restrict imports of refined palm oil and palmolein after Malaysia's Prime Minister criticised India's actions in Kashmir and its new citizenship law.

 Jan 14 - NOPA December U.S. soy crush seen at 171.644 million bushels - survey
U.S. soybean processing rebounded in December from a smaller-than-expected crush rate in November, although the total was likely just below the record December pace set a year earlier, according to analysts polled ahead of a monthly National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) report due on Wednesday. NOPA members, which collectively handle about 95% of all soybeans processed in the United States, likely crushed 171.644 million bushels of soybeans last month, according to the average of estimates from eight analysts surveyed by Reuters.

 Jan 14 - UK wheat exports slow but remain ahead of prior season
British wheat exports fell sharply during November but remained ahead of last season's pace, customs data showed on Monday. Wheat exports for the month totalled 67,706 tonnes, sharply down from the prior month's 257,338 tonnes.

Jan 14 - Egypt's GASC seeks wheat for March 1-10 shipment
Egypt's General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) set a tender on Monday to buy an unspecified amount of wheat from global suppliers for shipment from March 1-10. GASC Vice Chairman Ahmed Youssef said the authority was seeking to buy cargoes of soft and/or milling wheat from the United States, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Poland, Argentina, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Paraguay and Serbia.

Jan 14 - EU Commission bans Bayer pesticide linked to harming bees
The European Commission decided on Monday not to renew approval for a pesticide linked to harming bees, effectively banning Bayer's insecticide known as thiacloprid. The decision follows approval by a majority of EU governments in October last year, based on a proposal from the Commission, the bloc's executive.

Jan 14 - Poland hit by another bird flu outbreak on goose farm
A new outbreak of bird flu was reported in Poland on Monday, with around 6,000 geese now set to be exterminated, a regional spokesman confirmed to Reuters, adding to about half a dozen cases already detected across the country since December. "Six thousand geese at the farm (are) set for extermination, the state veterinary inspectorate has already taken steps," Tomasz Stube, the spokesman for the Wielkopolska region told Reuters. 

Jan 13 - USDA boosts corn, soy production; U.S. wheat seedings lowest since 1909
The U.S. Agriculture Department on Friday raised its estimate of domestic corn and soybean production despite adverse weather throughout the fall that had been expected to curtail yields. The government also said winter wheat plantings fell to 30.804 million acres, the lowest since 1909.

 Jan 13 - French grain sector fears export squeeze as strikes hit logistics
Strikes over pension reform in France could slow grain exports from this month by preventing enough supplies from reaching ports and by making the French crop too expensive to compete overseas, industry participants said on Friday. A month-old public transport strike that has crippled rail services and rolling stoppages by dock workers have left companies in the European Union's biggest grain producer struggling to get grain to ports and onto vessels during a period of strong overseas demand. 

 Jan 13 - Funds' CBOT views largely unaffected by USDA data dump - Braun
Speculators did not significantly alter their views toward Chicago-traded grains and oilseeds in the days before the USDA data storm last Friday, and the numbers issued by the U.S. agency did not seem to give them much pause either. Professional trading funds maintain bullish views in Chicago-traded wheat and they are still pessimistic toward corn futures and options.

  Jan 13 - Brazil's January soy shipments to China seen slumping - shipping data
Soybean exports from Brazil to China in January may fall to around half of January 2019's levels, data from shipping company Cargonave showed, a sign that the imminent signing of a trade deal between China and the United States weighed on business. According to shipping schedules through Jan. 31, soy cargos headed from Brazilian ports to China totaled about 800,000 tonnes, down from about 1.4 million tonnes lined up for shipping to the same destination in January of last year.

Jan 13 - JBS opens new beef plant in Brazil as domestic prices rise
Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA is opening a new beef plant in the state of Mato Grosso to cater to the domestic market, the chief executive officer of its beef division Friboi told Reuters on Friday. The move comes as beef prices reached record highs last year amid a surge in Brazilian exports to China after an outbreak of African swine fever there that has reshaped meat trade flows globally.

Jan 13 - Germany concerned about swine fever cases in nearby Poland
Germany’s government said on Friday it is concerned about the spread of the pig disease African swine fever (ASF) in wild boars in Poland close to the German border. Poland recorded 55 outbreaks of ASF in wild boars in December, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Thursday. 

Jan 13 - Cotton at 8-month peak on trade deal hopes, WASDE report
Cotton futures rose on Friday, supported by optimism surrounding the U.S.-China trade deal, while a reduction in U.S. and world production and ending stocks estimates in the latest monthly supply and demand report added to the upbeat sentiment. The most active cotton contract on ICE Futures U.S., the front-month March contract, was up 0.36 cent, or 0.51%, at 71.05 cents per lb by 01:20 p.m. ET (1820 GMT).

Jan 13 - China's biggest potash producer risks delisting amid 3rd annual loss forecast
China's Qinghai Salt Lake Potash Co Ltd, the country's largest producer of potash, has forecast its third consecutive annual loss, an outcome that could result in the company's delisting from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. In a stock exchange filing on Saturday, the state-owned firm forecast an operating loss for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2019, but clarified that its financial data related to its performance forecast was still not audited.

Jan 10 - Hopes for spike in U.S. farm exports to China dim ahead of trade deal signing
Days before a U.S.-China trade deal is due to be signed, large Chinese purchases of Brazilian soybeans and a pair of unexpected policy moves by Beijing have dimmed U.S. hopes that China would double its imports of American farm products this year. U.S. President Donald Trump has touted the prospect of China buying $40 billion in U.S. farm products in 2020 as a pillar of the "Phase 1" agreement aimed at defusing the bitter trade war that erupted between the world's two largest economies in 2018.

 Jan 10 - Ag traders brace for avalanche of USDA data on Friday - Braun
There will be no slow build into the New Year for agriculture traders as Friday features the biggest data dump of the entire year from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an event that has been known to spark large moves in futures markets. Among the data will be the long-awaited final 2019 production numbers for U.S. corn and soybeans after one of the most difficult growing seasons ever. 

 Jan 10 - French wheat shipments hit 7-year high in December despite strikes
Soft wheat exports from French ports reached a seven-year high in December during the on-going transportation strikes that saw loadings at several ports around the country halted intermittently for several days, Refinitiv data showed Thursday. The volume of soft wheat exported by boat last month rose to 1.34 million tonnes, the highest for December since 2013 when the country exported 1.41 million tonnes, the data showed. 

 Jan 10 - Brazil government revising 2018/19 soybean supply and demand estimates – Conab
The Brazilian government is revising soybean supply and demand estimates for the 2018/2019 harvest, an official at the food supply and statistics agency Conab said on Thursday. The revision is taking place after Brazilian exports of the oilseeds hit a higher-than-expected volume of 77.9 million tonnes in 2019, according to data from the country's foreign trade agency Secex. 

 Jan 10 - Egypt plans to launch commodities exchange within a year
Egypt plans to start trading on its first commodities exchange within the next 36 to 48 weeks, Internal Trade Development Authority (ITDA) head Ibrahim Ashmawy said on Thursday. The country's stock exchange said in October that it will form a joint venture with the Supply Ministry to manage a commodities exchange for spot trading of commodities with large markets. 

Jan 10 - Argentina grains exchange bumps up wheat harvest forecast, trims soy area
Argentina's Buenos Aires grains exchange bumped up its wheat harvest forecast for the 2019/20 season and slightly trimmed its soy planting area outlook on the back of dryness in some of the country's key farming regions. The exchange said that it anticipated a soy planting area of 17.5 million hectares, down slightly from a previous forecast of 17.7 million hectares. The wheat harvest was nudged up to 18.8 million tonnes from an earlier 18.5 million tonnes.

Jan 10 - African swine fever spreads near the German border – OIE
Poland recorded 55 outbreaks of African swine fever in wild boar near the German border last month, the world animal health body said on Thursday, in a sign the deadly virus is spreading near one of the European Union's biggest pork exporters. A report posted on the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) website showed that the disease, which has devastated herds in the world's top pork producer China, had now been found in a village less than 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) from Germany.

Jan 10 - South Korea’s NOFI buys some 69,000 T corn in tender
South Korea's largest feedmaker Nonghyup Feed Inc. (NOFI) purchased around 69,000 tonnes of corn in an international tender for the same volume which closed on Thursday, European traders said. The grain can be sourced from any worldwide optional origins but some expected the grain to come from the United States.

Jan 09 - China suspends national rollout of ethanol mandate - sources
China has suspended its plan to implement a nationwide gasoline blend containing 10% ethanol this year, three sources briefed on the matter said, following a sharp decline in the country's corn stocks and limited production capacity of the biofuel. The reversal is a heavy blow to domestic producers that have built new plants, as well as biofuel exporters, including the United States and Brazil, which were looking to benefit from growing Chinese demand. China was expected to increase imports of U.S. ethanol after the recent announcement of Phase 1 of a trade agreement.

 Jan 09 - India palm import curbs to start Malaysia, Indonesia price war - association 
India's restrictions on imports of refined palm oil will lead to a loss of market share for Malaysia and spark a price war with rival supplier, Indonesia, a Malaysian industry association said on Thursday. India, the world's biggest edible oil buyer, issued a notification on Wednesday amending imports of refined palm oil to "restricted", a move that industry sources said amounted to an effective ban.

 Jan 09 - US-China trade deal could hurt Brazil soy exports - Brazil farm official
Brazil could lose some recent gains it made in the global soy market during the US-China trade war if those two countries reach a deal to end their dispute, a Brazilian Agriculture Ministry official said on Wednesday. Wilson Vaz Araujo, Brazil's deputy secretary for agriculture policy, told reporters the South American country could respond by shifting exports to countries other than China.

 Jan 09 - Indonesia plans B40 biodiesel road tests in April
Indonesia's energy ministry plans to start road tests for a biodiesel programme with 40% bio-content (B40) in April, a government official said on Thursday. Indonesia, the world's largest palm oil producer, last year had increased the mandatory bio-content of its biodiesel programme to 30%, known as B30, which is expected to cut the country's energy imports and increase consumption of palm oil - the feedstock to the fuel.

 Jan 09 - Anglo American in talks to buy Britain's biggest mine project
Global miner Anglo American Plc is in advanced talks to buy fertiliser company Sirius Minerals for about 386 million pounds ($507 million), throwing a potential life-line to Britain's biggest mining project. If the indicative offer succeeds, it could save hundreds of jobs in northern England as well as diversify Anglo American's portfolio.

Jan 09 - Deere bets on cost cuts, services push to boost profits
Deere & Co. on Wednesday said it will cut costs and ramp up investment in data-driven agriculture technology and its services business to make itself more profitable. In a pitch to investors, Chief Executive Officer John May said the measures are expected to boost operating profit margin to 15% by 2022 from 12.5% projected for this year.

Jan 08 - China's sow herd grows in December, but disease risks remain
China's sow herd rose 2.2% in December over the previous month, a government minister told reporters on Wednesday, in a sign of improving production after a devastating disease slashed stocks. China's sow herd had declined by nearly 40% by last October, according to official data, after African swine fever killed millions of pigs and prevented many farmers from restocking farms.

 Jan 08 - Late-year surge in U.S. soy, pork exports driven by China -Braun
Bigger shipments to China late last year substantially increased U.S. soybean exports and lifted pork exports to record-high levels, but the soybean numbers are still not great relative to previous years and the pork figures are less impressive when China is removed from the mix. The United States exported 7 million tonnes of soybeans in November according to data published on Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau. That is the largest total for any month in exactly two years though notably lower than the 2013-2017 November average of 9.8 million tonnes. 

 Jan 08 - Grain trader Cargill's Q2 profits jump as global meat demand rises
Commodities trader Cargill Inc on Tuesday posted a quarterly profit rise of more than 19%, as the animal nutrition and protein business unit tapped into rising global demand for meat untainted by the spread of African swine fever in Asia. Cargill said it was prepared for the changing demand patterns and the shift in global protein flows caused by the disease that has killed up to half of China’s hog herd since August 2018 and pushed Chinese pork prices to record highs.

 Jan 08 - Malaysia's B20 palm-biofuel programme to absorb 500,000 tonnes more CPO - minister
Malaysia's new B20 palm-based biodiesel programme is expected to absorb an additional 500,000 tonnes of crude palm oil, Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said in a statement on Wednesday. The B20-biodiesel programme with 20% of palm oil methyl ester blend has started on January 1 in Pulau Langkawi, an island in the state of Kedah, and will move to Labuan in East Malaysia in January. 

 Jan 08 - England farm policy set for radical overhaul, minister will say
England's agricultural policy is set for a major overhaul once it leaves the European Union, with funding increasingly linked to public benefits such as tackling climate change, environment minister Theresa Villiers is expected to say on Wednesday. Britain is due to leave the EU by the end of this month and will need to develop its own agricultural policy for the first time in decades. While a member of the trading bloc it has implemented the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. 

Jan 08 - Thailand's CPF to launch plant-based meat substitutes across Asian markets
Thailand's largest agribusiness firm, Charoen Pokphand Foods Pcl (CPF), will introduce plant-based meat substitutes this year in response to growing customer demand and changes in behavior, a top executive said on Tuesday. Chief executive Prasit Boondoungprasert told Reuters in an interview that the products would be sold first in Thailand this year, before being rolled out across the rest of Asia.

Jan 07 - China won't hike grain import quotas for U.S. trade deal - Caixin
China will not increase its annual low-tariff import quotas for corn, wheat and rice to accommodate stepped-up purchases of farm goods from the United States, local media group Caixin quoted senior agriculture official Han Jun as saying on Tuesday. The report underlines China's desire to protect its domestic producers and raises further questions about how it will meet a target of spending billions of dollars more on U.S. agricultural goods as the two countries look to calm an extended trade war.

 Jan 07 - Louis Dreyfus owner pledged stake to raise $1 bln Credit Suisse loan
Margarita Louis-Dreyfus borrowed $1 billion from Credit Suisse last year to buy out minority shareholders of Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), pledging her majority stake in the commodities trader as collateral, a company filing showed. LDC's chairwoman, who assumed control of the 169-year-old business in 2009, faces a requirement to buy shares from family minorities wishing to sell under a long-term arrangement established by her late husband Robert.

 Jan 07 - ADM sells palm business in Brazil as part of portfolio overhaul
Grain trader Archer Daniels Midland Co has sold its palm business in Brazil to local player Reflorestadora Moju Acará, according to the Brazilian antitrust watchdog Cade. Cade, which gave the nod to ADM's deal, said on the official gazette that the sale was part of a broader global portfolio review by the global trader. The deal value has not been disclosed.

 Jan 07 - Funds quickly ditch bearish soybean bets after huge selling spree - Braun
After digging well into bearish territory late in the year, speculators changed their minds about Chicago-traded soybeans in mid-December and opened the new year with a relatively neutral view on the oilseed. In the week ended Dec. 31, hedge funds and other money managers slashed their net short in CBOT soybean futures and options to 3,159 contracts from 33,156 in the previous week, according to data published on Monday by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. 

 Jan 07 - Brazil's corn crop in the South hit by drought - FCStone
The corn crop in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul, the country's number 3 grain producing state, will likely be reduced by 20% from initial estimates due to a severe drought, broker and consultancy INTL FCStone said on Monday. The broker cut its estimate for the state's corn production to 4.8 million tonnes from 6 million tonnes projected previously. With the damage in the South, Brazil's corn production in the first crop (summer crop) will fall 3.4% from initial projections to 25.75 million tonnes, FCStone said.

Jan 06 - Malaysia Dec palm oil stockpiles seen falling 8.5%
Malaysian palm oil stockpiles likely dropped to their lowest level in 27 months in December, with production and export demand for the tropical oil also falling, a Reuters survey showed. Inventories in the world's second-largest palm oil producer are forecast to fall 8.51% from November to 2.06 million tonnes in December, the lowest since September 2017, according to a median estimate of nine planters, traders and analysts polled by Reuters. 

 Jan 06 - Australian fires hit key dairy regions, adding to woes from drought
Bushfires across Australia's east coast are set to pile on more pain for the country's dairy industry, already hurt by a prolonged drought, as processors in one of the world's largest exporters face tightening milk supplies. Australia has been battling wildfires across swathes of its east coast for weeks, with the blazes scorching more than 6 million hectares (15 million acres) of land, killing both wildlife and livestock, and claiming 24 lives.

 Jan 06 - Ukraine grain exports rise 34% so far in 2019/20
Ukraine increased its grain exports by 34 percent to 31.1 million tonnes in the 2019/20 July-June season, helped by higher wheat and corn exports, the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture said on Friday. Wheat exports rose by 4.5 million tonnes to 14.99 million tonnes, the ministry said in a statement, adding it had also exported 3.7 million tonnes of barley and 12 million tonnes of corn.

 Jan 06 - Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state sees problems for corn crop due to dryness
Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul, the country's No. 3 grain-producing state, said that its summer corn crop will have problems due to lack of rains in recent weeks in parts of the state. Alencar Rugeri, the technical head of the state's agricultural research body, Emater, said that agronomists are still evaluating the negative impacts of recent dryness in the corn crop, but that it seems certain that the initial estimate for production around 6 million tonnes will be revised downward.

 Jan 06 - Polish bird flu outbreak spreads, with four more cases
Four more outbreaks of bird flu have been reported across Poland, authorities said on Friday, bringing the total number of incidents in Europe's largest poultry producer to six this week. Outbreaks were confirmed in Wolka Orlowska and Olchowiec Kolonia, both in the Lubelskie region of Poland, a spokesman for the governor of the Lubelskie region said on Twitter. 

Jan 06 - Bulgaria to cull 24,000 pigs in African swine fever outbreak
Bulgarian veterinary authorities said on Friday they would cull 24,000 pigs after detecting an outbreak of African swine fever at a pig farm in the northeast of the country. The outbreak is the first at an industrial farm since August when the virus hit six breeding farms in the Balkan country, forcing the vet authorities to cull over 130,000 pigs.

Jan 03 - Bunge sells stake in U.S. ethanol plant as biofuels industry struggles
Bunge Ltd ended its 13-year ownership interest in an Iowa ethanol plant, the company said on Thursday, following industry struggles with thin margins and overproduction. Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, or SIRE, repurchased Bunge's stake in the facility on Dec. 31, according to a statement.

 Jan 03 - U.S. farmers see another bleak year despite Phase 1 trade deal
Across snow-covered North Dakota, U.S. farmers are stuck with fields full of weather-damaged corn - a crop they planted after the U.S.-China trade war killed their soybean market. Many don't know yet what crops they'll plant next season among a host of dicey options. In Texas, Kansas and Colorado, farmers are weighing whether they should plant fewer acres of corn and more sorghum, even though China has all but stopped buying it. That's because sorghum costs about half as much as corn to plant, which appeals to farmers wary of investing too much for an uncertain return.

 Jan 03 - China eases customs curbs for soy imports through northern border
China has eased customs regulations on imports of soybean through some northern border checkpoints, the commerce ministry said, a move that could smooth the way for shipments from neighbours such as Kazakhstan, Russia and perhaps Ukraine. The changes come as China looks to diversify soybean imports amid trade tension with the United States, its second largest supplier of the oilseed, and could facilitate trade with the neighbouring countries, traders said.

 Jan 03 - Brazil exports record amounts of oil, cotton and pork in December
Brazil exported record monthly volumes of oil, cotton and pork in December, as the country ramps up oil production and Chinese demand for meat boosts Brazilian animal protein industry, official data showed on Thursday. Brazil exported 8.72 million tonnes of crude in December, more than double the amount shipped a year ago and the highest monthly volume ever, surpassing the previous record posted in July 2018.

 Jan 02 - India cuts tax on palm oil imports, could lift shipments
India has cut import taxes on crude and refined palm oil from Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries after a request from suppliers, a government notification said on Tuesday. The reduction will lead to higher imports of palm oil by the world's biggest edible oil buyer in coming months as it would narrow the difference between the tropical vegetable oil and competitors such as soyoil and sunflower oil. 

 Jan 02 -  Egypt has planted nearly 3 mln feddans of wheat - official
Egypt will have planted 3 million feddans (1.26 million hectares) of wheat within the next two to three days and still aims to plant a total of 3.5 million feddans this season, an Agriculture Ministry official said on Wednesday. The previously announced target is part of efforts by Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer, to increase the area used for growing strategic crops and improve food security, said Abbas al-Shennawi, head of services and follow-up at the ministry.

 Jan 02 -  China to sell 30,000 tonnes of frozen pork from reserves for the holidays
China said on Tuesday it will sell 30,000 tonnes of frozen pork from its state reserves on Jan. 3, in the latest move to ensure supplies ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays. The move, announced in a notice posted on the website of the China Merchandise Reserve Management Center, followed a previous sale of 20,000 tonnes of frozen pork from state reserves on Dec. 27. 

Jan 02 - China's largest potash producer fails in fifth bid to raise funds
China state-owned Qinghai Salt Lake Potash Co, the country's largest potash producer, failed to sell its assets in a fifth round of auctions on Wednesday aimed at raising funds and avoid being delisted from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The debt-laden company filed for bankruptcy with the Qinghai province court in September and halted trading in its shares in November. 

Jan 02 - Poland hit by bird flu outbreak on turkey farms
Bird flu has been detected in turkeys in eastern Poland, authorities said on Wednesday, and local media reported that the outbreak could require up to 40,000 birds to be slaughtered. Poland, Europe's largest poultry producer according to data from Eurostat, has not had an outbreak of bird flu since 2017.

Jan 02 - U.N. warns of another poor harvest in Zimbabwe next year
The United Nations warned on Tuesday that Zimbabwe faced another poor harvest in 2020 because of patchy rains, compounding problems for millions of people already grappling with a drought and the worst economic crisis in a decade. Soaring inflation, shortages of foreign exchange, fuel and electricity have brought back memories of the hyperinflation of a decade ago, amid criticism that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has failed to turn around the economy.

Dec 31 - Commodity3 would like to thank you again this year for the trust you have placed in us and wish you all a happy, healthy and successful new year 2020 !

Dec 20 - U.S. pork shipments to China last week highest in at least 10 months - USDA 
U.S. exports of pork to China rose to the highest in at least 10 months last week, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Thursday, as African swine fever has curbed production and sent domestic pork prices soaring. The deadly hog disease has killed about half of China's hog herd, the world's largest, over the past year-and-a-half.

 Dec 20 - Trump EPA finalizes 2020 biofuel rule, corn lobby objects 
The Trump administration finalized U.S. biofuel blending requirements for 2020 on Thursday, leaving a key part of the rule unchanged from an earlier proposal that the corn lobby had criticized as inadequate to help struggling farmers. The move is destined to anger biofuel industry officials and corn-state senators who had pushed hard for changes until the 11th hour, potentially threatening President Donald Trump's support among farmers ahead of next year's election.

 Dec 20 - ChemChina seeks funding from Chinese state-backed firms ahead of Syngenta IPO 
China National Chemical Corp, or ChemChina, has approached Chinese state-backed investors for up to $10 billion in funding as part of a reorganisation of its agrichemicals business ahead of a public float, according to five people familiar with the situation. The reorganisation includes Swiss giant Syngenta. The fundraising efforts and eventual stock market listing are designed to cut ChemChina's debts ahead of a long-awaited mega-merger with state-owned peer Sinochem. Frank Ning, the chairman of both companies, has encouraged individual business units to tap capital markets ahead of any tieup, which has been in the works since 2016. 

 Dec 20 - Commercial pig farm in China jams drone signal to combat swine fever crooks 
One of China's biggest animal feed producers said it had used a radio transmitter to combat crooks using drones to drop pork products contaminated with African swine fever on its pig farms, as part of a racket to profit from the health scare. In July, China's agriculture ministry said criminal gangs were faking outbreaks of swine fever on farms and forcing farmers to sell their healthy pigs at sharply lower prices. 

 Dec 20 - Iran sanctions force Brazil beef exporters to re-route shipments 
U.S. sanctions against Iran have forced Brazilian beef exporters to re-route shipments through nearby countries, adding to costs but largely maintaining trade flows, according to exporters and trade data compiled by two industry groups. Meatpackers now send much of their Iran-bound beef to other ports in the Middle East, where it can be shipped onward by road, according trade groups Abiec and Abrafrigo, which represent Brazilian beef companies including Marfrig Global Foods SA and Minerva SA.

 Dec 20 - Rains relieve dry conditions in Argentina, speeding up soy planting - exchange 
Argentine soy planting advanced 8.9 percentage points over the last week, reaching 70.2% of expected sowing area thanks to rains that relieved excessively dry conditions, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said in a report on Thursday. "During the last seven days there was abundant rainfall over north-central Santa Fe and east-central Entre Ríos provinces, improving water supply. Important planting advances are expected over the next few days," the report said.

 Dec 20 - EU raises 2019/20 wheat production, export estimates 
The European Commission on Thursday increased its monthly estimate of 2019/20 common wheat production in the European Union to 147.2 million tonnes from 146.8 million. That would be 14.5% above last year's drought-affected crop of 128.5 million tonnes, the Commission's cereal supply-and-demand estimates showed.

 Dec 20 - Thai chicken exports to China set to rise amid swine fever outbreak 
Thailand's chicken exports to China are forecast to increase by 60% next year, a Thai industry association said on Thursday, as China seeks alternative meat supplies after an outbreak of swine fever nearly halved its pig herd.  China's pig herd is about 40% smaller than a year ago, Chinese authorities have said, after deadly African swine fever swept through the country since it was first detected in August 2018. 

 Dec 20 - Iran bought up to 1 mln tonnes of wheat in recent weeks 
Iran has bought up to 1 million tonnes of wheat in recent weeks on international markets, trade sources said on Thursday. Origins for the purchase are expected to include Russia and some European Union countries, including Germany, they said. Two Panamax bulk carriers loaded with Russian wheat will be leaving a major Russian port for Iran next week, a source familiar with the schedule told Reuters.

Dec 19 - White House says it is sticking with 2020 biofuel plan, despite farmer objections 
The Trump administration plans to stick with its proposed 2020 biofuel blending requirements, the White House said on Wednesday, despite anger among farmers that the plan does too little for corn growers. The decision could undermine President Donald Trump's support among farmers, an important constituency in the November 2020 election. Some U.S. farmers have already been hurt by the United States' prolonged trade war with China.

Dec 19 - China buys U.S. soybeans after fresh round of tariff waivers 
Chinese importers bought at least two cargoes of U.S. soybeans after receiving another round of tariff-free quota for U.S. shipments on Tuesday, traders in both countries said. The sales, the first since Washington announced an interim trade deal with Beijing last week, may also be China's last large U.S. purchases before newly harvested soybeans from top supplier Brazil begin hitting the market next month, traders said.

Dec 19 - Egypt's wheat inspectors to resume cargo checks at origin ports 
Egypt, the world's largest wheat buyer, will allow travelling delegations of its agricultural inspectors to resume checks of wheat cargoes purchased during state tenders at the port of origin, traders said on Wednesday.  Government quarantine inspectors had in the past travelled the world on fully-funded trips, at the expense of supply companies aiming to secure smooth passage for their wheat.

Dec 19 - Commodity trader Louis Dreyfus changes finance chief in latest reshuffle 
Agricultural commodity giant Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) named a new head of finance on Wednesday, the latest management change in the midst of a cost-cutting drive at the 168-year-old privately held firm. LDC said in a statement that Patrick Treuer would become chief financial officer (CFO) with immediate effect, in addition to his previous role of chief strategy officer.

 Dec 19 - Brazil farm sales to China to shrink by $10 bln with trade truce - report 
Brazil could lose $10 billion per year in farm exports to China if a recent Sino-U.S. trade deal is implemented as proposed, according to a study by Brazilian research center and business school Insper published on Wednesday by local newspaper Folha de S.Paulo. Brazil-China trade could return to pre-trade war levels, erasing some of the gains seen, particularly last year, said Marcos Jank, a former BRF SA executive in Asia and agricultural trade expert, who coordinated the study.

 Dec 19 - Malaysia expects palm oil inventory to end year at 2.1 mln tonnes - report 
Malaysia expects the country palm oil stocks to end the year at 2.1 million tonnes or remain at the current level of 2.25 million tonnes, according to the state news agency Bernama.  In end December 2018, Malaysia's inventory recorded a near two-decade high of 2.3 million tonnes, data from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) showed. 

 Dec 19 - Brazil corn ethanol push gains momentum as COFCO, AMaggi, Raizen weigh entry 
Chinese commodities trader COFCO, Brazilian grains group AMaggi and a Shell-Cosan joint venture are working on plans to build their first corn ethanol plants in Brazil, according to their suppliers, breaking sugarcane's lock on the biofuel locally.  The wave of fresh interest from some of the world's biggest energy and grains players suggests corn ethanol is ready for the big time in Brazil, where sugarcane has been virtually the only source of ethanol in the world's No. 2 producer of the biofuel.

 Dec 19 - African swine fever kills 30,000 pigs in Indonesia's North Sumatra 
Nearly 30,000 pigs have died from African swine fever (ASF) in Indonesia's North Sumatra province as of Dec. 15, causing millions of dollars of economic losses as authorities try to quarantine the areas affected, officials said on Wednesday. The Agriculture Ministry has declared an outbreak of the highly contagious virus in the country and said it is contained only in some parts of North Sumatra, minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo told reporters.

 Dec 19 - New Zealand's Fonterra raises stake in Chilean milk processor Prolesur 
New Zealand's Fonterra said on Thursday it bought an additional 13.6% stake in Chile-based milk processor Prolesur for NZ$29.3 million ($18.8 million), as the dairy giant streamlines operations in the South American nation. With the latest purchase, Fonterra has raised its interest in Prolesur to 99.9%, the world's largest dairy exporter said.

Dec 18 - China tries to lure small farmers back to pigs amid pork shortage 
China is increasing its efforts to encourage small farmers to resume pig production, an agriculture ministry official said on Tuesday, amid growing pressure to boost pork supplies after a disease outbreak decimated its national herd.  China's pig herd is about 40% smaller than a year ago, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, after deadly African swine fever swept through the country in the year following its discovery in mid-2018. 

Dec 18 - Argentina's new economy bill hikes taxes on farm exports, foreign assets 
Argentina's government is seeking higher taxes on agricultural exports and to tax foreign assets held abroad, the economy minister said on Tuesday.  The government wants to raise export taxes on wheat and corn to 15% from 12%, Economy Minister Martin Guzman told a news conference. The bill, dubbed by the government the "Social Solidarity and Production Reactivation" project, would also raise the tariff cap on soybean exports to 33% from 30%. 

Dec 18 - Russia to invest $500 mln in Syrian port, build grain hub - Interfax 
Russia plans to invest $500 million in the Syrian port of Tartus and build a grain hub there to boost its presence on Middle East markets, Interfax news agency cited Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov as saying on Tuesday.Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, has stepped up grain supplies to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in recent years since Moscow's 2015 military intervention on his behalf in Syria's civil war.     

Dec 18 - Brazil to promote ethanol in Bolsonaro visit to India - Unica 
Ethanol will be one of the main items on the agenda of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's official visit to India in January, sugar and ethanol industry group Unica said on Tuesday. Unica's head, Evandro Gussi, said the Brazilian government will discuss ways to assist India in boosting its ethanol program, such as increasing production and blending ethanol with gasoline, which could help reduce the country's sugar stocks and boost global prices for the sweetener.

 Dec 18 - Biodiesel tax credit renewal attached to US spending package 
U.S. lawmakers have amended a government spending bill to extend a tax credit for the biodiesel industry through 2022 and retroactively to when it expired beginning in 2018, a move welcomed by an industry that has seen 10 plants shut since the credit lapsed.  The $1-per-gallon subsidy was included late on Monday in an amendment to a spending package that the U.S. Congress must pass by Friday to avoid a government shutdown. The credit would apply retroactively to the last two years.

  

 Dec 18 - Indonesia warns on EU trade deal, dairy imports amid palm oil spat 
Indonesia is prepared to walk away from talks on a free trade deal with the European Union over the bloc's stance on palm oil, while also launching a probe into subsidies on dairy imports from the EU, a trade ministry official said. Trade tensions have risen since the European Commission concluded that palm oil causes excessive deforestation and should not be considered sustainable, meaning palm-based diesel in transport fuel would be phased out between 2023 and 2030.

 Dec 17 - NOPA November soybean crush falls below trade estimates to 164.909 million bushels 
The U.S. soybean crush in November dropped by nearly 6% from the prior month's record rate and fell short of all trade estimates, according to National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) data issued on Monday. NOPA members, which handle about 95 percent of all soybeans crushed in the United States, processed 164.909 million bushels of soybeans last month, down from a record 175.397 million bushels a month earlier and 166.959 million bushels in November 2018, NOPA said.

 Dec 17 - Can China actually buy $40 billion or more worth of U.S. farm products? - Braun 
One of the main features of last week's "Phase One" trade deal between the United States and China was China's alleged commitment to purchase a sky-high amount of U.S. agricultural goods, though market participants are highly skeptical, and with good reason. U.S. officials said China’s annual purchase of U.S. farm products would jump to between $40 billion and $50 billion over the next two years, as much as double the pre-trade war values. 

 Dec 17 - Argentine farmers balk at new grains export taxes, say output will suffer 
An increase in grains export taxes by the new Argentine government will weigh on exports as growers invest less to compensate for expected lower profits caused by the new levies, farmers told Reuters on Monday. Center-left Peronist Alberto Fernandez, who took office last Tuesday, on Saturday boosted the tax rate for soybeans, soyoil and soymeal to 30% from about 25% and lifted the levy on corn and wheat to 12% from around 7%. The government needs money as it heads in to debt renegotiation talks over about $100 billion in obligations. 

 Dec 17 - Tyson Foods cleared to ship poultry to China from all U.S. plants 
Tyson Foods Inc received approval from U.S. and Chinese authorities to export American poultry to China from all 36 of its U.S. processing plants and expects to begin taking orders early next year, a chief supply chain officer for the company said. U.S. chicken companies are eager to resume sales in China after Beijing last month lifted a nearly five-year ban on imports as Chinese consumers seek pork alternatives. A deadly hog disease has killed millions of pigs and raised meat prices in the pork-loving country. 

 Dec 17 - Bayer asks U.S. appeals court to reverse $25 mln Roundup verdict 
Bayer AG on Monday said it has asked a U.S. federal appeals court to throw out a $25 million judgment it was ordered to pay to a California man who blamed the company's Roundup weed killer for his cancer. In a filing in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit dated Friday, Bayer said the verdict defied regulatory findings and sound science, adding that the "speculative case" should never have made it before a jury.

Dec 17 - Brazil, China finalizing soymeal export protocol - Abiove 
Brazilian and Chinese government authorities are finalizing a protocol setting health standards for domestic processors to export soymeal to the Asian country, André Nassar, president of oilseeds industry group Abiove, said on Monday. The health guidelines will allow companies to export and eventually compete with soy processors based in China, something they cannot do now. The change is happening as local processors are required to increase crushing to produce more biodiesel to boost local blending. The added output of soymeal, a byproduct, would need new buyers.

Dec 17 - Goldman Sachs raises 12-month commodity returns forecast 
Goldman Sachs on Monday raised its 12-month commodity returns forecast by 3% to 6.4% citing an improved outlook for oil after an OPEC-led agreement to curb output further as well as agriculture sector supply concerns. "Policy clarity" after the U.S.-China trade deal and the British elections could trigger commodity demand, analysts at the bank said in a note.

Dec 17 - Frost damage a risk for late-sown EU cereals - crop monitor 
Frost tolerance for winter cereals in the European Union is much weaker than usual this year due to the above-average temperatures increasing risks for an already delayed crop, the EU crop monitoring unit MARS said on Monday. The autumn sowing season in Europe has been disrupted by heavy rain in western countries and dryness in some eastern regions, putting crops like wheat behind their usual growth pace ahead of winter. 

Dec 13 - U.S. sets terms for China trade deal, sources say, but Beijing mum 
Washington has set its terms for a trade deal with China, offering to suspend some tariffs on Chinese goods and cut others in exchange for Beijing buying more American farm goods, U.S. sources said on Thursday.  Beijing's silence, however, fuelled questions over whether the two sides can come to a truce in their bitter trade war before a new round of tit-for-tat tariffs takes effect on Sunday. 

 Dec 13 - Strategie Grains expects drop in EU soft wheat crop in 2020 
Soft wheat production in the European Union is expected to drop in 2020 while the maize, durum wheat and barley harvests are likely to increase, Strategie Grains said on Thursday in its first estimates for the coming year. The consultancy forecast the EU soft wheat harvest at 140.5 million tonnes, down 3.6% from the expected 145.8 million tonnes in 2019, mainly because of a 2.5% fall in the area sown.

 Dec 13 - Brazil's 2020 pork, chicken exports seen growing as China swine fever disruption persists 
Brazilian food processors are poised to boost pork and chicken exports in 2020 as Chinese demand for imports remains strong while the Asian country deals with severe disruptions in local production, an industry group said on Thursday. While an outbreak of African swine fever affects solely pork supplies in China and other Asian countries, a fall in production of that type of meat will drive demand for other products including chicken, said ABPA, which represents pork and poultry producers.

 Dec 13 - Brazil soybean exports seen rising on smaller U.S. crop 
Brazil's soybean exports may reach 75 million tonnes in 2020 as the United States collected a smaller crop, shifting demand to Brazilian suppliers even as a deadly pig disease continues to weigh on Chinese demand, an oilseeds crusher group said on Thursday. If predictions from Abiove are confirmed, Brazil will export an additional 3 million tonnes of soybeans next year compared with 2019, when the country sold an estimated 72 million tonnes of its most valuable export commodity.

 Dec 13 - Mexico books 5th biggest deal for U.S. corn ever - USDA 
U.S. exporters booked their fifth biggest corn sale ever, the government said on Thursday, with Mexican buyers snapping up 1.6 million tonnes just days after a reworked U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal was signed following years of negotiations.  The U.S. Agriculture Department said that private exporters reported the sale of 1.074 million tonnes of corn for delivery to Mexico in the 2019/20 marketing year that began on Sept. 1 and 525,780 tonnes for delivery in the 2020/21 marketing year.

 Dec 13 - India soymeal exports could hit 4-yr low on faltering Iran demand-trade 
India's soymeal exports in 2019/20 could plunge to their lowest in four years due to faltering demand from top buyer Iran and as a rally in local soybean prices make shipments pricey for overseas buyers, industry officials said. Lower exports from India will help major growers like the United States, Argentina and Brazil increase sales of the animal feed to Asian buyers like Bangladesh, Vietnam and Japan.

 Dec 13 - Malaysia raises export tax for crude palm oil for first time in over a year 
Malaysia has raised its export tax for crude palm oil for January, for the first time in one-and-a-half years, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board's website said on Friday, citing the national customs department. The world's second-largest producer and exporter of palm oil had last imposed an export tax of 4.5% in August 2018 before lowering it to zero. It then placed a tax-free exemption on crude palm oil from May to December 2019 in a move to boost palm oil exports and expand into new markets. 

Dec 13 - Brazil meatpacker Marfrig says beef prices to remain high in 2020 due to Chinese demand 
The price of beef in Brazil will remain high in 2020 but not at current levels, an executive for meatpacker Marfrig Global Foods said on Thursday, citing high demand from China and other Asian countries.  The price of the arroba, a 15-kilo unit of weight that is a commonly used as a benchmark for cattle prices in Brazil, has reached 225 reais ($53.62) but could fall to 180-185 reais next year, said Marfrig CFO Marco Spada. In August, he said, the arroba was at 150 reais.

Dec 12 - China books largest amount of U.S. soybeans since April - USDA 
Chinese buyers booked deals to buy 585,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans -- the largest sale in more than eight months -- the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Wednesday. It was the USDA's first announced soybean sale to China since Nov. 14 and comes as the market waits to see if Washington will impose fresh tariffs on nearly $160 billion in Chinese consumer goods on Dec. 15.

 Dec 12 - Crop Watch: North Dakota corn still stands, and it is in tough shape - Braun 
Harvest wrapped for the U.S. Crop Watch corn and soybean fields more than a month ago with just one exception: the corn in North Dakota. And that field is likely to remain untouched for at least a couple more months, if it is harvested at all. The North Dakota producer, located in the east-central area of the state, planted 1,000 corn acres this spring, but he has been unable to harvest any of it due to excessive moisture that has lingered since late summer. He estimates that only 30% of corn fields in his area, at the very most, have been harvested.

 Dec 12 - Brazil's JBS likely to import corn over pricey domestic crop 
Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA is in talks to import nearly 200,000 tonnes of corn in response to higher prices in the domestic market, it said on Wednesday. Corn shipments are likely to arrive in Brazil at the beginning of 2020, when supply is expected to decline, the company said in a statement. JBS did not mention the product origin, but Argentina and Paraguay are regular suppliers.

 Dec 12 - FranceAgriMer raises wheat export forecast for third month in a row 
Farm office FranceAgriMer on Wednesday increased its forecast of French soft wheat exports outside the European Union this season for the third month in a row, in another sign of favourable overseas demand for the EU's biggest wheat exporter. In monthly supply and demand estimates for major cereals, FranceAgriMer forecast French soft wheat shipments outside the EU this season at 12.2 million tonnes, a four-year high and up from 12.0 million projected last month.

 Dec 11 - USDA sees U.S. wheat supplies falling to five-year low 
U.S. supplies of wheat will fall to a five-year low, with exports on the rise due to smaller harvests from key global competitors, the government said on Tuesday. The U.S. Agriculture Department, in its monthly World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate report, kept its outlook for corn and soybean ending stocks steady. It also left its closely watched forecasts for corn and soybean production in Brazil and Argentina unchanged.

 Dec 11 - Swine fever, plant protein to shape EU farming in next decade -report 
The African Swine Fever crisis in China and a shift towards plant-based protein in diets could reshape EU agricultural markets over the next ten years, leading to fluctuating pork prices and higher cultivation of pulses and soybeans. African swine fever (ASF) has decimated China's pig herd since the first outbreaks were discovered last year, triggering a surge in Chinese pork imports and a rise in prices. 

 Dec 11 - Brazil's beef export hit record, prospects bright on China demand 
Brazil is poised to break its own beef export record next year as it boosts trade ties with Asia, tries to enter the Japanese market for fresh beef and expands sales to Russia, an exporter group said on Tuesday. Brazil's 2019 beef exports reached an estimated 1.828 million tonnes, up from the previous record of 1.643 million tonnes in 2018, according to Abiec. 

 Dec 11 - Sen. Grassley says White House assured him on 2020 biofuels plan 
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley said on Tuesday he has been assured by the White House that 2020 biofuel blending mandates will be finalized in accordance with a September agreement between the administration and biofuel and corn producers. The Iowa Republican's comment reflects the intense pressure on President Donald Trump to appease anger over his biofuel policy in the U.S. Farm Belt, a crucial political constituency in next year's election that has often clashed with his allies in the oil industry.

 Dec 11 - UK reports bird flu for first time since 2017 
Britain's government said bird flu had been confirmed at a chicken farm in eastern England on Tuesday, the first such report since June 2017.  Some 27,000 birds at the farm would be slaughtered following the discovery of the H5 strain, which the agriculture ministry described as "low pathogenic."

 Dec 11 - France sees wheat area down 5%, rapeseed at 18-yr low on adverse weather 
France's farm ministry on Tuesday forecast a sharp fall in winter wheat, barley and rapeseed area for next year's harvest after adverse weather in the European Union's biggest grain producer. In its first sowing estimates for 2020, the ministry estimated the country's winter soft wheat area for the harvest at 4.73 million hectares (mln ha), down 4.8% compared with this year. That would be 5.6% below the average of the past five years, it said in a crop report.

 Dec 11 - Argentina's dry grain belt may be in good hands with ENSO forecast - Braun 
Rainfall has been lacking over Argentina's grain belt, and although the needed relief may not arrive in the near term, the soybean and corn crops are less likely to experience large losses if temperature patterns in the Pacific Ocean are cooperative. Argentina is coming off a record corn harvest of 51 million tonnes in 2018-19, and its soybean output of 55.3 million tonnes was the third-largest in its history. The South American country is the No. 3 exporter of corn and soybeans but it is better known as the top supplier of soy products.

 Dec 11 - China to sell 40,000 tonnes of pork from reserves on Dec 12 
China will sell 40,000 tonnes of frozen pork from its state reserves on Dec. 12, in the latest move to ensure sufficient supplies ahead of the country's upcoming Lunar New Year holidays. The auction comes amid a huge shortage of meat in the country, after incurable pig disease African swine fever killed millions of the country's hogs.

Dec 10 - Egypt's GASC buys 355k mt UA FR RU RO Wheat (GASC)
The Egypt's state grain buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) on Tuesday, December 10, bought 355,000 MT of wheat from France (120k MT), Russia (115k MT), Ukraine (60k MT) and Romania (60k MT) for February 5-15 delivery:
- 60,000 MT of Ukrainian wheat from Nibulon at 237.47 $/mt c&f (222.50 fob+14.97 freight);
- 60,000 MT of Romanian wheat from Ameropa at 238.25 $/mt c&f (224.70 fob+13.55 freight);
- 120,000 MT of French wheat from Glencore at 238.34 $/mt c&f (220.30 fob+18.04 freight);
- 55,000 MT of Russian wheat from ADM at 238.35 $/mt c&f (223.00 fob+15.35 freight);
- 60,000 MT of Russian wheat from Posco at 238.40 $/mt c&f (223.91 fob+14.49 freight)
So GASC has bought so far a total 4,895,000 MT of wheat (2.63 MMT from Russia, 945,000 MT from Ukraine, 780,000 MT from Romania, and 540,000 MT from France) for supply in 2019/20 (July-June)

Dec 10 - China buys U.S. soybeans after Beijing issues new tariff waivers - traders 
Chinese soy importers on Monday bought at least five bulk cargo shipments of U.S. soybeans, or about 300,000 tonnes, for shipment in January and February after Beijing offered the buyers at least 1 million tonnes in new tariff waivers, U.S. exporters said. The fresh allotment of tariff waivers, which exempts importers from 30% tariffs on U.S. shipments, comes after buyers used up nearly all of the 10 million tonnes in waivers awarded by Beijing in October, the traders said.

 Dec 10 - Trump wants 'movement' from China to avoid Dec. 15 tariffs - US ag secretary 
U.S. President Donald Trump does not want to implement the next round of scheduled tariffs against Chinese goods on Dec. 15, but he wants "movement" from China to avoid them, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Monday. Beijing and Washington have been embroiled in a 17-month trade war that has disrupted global grain flows, rattled markets and weighed on world economic growth.

 Dec 10 - France to ban dozens of glyphosate weedkillers amid health risk debate 
France's health and environment agency said on Monday it was banning dozens of glyphosate-based weedkillers, most of the volume of such products sold in France, ruling there was insufficient data to exclude health risks. The ANSES agency was withdrawing the marketing licence for 36 products which would no longer be authorised for use after the end of next year, it said in a statement.

 Dec 10 - Indonesia eyes biodiesel with 40% bio-content during 2021-2022 
Indonesia, the world's largest palm oil producer, plans to implement a biodiesel programme with 40% bio-content (B40) between 2021 and 2022, a government official said on Tuesday. From January, Southeast Asia's largest economy is set to bring in biodiesel with 30% bio-content through the B30 programme, which sent palm prices higher on concern that it will export less palm oil - a feedstock for the fuel. 

 Dec 10 - Value of Australian agricultural goods to fall for 3rd straight year amid drought 
Australia on Tuesday said the value of its agricultural goods will fall for the third straight year, a milestone last seen six decades ago, as a drought wilts crops and leaves dams dry. The value of all farm products will total A$61 billion ($41.4 billion) during the 2019/20 season, a fall of about 3% from last season, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) said.

 Dec 10 - Egypt's GASC seeks wheat for Feb. 5-15 shipment 
Egypt's General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) set a tender on Monday to buy an unspecified amount of wheat from global suppliers for shipment from Feb. 5-15. GASC Vice Chairman Ahmed Youssef said the authority was seeking to buy cargoes of soft and/or milling wheat from the United States, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Poland, Argentina, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Paraguay and Serbia.

 Dec 10 - China's pig herd rises for first time in a year in November - ministry 
China's pig herd increased by 2% in November compared with the prior month, the agriculture ministry said on Monday, the first increase in a year. Sow stocks were up 4% on October, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on its website, the second consecutive month of a rise in the breeding herd inventory.

Dec 10 - Vietnam considers tariff cuts on American agriculture products 
Vietnam is considering cutting tariffs on several American products, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on Monday, after U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross urged Vietnam to reduce its trade surplus during a visit to Hanoi last month.  Tariffs on chicken and processed chicken meat, almonds, grapes, wheat, pork, and potatoes are all earmarked for reductions, in order re-balance bilateral trade, the ministry said in a statement on its website. 
 

Dec 09 - China's Nov soybean imports surge as U.S. cargoes booked during truce arrive 
China's November soybean imports jumped from a year ago as shipments from the United States booked during a truce in the Sino-U.S. trade war cleared customs, customs data showed.  China imported 8.28 million tonnes of soybeans in November, up 54% from 5.38 million tonnes a year ago, as U.S. soybean cargoes arrived, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Sunday. 

 Dec 09 - Funds purge soybeans at faster clip than when trade war began -Braun 
Chicago-traded soybeans have been priced below $9 per bushel for nearly two weeks now. But speculators still felt they were overvalued last week as they sold the oilseed more than they did during June 2018 when the U.S.-China trade war was just beginning.  In the week ended Dec. 3, hedge funds and other money managers extended their net short in CBOT soybean futures and options to 99,019 contracts from 42,941 a week earlier, according to data published Friday by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. 

 Dec 09 - Trump administration sees partial waivers as potential fix in biofuel debate - sources 
The Trump administration believes it can assuage farmer anger over its biofuels policy by agreeing to use more partial waivers for oil refineries, signaling a potential solution to a protracted battle between Big Corn and Big Oil, two key political constituencies in next year's presidential election, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The administration has spent months trying to appease farmers and corn-based biofuel producers after it granted 31 oil refiners exemptions to blending mandates in August, sparking outrage across the Farm Belt. It unveiled a proposal to address the issue in October that biofuel companies say does not go far enough to compensate for the ethanol demand destruction caused by the waivers.

 Dec 09 - Germany ups anti-swine fever measures after case close to border 
Germany said on Friday it was stepping up measures to prevent an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) after a case was discovered in a wild boar in Poland, 40 km (25 miles) from the border between the two countries. The disease, which has hit the world's top pork producer China hard, originated in Africa before spreading to Europe and Asia. It has killed hundreds of million pigs, while reshaping global meat and feed markets.

 Dec 09 - Brazil judge moves Imcopa plant sale as Bunge seeks more info 
A Brazilian bankruptcy judge has pushed back the sale of two soy crushing plants after U.S-based grain trader Bunge Ltd alleged the seller provided insufficient information about the assets, according to court filings seen by Reuters on Friday. The auction of the two plants by privately owned Imcopa group, rescheduled to Feb. 17 from Dec. 4, is part of the seller's plan to emerge from bankruptcy. 

 Dec 09 - Bayer reaches agreement to postpone more glyphosate lawsuits for settlement talks 
Germany's Bayer has agreed with plaintiffs to postpone its next two U.S. lawsuits over the alleged cancer-causing effects of its glyphosate-based weed killers to allow more time for talks on a settlement. The company, which is facing 42,700 U.S. plaintiffs, is widely expected to eventually buy itself out of the litigation, with analysts currently estimating the size of a future settlement at $8-$12 billion. 

 Dec 09 - INTL FCStone pegs Australian wheat production below official estimates 
Commodity brokerage INTL FCStone on Monday projected this year's Australian wheat production to come in 5.6% lower than official estimates, as a crippling drought in the country's east shows no signs of easing. The company forecast Australian wheat production for the 2019-20 season at 14.97 million tonnes, below the country's latest official estimate of 15.85 million tonnes.

 Dec 09 - Brazil’s Marfrig launches global plant-based meat brand 
Brazilian food processor Marfrig Global Foods SA on Monday will launch a global brand of plant-based meat products, according to a statement sent to Reuters on Sunday.  A gourmet hamburger to be served in Brazilian restaurants will be the first product rolled out under the brand Revolution, the statement said.

 Dec 09 - Canadian canola crop smallest in 4 years, disappoints after wet harvest 
Canadian farmers produced the smallest canola crop in four years, less than expected, after unusually wet autumn weather that left millions of acres unharvested, a government report showed on Friday. Farmers produced 18.6 million tonnes of canola, down 8% from last year, Statistics Canada reported, and 1 million tonnes less than the average trade guess before the report. Canada is the world's biggest canola producer and exporter.

 Dec 09 - Brazil's JBS says U.S. listing would not change headquarters, not aimed at reducing tax rate - filing 
Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA said in a securities filing late on Friday the company is considering a U.S. listing of its international assets but not a change of its headquarters. The company said it expects to have a capital structure that allows it to compete "on equal footing" with international rivals, adding that tax rates were not the main reason for the potential listing. 

Dec 06 - China to waive tariffs for some U.S. soybeans, pork 
China will waive import tariffs for some soybeans and pork shipments from the United States, China's finance ministry said on Friday, citing a decision by the country's cabinet.  The tariff waivers were based on applications by individual firms for U.S. soybeans and pork imports, the ministry said in a statement. It did not specify the quantities involved.

Dec 06 - U.S. soy exports hit nearly two-year high on larger volumes to China - Braun 
So far, the U.S. 2019-20 soybean shipping season is going much better than last year’s effort thanks to more involvement from China in the U.S. market. But China's interest in the U.S. oilseed is roughly half as strong as it had been in prior years because of the ongoing trade war and reduced domestic demand. 

Dec 06 - China's soybean production jumps 13% in 2019, boosts crop output 
China boosted its soybean production by 13% in 2019 amid a trade war with No. 2 supplier the United States, official data showed on Friday, helping it record a slight rise in total food crop output. Soybean production jumped to 18.1 million tonnes, the National Bureau of Statistics said, with the area devoted to the oilseed rising 11% after Beijing began offering generous subsidies to farmers to grow the beans. 

Dec 06 - Argentine soy giant Vicentin buckles under $350 mln in debts - source 
Argentine soy crushing giant Vicentin is struggling to repay over $350 million in debt and some plants are likely to halt production while it seeks relief amid an economic slowdown in the country, a source close to the firm said on Thursday. The grains crusher, Argentina's top exporter of processed soy last year according to government data, said it had been hurt by increasing financing costs and rising country risk, and was looking at how to meet its obligations.

Dec 06 - China aims for southeast to be 70% self-sufficient in pork 
China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued a three-year plan to speed recovery of pig production after the world's largest hog herd was ravaged by disease, targeting 70% self-sufficiency in pork for the nation's southeast.  Beijing said its hog herd was down 41% in October from a year earlier, after an epidemic of African swine fever killed millions and stopped many farmers from replenishing herds.

 Dec 06 - World food prices surge in Nov, lifted by meat, vegetable oils- U.N. FAO 
World food prices rose strongly in November, lifted by big jumps in prices of meat and vegetable oils, despite slightly lower cereals prices, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) food price index, which measures monthly changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar hit a 26-month high in November, averaging 177.2 points, up 2.7% on the previous month and up 9.5% year-on-year.

Dec 06 - EPA chief says addressing biofuel industry concerns over blending mandates -source 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler told a biofuels company on Thursday that the agency is working to address industry concerns over biofuel blending rules that have sparked outrage across the Farm Belt, according to a source familiar with the matter. Biofuel producers and representatives of corn farmers are unhappy with the EPA's expanded use of waivers exempting oil refineries from their annual ethanol blending requirements. They say that agency's efforts to address the issue with proposed tweaks to the 2020 blending requirements are not enough.

Dec 06 - Rains help Argentina soy growth, wheat harvesting approaches halfway mark 
Soybeans planted in Argentina's core agricultural zone benefited from ample rains over the last week, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said in a report on Thursday, while 2019/20 wheat harvesting progressed to 46%. Argentine growers are expected to plant 17.7 million hectares with soybeans this season, more than 49 percent of which is already in the ground, the report said.

Dec 05 - Brazil prosecutors charge 11 in probe targeting food processor BRF 
Brazilian federal prosecutors on Wednesday formally charged 11 persons in connection with a criminal probe accusing the world's largest chicken exporter BRF SA of evading food safety checks, court filings seen by Reuters showed. The charges center around evidence of falsification of documents and labels between 2012 and 2018, and adulteration of ingredients in nutritional additive products for livestock feed, according to claims filed by prosecutors in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná.

 Dec 05 - Russia restricts beef imports from 7 plants in Argentina and Paraguay 
Russia's agriculture safety watchdog will impose restrictions on beef supplies to Russia from five plants in Argentina and two plants in Paraguay starting Dec. 18, it said on Wednesday, warning that it could widen these restrictions. Rosselkhoznadzor said in a statement it found ractopamine in some shipments, a feed additive that is banned in Russia. Its officials will hold talks with their counterparts from Argentina and Paraguay on Dec. 6.

 Dec 05 - Russia's Delo to guarantee Sberbank loan with KSK grain terminal 
Russian logistics company Delo has decided to pledge its majority stake in the KSK grain terminal in Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiisk as collateral for its debt to Sberbank, a regulatory statement by Delo's subsidiary showed. It was not immediately clear whether pledging the 75% stake in KSK as collateral would mean that Delo was no longer considering selling part of the share. U.S. trade giant Cargill owns the rest of KSK.

 Dec 05 - Record dry November in Australia fuels deadly fires 
Australia recorded its lowest level of rainfall for the month of November, the country's weather bureau said on Thursday, as an unrelenting drought fuels deadly bushfires. All of Australia received less then 50 mm (1.9 inches) of rain during November, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said, with parts of the west coast receiving less than 1 mm.

 Dec 05 - Brazil meat-packers should organize to avoid facing corn shortages in 2020 
Demand for Brazilian corn in export markets and low inventories mean meat-packers will need to plan to avoid facing shortages early in 2020, the head of national grain grower group Aprosoja said on Wednesday. "There could be a shortage, especially for producers of poultry and pork, if they don't organize, if they don't buy this corn in advance or enter futures markets," Bartolomeu Braz, president of Aprosoja, said during an event.

Dec 05 - Iraq outlines 2020 wheat import goal, says protests not disrupting cargoes 
Iraq, a major Middle East grain importer, said on Wednesday it planned to purchase 750,000 tonnes of wheat from abroad in 2020 and said nationwide protests that have extended to a key port were not disrupting shipments so far.  Iraq needs between 4.5 million and 5 million tonnes of wheat a year to supply its food rationing programme. It mixes local wheat with grain from Australia, Canada and the United States.

Dec 05 - Brazil's JBS plans $1.91 billion Brazil investment - CEO 
JBS, the world's largest animal protein producer, plans to invest about 8 billion reais ($1.9 billion) in Brazil over five years as it braces for strong demand for meat products at home and abroad, Chief Executive Gilberto Tomazoni said on Wednesday. According to the executive, the expected growth in protein demand should continue over the next decades, which justifies plans to increase capacity of the company's meat and processed products in Brazil.

Dec 05 - Brazil agriculture sees 3% growth in 2020 led by meat exports 
Brazilian agricultural production will grow 3% in 2020, three times faster than this year, driven by rapidly expanding meat exports and another record grain harvest in the 2019/2020 season, the CNA farm lobby said on Wednesday. China, Brazil's biggest market for food exports, this year increased imports of Brazilian chicken, beef and pork due to the outbreak of African swine fever that reduced its hog population and forced the country to buy more animal protein abroad.

Dec 04 - Without urgent action, yearly extreme heat waves await Europeans 
Europe faces the prospect of severe heat waves every year and a halving of some of its harvests in the future unless rapid action is taken against climate change, a study said. The report, by the European Union environmental agency (EEA), foresees that uncontrolled climate change will cause extreme heat waves every year in a continent where France and Spain this year experienced their highest temperatures since records began. 

Dec 04 - China's restaurants feel the heat as pork supplies plunge 
Cao Xianli, the owner of a 'ribs and rice' restaurant in eastern China's Qingdao city, is facing his biggest test in a decade of running the eatery. Not only have costs doubled in the last year because of soaring pork prices, but he's not even sure he'll be able to secure enough of the meat needed for his signature dish.

 Dec 04 - Brazil seen planting largest corn area in history on firm prices, demand 
Brazilian farmers are expected to plant more than 18 million hectares of corn in the 2019/20 season, a 3.5% rise from the previous cycle and the largest area on record, according to a Reuters poll. Despite weather risks stemming from late planting of Brazil's second corn crop, total output may reach 101 million tonnes in the season, according to the average of 12 analysts' estimates.

 Dec 04 - China has ample frozen pork supplies, agriculture ministry says 
Ample frozen pork inventories in China will help to contain pork prices, an agriculture ministry official said on Tuesday. State reserves have been boosted with imports and commercial stocks, said Yang Zhenhai, director of the ministry's animal husbandry and veterinary bureau, as Beijing comes under pressure to secure supplies ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday in late January.

 Dec 03 - U.S.-China trade pendulum swings toward Beijing; commodities key: Russell 
Since U.S. President Donald Trump launched his trade dispute with China one of the best questions to ask in order to assess the current state of the process is who, right now, is more desperate to do a deal. For most of 18 months or so since the tit-for-tat tariffs began the conventional thinking has been Beijing is more keen to finalise an agreement, given the obvious slowing of growth in the world's second-biggest economy.

 Dec 03 - Funds sell CBOT soybeans at a record clip on evasive trade deal: Braun 
Speculators are losing faith that a trade deal between the United States and China will be signed anytime soon, and that pessimism was reflected in their record selloff of Chicago-traded soybeans last week. In the week ended Nov. 26, money managers sold a net 61,393 CBOT soybean futures and options contracts, according to data published late on Monday by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. 

 Dec 03 - Australia cuts 2019/20 wheat production forecast by nearly 20% due to drought 
Australia on Tuesday cut its wheat production forecast by nearly 20% for the year through June 2020, as an unrelenting drought across the country's east coast will likely see output fall to an 11-year low. As Australian farmers were harvesting crops, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) pegged production of the country's largest rural export at 15.85 million tonnes, down nearly 18% from its previous estimate in September of 19.2 million tonnes.

 Dec 03 - Brazil's 2019/2020 soybean output could reach record 122.7 mln T - Reuters poll 
Brazil's 2019/2020 soybean crop, in the final phase of planting, could reach a record 122.7 million tonnes, according to the average forecast in a Reuters survey of 16 market analysts. That amount, if realized, would represent a 6.7% rise in production over the government's 115 million-tonne estimate for the previous season.

 Dec 03 - BP, Bunge complete Brazil deal to form world's No.2 cane processor 
British oil major BP Plc and U.S. commodities trader Bunge Ltd announced on Monday the completion of a deal to combine their sugar and ethanol operations in Brazil, creating the world's second largest cane processor. The 50-50 joint venture BP Bunge Bioenergia, which will manage 11 plants in five Brazilian states with a total capacity to crush 32 million tonnes of sugarcane per year, will rank only behind Raízen, the joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Brazilian energy group Cosan SA.

 Dec 03 - China buys first cotton for reserves in five years as prices dip 
China's state reserves bought 2,000 tonnes of cotton on Monday, its first purchase in five years, said the China Cotton Association on its website on Tuesday.  The cotton, all grown in major producing region Xinjiang, was sold at an average price of 13,259 yuan ($1,883.70) per tonne.

Dec 02 - Wet autumn to cut wheat area in France, UK in setback for next harvest 
Heavy autumn rain is expected to lead to a fall in wheat sowings in France and Britain, raising early doubts over prospects for next year's harvest in Europe, analysts said. After drought hampered drilling of rapeseed in late summer, a shift to wet weather from October has disrupted the subsequent wheat and winter barley sowing campaigns, with French and British farmers facing particularly soggy field conditions. 

 Dec 02 - China must recover pig production, stabilise pork supply - vice premier 
Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua said the country must resolutely work to achieve the target of recovering pig production numbers, and stabilise pork supply for the upcoming holidays, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. China must ensure stable pork supply in key periods of early 2020, including the Lunar New Year holidays in January and during the annual National People's Congress in March, Xinhua cited Hu as saying at a meeting on animal husbandry on Saturday. 

 Dec 02 - Egypt has capacity to store 4 mln tonnes of wheat - ministry 
Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer, has the capacity to store 4 million tonnes of wheat this season, the supply ministry said on Friday, adding it had built new wheat silos for the additional storage. In July, Egypt signed a deal with the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) to build two wheat silos in Port Said. At the time, Supply Minister Ali Moselhy said they would raise Egypt's storage capacity for imported wheat by around 15%.

 Dec 02 - Russia's winter grain sowings in better condition vs last year - weather forecaster 
Russia's winter grain sowings are in a better condition than at the same time a year ago and compared with the average for the last couple of years, an official at the Hydrometcentre weather forecasting service told Reuters. Russia and Ukraine, major global wheat exporters via the Black and Azov seas, sowed winter grains for the 2020 crop this autumn in dry weather, but subsequent rains and warm weather improved the prospects for next year's harvest. 

 Dec 02 - Russia removes restrictions on two Brazilian beef plants - regulator 
Russia's agriculture safety watchdog said on Friday it removed temporary restrictions on beef supplies to Russia from two plants in Brazil starting from Nov. 29. One of the plants authorized to resume sales to Russia is operated by Minerva SA and the other one by JBS, the Russian regulator, Rosselkhoznadzor said in a statement.

 Dec 02 - Hong Kong customs seizes $50 mln smuggled frozen meat to mainland China 
Hong Kong customs seized about 540 tonnes of suspected smuggled frozen meat with an estimated market value of about $50 million, the authority said in a statement on Friday, case of its kind in the past decade. The meat was found aboard four suspicious fishing vessels that were leaving Hong Kong, the customs authority said in a statement. Local broadcaster RTHK said the vessels were allegedly bound for mainland China.

Nov 29 - EU lawmakers clear U.S. beef imports but fault U.S. tariffs 
European Union lawmakers approved an increase in U.S. beef imports to the EU on Thursday, a move likely to ease transatlantic tensions. But they also criticised tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on metal imports and a threat he has made to target EU cars and car parts.

 Nov 29 - China soy, palm oil markets surge on swine fever spillover 
Investors have stampeded into China's edible oil markets, drawn by the volatility caused by the nation-wide outbreak of African swine fever that curbed oilseed crushing, slashed pork output and forced food courts and restaurants to change up menus. Open interest in Dalian Commodity Exchange soybean oil and palm olein futures hit a record this week, while traded volumes in the markets scaled multi-year highs. Prices for both commodities climbed to their highest since mid-2018. 

 Nov 29 - Brazil corn demand to jump in 2020; sharp drop in exports likely 
Domestic demand for corn is expected to grow 6% in Brazil in 2020, driven by increasing corn-ethanol production and buying from the meat industry, which uses the cereal to make livestock feed, Dutch bank Rabobank projected on Thursday. That outlook would likely reduce exports from one of the world's top corns exporter next year, opening room for the United States and other players, Rabobank's grain analyst Victor Ikeda said. 

 Nov 29 - Grain trader Louis Dreyfus to cut costs in ongoing overhaul 
Louis Dreyfus Company is making sweeping cost cuts, starting with travel, entertainment, hiring and salaries, as the 168-year-old agricultural commodities firm tries to revive dwindling profits. Global trade tensions and the African Swine Fever epidemic in Asia have piled pressure on grain trading firms as they try to emerge from a period of falling margins. Family-owned LDC, known as Dreyfus, is the "D" of the ‘ABCD’ quartet of global traders that also includes Archer Daniels Midland Co, Bunge Ltd and Cargill Inc. 

 Nov 29 - Canadian National Railway hopes to be back on track by Christmas - senior official 
Canadian National Railway Co hopes to recover from the effects of the country's biggest rail strike in a decade before Christmas, and would even look at bringing back recently cut crews and locomotives, a senior official said on Thursday. The eight-day strike by some 3,200 conductors and yard workers at Canada's largest railway delayed shipments of grain, propane and other goods. 

 Nov 29 - Argentina's grains farmers plug export-friendly pick for ags ministry top job 
Argentine farmers and grains exporters are lobbying President-elect Alberto Fernandez to name a market-friendly technocrat to oversee the country's all-important farm sector as agriculture minister at a time of great uncertainty for the sector. Gabriel Delgado, 44, agriculture secretary from 2013 to 2015 and now chief economist at the government's agriculture technology (INTA) institute, has emerged as the industry pick for heading the ministry under Fernandez, according to an informal survey of leaders in the sector.

 Nov 29 - Malaysia's Sime Darby Q3 profit slumps, sees little boost from palm oil rally 
Malaysia's Sime Darby Plantation Berhad, the world's largest oil palm planter by land size, on Friday posted a 75% slump in its third-quarter profit and said it sees minimal boost to its annual performance from the recent rally in palm prices. The plantation group said its third-quarter results slumped due to weaker palm oil and palm kernel prices and unpredictable weather conditions.

Nov 28 - Frozen harvest leaves bitter taste for U.S. sugar beet farmers
Weather during harvest season in the U.S. Red River Valley, a fertile sugar beet region in Minnesota and North Dakota, has felt like a series of plagues to farmers. Rain and snow pelted crops in September and October. 

 Nov 28 - French farmers clog highways to protest at "agri-bashing"
French farmers angered by government policies that they say threaten their livelihoods drove convoys of tractors into Paris on Wednesday, obstructing commuter traffic and adding to the social unrest facing President Emmanuel Macron. Up to a thousand tractors rolled into the city from the north and south, at times blocking motorways and the inner ring-road, honking horns and flying the flags of the two main farm unions staging the protest.

 Nov 28 - Canadian National Railway resume services after biggest rail strike in a decade ends
Operations resumed at Canada's largest railway, Canadian National Railway Co., on Wednesday, a day after company and union officials reached a tentative deal to end an eight-day-long strike that had triggered a severe propane shortage and left many Canadian exports stranded. A CN spokesman said on Wednesday that there were no hiccups in the return to work and that trains were resuming operations as expected. 

 Nov 28 - Grains trader LDC to cut costs amid trade jitters, swine fever - memo
Agricultural commodities giant Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has launched a cost-cutting and reorganization drive in the face of difficulties confronting global trading houses, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Wednesday. LDC confirmed the memo's authenticity in a statement, saying the company aimed to optimize its cost base in view of a challenging external environment.

 Nov 28 - Fire, drought, heatwaves: Australia prepares for tough summer
Australia's fire and drought-ravaged east will suffer continued hot and dry conditions this summer, increasing the chances of severe weather events, the country's weather bureau said on Thursday. The Bureau of Meteorology warned the country could expect more heatwaves and little rain in the east during the summer, which runs from December through February, following one of the driest springs ever.

 Nov 28 - Deere warns of lower profits in 2020 on lingering trade tensions
Deere & Co. on Wednesday warned of lower earnings next year after reporting a fall in quarterly profits, hurt by trade tensions as well as poor weather in the U.S. farm belt that has slowed equipment purchases by farmers. In response to an "uncertain" business environment, the company announced a voluntary separation program for its salary employees, which is estimated to cost it about $140 million next year, but is projected to contribute to annual savings of $150 million.

 Nov 28 - U.S. farm income expected to rise in 2019, but only because of government aid
Nearly one-third of projected U.S. net farm income this year will come from government aid and taxpayer-subsidized commodity insurance payments, according to a forecast issued Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA increased its net farm income forecast for 2019 by more than 10%, to $92.5 billion, driven largely by the Trump administration's trade aid payments to farmers and federal insurance indemnities from extreme weather events, USDA Economic Research Service senior economist Carrie Litkowski said in a conference call with reporters.  

Nov 27 - Brazil 2019 corn exports set to soar 80% to record 41 mln tonnes – Anec
Brazilian corn exports are forecast to reach a record of 41 million tonnes in 2019, according to grain exporter group Anec, bolstered by a weaker local currency and favorable Chicago prices after bad weather affected the U.S. crop. If confirmed, Brazilian exports will have grown by 80% from last year's level of 22.8 million tonnes, according to Anec data.

 Nov 27 - Canada's biggest rail strike in a decade ends, backlogs could nag shippers
Canada's longest railroad strike in a decade ended on Tuesday as Canadian National Railway Co reached a tentative agreement with workers, but shippers warned it could take weeks before service bounces back to normal. Industry groups celebrated the end of the eight-day strike at the country's biggest railroad, which had cost them sales and raised their expenses. 

 Nov 27 - Mills in Brazil boost ethanol output, cut sugar as season nears end
Mills in Brazil's center-south region increased ethanol production and cut sugar output in the first half of November as the season draws to an early close, industry group Unica said on Tuesday. Plants in the main Brazilian sugar belt produced 786,000 tonnes of the sweetener early in November, 11% less than in the same period a year earlier, while ethanol output rose 19% to 1.29 billion liters. 

   Nov 27 - South African farmers expected to harvest slightly more maize than previous estimate
South Africa's 2018/2019 maize crop is expected to be slightly higher than the previous estimate, boosted by higher yellow maize yields in the Free State and Mpumalanga provinces, the Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) said on Tuesday. The CEC, which gave its tenth and final estimate for the season, estimated maize production at 11.258 million tonnes compared with the October estimate of 11.186 million tonnes.

 Nov 27 - Bridgepoint taps HSBC to prepare sale of agrochemical firm Rovensa - sources
Bridgepoint has been sounding out possible bidders for its Portuguese agrochemical company Rovensa ahead of an auction process early next year that could raise about 800 million euros ($882 million), five sources told Reuters. The European private equity fund has hired HSBC to handle the so-called pre-marketing talks for the Lisbon-based crop protection company which was previously known as Sapec Agro, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 Nov 27 - Startup helps Scottish farmers grow gourmet plants with sea water
A British startup is teaching farmers how to grow crops using water from a source which won't run out – the sea. Seawater Solutions is helping farmers on Scotland's west coast adapt to the reality of less rain by choosing salt-resistant plants and developing saltmarshes - land flooded by tidal waters - for them to grow in. 

Nov 26 - Going whole hog: U.S. tells exporters to report pig carcass sales as China buying soars
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday that commodity exporters must disclose sales of hog carcasses, giving officials and traders more insight into a surge of Chinese pork buying that has roiled global meat markets. China's pork imports have nearly doubled this year as a fatal pig disease has decimated its herd and pushed prices of the country's favorite meat to record highs. 

 Nov 26 - Chinese importers scoop up Brazilian soybeans amid U.S. trade uncertainty
Chinese buyers scooped up at least 20 cargoes of Brazilian soybeans last week as uncertainty over a trade deal with the United States sent them rushing to lock in supplies, traders said on Monday. Importers also jumped on the new crop Brazilian beans because of attractive margins, said two traders who declined to be identified.

 Nov 26 - Palm oil rally spurs Indian demand for soyoil, sunflower
India's palm oil imports for the next four months are expected to fall as high prices prompt buyers to shift to rival oils such as soyoil and sunflower oil, industry officials said. Malaysian palm oil futures have jumped 27% in five weeks to 2,760 ringgit ($661.87), the highest in two years, on prospects of lower production and stockpiles.

 Nov 26 - EU on course to allow in more U.S. beef from 2020
European Union plans to allow more U.S. beef imports cleared a key hurdle on Monday when EU lawmakers specialising in trade backed the move, which is likely to ease transatlantic tensions. Members of the parliament's international trade committee voted 26-7, with four abstentions, for an agreement that will see U.S. farmers take up the majority of an existing 45,000-tonne allotment.

 Nov 26 - Canada's biggest rail strike in a decade hits exports, sparks layoffs
A strike at Canadian National Railway Co, the country's largest railroad, entered a seventh day on Monday, sending further shocks through the economy with grain shipments scuttled and layoffs planned at fertilizer producers and an auto shipment terminal. As Canada's biggest rail strike in a decade dragged on, industry has piled pressured on the government to intervene. 

 Nov 26 - Many Americans' Thanksgiving dream: a faux turkey in every pot
When American vegetarians, pescetarians and flexitarians sit down at the Thanksgiving table this week, there's one thing many agree they would be thankful for: a tasty, plant-based alternative to turkey. Wildly popular for their taste and texture, Impossible Burger, Beyond Burger and other plant-based alternatives have revolutionized the fake meat market, and now account for about 5 percent of U.S. meat purchases. 

 Nov 26 - Taiwan’s MFIG buys about 65,000 T corn in tender – traders
Taiwan's MFIG purchasing group bought about 65,000 tonnes of corn expected to be sourced from Argentina in a tender which closed on Tuesday, European traders said. The tender had sought shipment in February/March 2020 depending on origin, they said. 

 Nov 26 - Europe says Brazil's move to end soy moratorium threatens $5-bln market
Brazilian farmers risk losing part of the European market for soy products estimated at $5 billion per year if they scrap a so-called soy moratorium barring grain traders from buying oilseed from areas in the Amazon that have been deforested. "This farmers' movement can be perceived as a challenge," Nathalie Lecocq, director general of FEDIOL, the group representing the European Union vegetable oil and meal industry told Reuters.

 Nov 26 - Meat industry cannot block California animal protection law -U.S. judge
A federal judge in Los Angeles refused to stop California from enforcing a voter-approved measure requiring farmers to provide more space for animals being raised for food.
U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder ruled on Friday that the North American Meat Institute, whose members include processors such as Tyson Foods and retailers including Walmart, did not deserve a preliminary injunction against enforcing the measure known as Proposition 12.

 Nov 26 - Heavy rain forecast to cut EU winter cereal sowings, delay potatoes
Heavy rain is expected to reduce winter cereal sowings in parts of western Europe, the European Union's crop monitoring unit MARS said on Monday. The total winter cereal area for the 2020 harvest was projected to fall in Britain, Ireland and the Benelux countries, MARS said in the monthly report.

 Nov 26 - Minerva aims for Athena IPO in April 2020, eyes risks from Argentina
Brazilian food company Minerva SA is aiming for an initial public offering (IPO) of its Athena Foods subsidiary in April 2020 despite political headwinds in Argentina, where the division gets about 30% of its net sales. According to company managers, uncertainty related to Argentina's economic policies after the election of a left-wing government will be key to determine the fate of the transaction, which was originally expected to raise up to 1.3 billion reais ($310 million).

Nov 25 - China's October pork imports double on year
China's pork imports in October doubled from a year earlier, as wholesalers stocked up on supplies after disease decimated the huge hog herd, customs data showed on Saturday. October arrivals came to 177,426 tonnes, up from the previous month's 161,836 tonnes. Pork imports for the first ten months of the year stood at 1.5 million tonnes, up 49.4% from the corresponding period a year earlier, data from the General Administration of Customs shows.

 Nov 25 - Total criticises palm oil tax move, says plant survival at stake
Total's Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne on Sunday criticised the French parliament's decision on Nov. 15 to remove tax breaks on palm oil in biofuels, saying the survival of its biorefinery in southern France was at stake. The parliament voted against a government-backed proposal to delay until 2026 the end of palm oil's tax advantages, that would have given companies like Total more time to phase out the use of palm oil in biofuels. 

 Nov 25 - Funds sell more CBOT corn and likely erase bullish soybean bets - Braun
Uncertainty still lingers over the exact size of the U.S. corn and soybean harvests and South America is in the early stages of its growing season, but speculators appear comfortable with global supply levels as they continued selling Chicago-trade corn and soybeans last week. In the week ended Nov. 19, hedge funds and other money managers increased their net short in CBOT corn futures and options to 123,530 contracts from 110,921 a week prior, according to data published Friday by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. 

   Nov 25 - Brazil soy planting loses steam, again lagging 5-year average
Soybean plantings for the new Brazilian crop (2019-20) have reached 77.3% of the expected area to be planted with the oilseed at the end of this week, a slower pace than seen last year and also lagging the five-year average for the period. According to a report from consultancy ARC Mercosul released on Friday, farmers advanced 6 percentage points in the last week. They had planted 89.6% of the area at this time last season. The five-average for this time is 80.5%.

 Nov 25 - French cereal crop ratings decline, field work lags after heavy rain
Crop ratings for French wheat and barley fell sharply last week while farmers made little progress with sowing and harvesting, data from farm office FranceAgriMer showed, suggesting heavy rain was continuing to affect field conditions. An estimated 78% of soft wheat, France's main cereal crop, was rated good or excellent in the week to Nov. 18, down from 84% a week earlier and below an 82% score in the same week last year, FranceAgriMer's weekly crop report showed.

 Nov 25 - Union says no real progress in Canada rail strike as analysts forecast hit to economy
A strike at Canada's biggest railroad, Canadian National Railway Co, entered its fourth day on Friday as talks continued with no signs of a deal and analysts warned that a prolonged dispute would weigh on economic growth. Some 3,200 unionized employees with the Teamsters, including conductors and yard workers, hit picket lines to demand better working conditions and changes they say would make the job safer. 

 Nov 25 - White House asks Iowa senator for input on biofuels policy -sources
The White House has asked Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley's office for input on the administration's latest proposal to boost the ethanol market in 2020, according to two sources familiar with the matter on Friday, after a flurry of conversations between President Donald Trump and corn-state advocates critical of the plan. The White House request shows the Trump administration may be having second thoughts about the proposal, which the president had hoped would shore up his support in the Farm Belt, a crucial political constituency in his reelection bid, the sources said. 

Nov 25 - China Mengniu Dairy to buy a second Australian dairy firm for $407 mln from Kirin
China Mengniu Dairy Co Ltd plans to buy the owner of some of Australia's best known milk brands from Japan's Kirin Holdings Co Ltd for A$600 million ($407 million), its second Down Under dairy buyout in two months. The sale of Lion Dairy & Drinks Pty Ltd would advance Kirin's strategy of offloading underperforming assets outside Japan while giving the Chinese government part-owned company control of Australian household brands like Pura, Dairy Farmers and Moove flavoured milk.

Nov 25 - Bayer's Monsanto pleads guilty to illegal Hawaii pesticide spraying
Monsanto pleaded guilty to spraying a banned pesticide on the Hawaiian island of Maui, and agreed to pay $10.2 million in criminal fines and other payments for the spraying and for illegally storing hazardous waste, U.S. prosecutors said. The Department of Justice said late Thursday that Monsanto sprayed Penncap-M, which contained the banned pesticide methyl parathion, on research crops in 2014, despite knowing that the Environmental Protection Agency prohibited its use after 2013.

Nov 22 - China buys U.S. soybeans, pork, beef – USDA
China continued its purchases of U.S. soybeans, pork and beef even as negotiators struggled to hammer out details of the first phase of a potential trade deal between the two countries, according to government data released on Thursday. In its weekly export sales report, the U.S. Agriculture Department said that China agreed to buy 568,573 tonnes of soybeans in the week ended Nov. 14, down from 760,527 tonnes a week earlier. 

 Nov 22 - China's stocks of breeding sows rise for first time in 19 months
China's inventory of breeding sows rose 0.6% in October for the first monthly increase since April 2018, official figures showed, signalling that pig production may soon start to recover after a devastating epidemic of African swine fever. The decline in the pig herd is also slowing, said Yang Zhenhai, director of the animal husbandry and veterinary bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

 Nov 22 - Algeria plans sharp cut in wheat purchases to curb import bill
Algeria is targeting a sharp reduction to its wheat imports as it tries to rein in its costly subsidised bread programme in the face of popular protests against the ruling elite. The North African country has decided to cap soft wheat imports at 4 million tonnes a year, down from 6.2 million tonnes, the government said in a statement late on Wednesday. 

 Nov 22 - China is single-handedly driving growth in next year’s U.S. pork sales - Braun
The United States has sold and shipped more pork this year to international buyers than ever before amid a global protein squeeze, though China is the only one that has stepped up to the plate in a big way for 2020. China does not usually import much pork relative to what it consumes since it has a robust hog industry, but animal numbers have plunged ever since African swine fever (ASF) began to spread through the herd last year. 

 Nov 22 - IGC says 2020/21 world wheat area to expand by 1%
The International Grains Council (IGC) said on Thursday the world's wheat area for the 2020/21 season is expected to expand by 1%. In its monthly update, the inter-governmental body forecast a total world wheat area of 218 million hectares, with the area for harvest in Russia, the world's top wheat exporter, projected to expand.

Nov 22 - Asia sticks with Argentina for Q1 wheat supply as Australian output shrinks
Argentina is set to dominate Asia's grain market for a second consecutive year in 2020, with trading companies already buying significant volumes anticipating first-quarter demand in the region as drought curbs output in traditional export powerhouse Australia, trade sources said. Wheat exports from the South American nation to key importers like Indonesia, the world's second-largest wheat buyer, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Vietnam have jumped to record levels in the course of the past 12 months, boosted by bumper harvests.

Nov 22 - Chinese demand pushes Brazil beef prices to record high
Brazil's famous barbecue is getting more expensive as Chinese demand is increasingly swallowing up the country's beef supply, pushing Brazilian cattle prices to a record high. China's hunger for foreign meat has shot up as an outbreak of African swine fever has decimated its domestic pig population and has sent it looking for substitutes.

Nov 22 - Russia's VTB joins EFKO's project to build Black Sea grain terminal
Russia's state-controlled VTB has signed an agreement of intent with Russian vegetable oil and mayonnaise producer EFKO to jointly build a grain terminal in the Black Sea port of Taman, VTB said on Thursday. VTB, Russia's second largest lender, has become a major physical grain exporter and the largest operator of Russia's grain export terminals and other infrastructure after buying a local grain trader and several assets in 2019.

Nov 22 - Argentine farmers plant more soy, shun corn amid political uncertainty
Argentina's government and the country's main grains exchange increased their soy planting estimates on Thursday, as growers hedge against political uncertainty by shifting toward oilseeds, which are cheaper to grow, and away from more expensive corn. Argentine President-elect Alberto Fernandez, set to take office on Dec. 10, has said little about his farm policy plans.

Nov 22 - Global palm oil stocks to fall as output growth slows - analyst Fry
Growth in palm oil production will slow in the next few years, helping reduce stockpiles and boost prices, leading industry analyst James Fry said on Thursday. Dry weather and lower fertiliser use - a move adopted by some growers to save costs - have affected output this year at top producers Indonesia and Malaysia, and will continue to be a factor in the coming years, Fry said.

Nov 22 - Swiss Singapore Overseas wins tender to supply wheat to Bangladesh
Trading house Swiss Singapore Overseas has secured a tender to supply 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Bangladesh after submitting the lowest offer of $268.14 a tonne, including CIF liner out, two officials from the country's state grain buyer said on Thursday. Three other firms competed for the tender from the Directorate General of Food, Bangladesh's grains purchasing agency, in which wheat with 12.5% protein content was sought for shipment 40 days after contract signing.

Nov 22 - Zimbabwe scraps import controls on maize, wheat flour after drought
Zimbabwe has removed import controls on maize and wheat flour following a severe drought that cut supplies, a cabinet minister said on Thursday. More than half of Zimbabwe's population requires food aid following an El Nino-induced drought that also reduced water levels in the biggest hydro dam, leading to rolling power cuts.

Nov 22 - Heating fuel shortage looms as strike at Canada's biggest railroad hits third day
Shippers scrambled to shift freight onto trucks on Thursday as a strike at Canada's biggest railroad, Canadian National Railway Co, hit its third day, leaving the critical fuel propane and other goods stranded. Some 3,200 unionized employees, including conductors and yard workers, hit picket lines on Tuesday in the biggest such action in a decade.

Nov 21 - Hong Kong mulls SE Asia pig imports as pork prices jump on China swine fever outbreak
Hong Kong is looking into importing live pigs from countries in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, to supplement a dwindling supply from mainland China that has caused pork prices to surge, Food and Health Secretary Sophia Chan said on Wednesday. The city had been importing 4,000 pigs a day from mainland China for slaughter by local processors, but that number began declining late last year and has dropped to just 1,700 per day after deadly African swine fever ravaged China's hog herd.

 Nov 21 - Ottawa cites progress in talks to end Canada railway strike
Talks were making progress toward ending a strike by thousands of workers at Canada's biggest railroad, Canadian National Railway Co, Canada's transport minister said on Wednesday. About 3,000 unionized workers, including conductors and yard workers, hit picket lines on Tuesday after talks with management failed to resolve contract issues amid softening demand for freight service. 

 Nov 21 - Malaysia in talks with several partners to produce palm oil-based biojet fuel - industry body
Malaysia aims to start producing palm oil-based biojet fuel within five years and is in talks with several potential partners about setting up a plant, the head of the industry's marketing board said on Wednesday. Malaysia, the world's second biggest producer of palm oil, is looking for new markets to boost demand for the vegetable oil, widely used in everything from soap to lipstick to snack foods. 

 Nov 21 - Philippines makes U-turn on rice import suspension, but will tighten rules
The Philippines will not suspend rice imports but will tighten food safety measures to control the entry of cheap grain that is hurting incomes of local farmers, the agriculture chief said on Thursday. Agriculture Secretary William Dar made the announcement after a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte, who had ordered the suspension of rice imports after purchases surged, making the Philippines the world's top buyer this year. 

 Nov 21 - USDA expects timely release of next crop data after November gaffe
The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects a smooth release of market sensitive monthly crop data in the future after a technical outage delayed the publication of a critical crop report earlier this month, the agency's chief economist said on Wednesday. Some data in the USDA's closely followed World Agriculture Supply & Demand Estimates (WASDE) report on Nov. 8 was released several minutes after its scheduled publication time after a power and network outage impacted equipment in Kansas City that loads data onto the USDA's website. 

Nov 21 - Louis Dreyfus names Clarkson as new coffee head after Gelchie's COO move
Agricultural commodity merchant Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has named Ben Clarkson as the head of its coffee business, taking over from Michael Gelchie who was appointed chief operating officer earlier this week. Clarkson, a British national, was previously LDC's global trading manager for coffee, having joined the group in 2012 as a senior coffee trader, LDC said in an update on its website.

Nov 21 - Asia's food sector needs $800 bln investment over 10 years – report
Asia's food and agriculture industry needs investment of $800 billion over the next 10 years to meet the region's growing food demand, a jointly produced report showed on Wednesday. Investments will unlock annual market growth of around 7%, with the region more than doubling its spending on food to more than $8 trillion by 2030, according to the report by consultancy PwC, Rabobank and Singapore state investor Temasek.

Nov 21 - Egypt to double areas for planting soybeans to cut vegetable oil imports – official
Egypt aims to increase the planting area for soybean to 80,000 feddans (32,000 hectares) in the 2019-2020 season from 37,000 feddans in 2018-2019 to reduce vegetable oil imports, an agriculture ministry official said. The North African country plans to increase the area planted with soybean to 150,000 feddans by 2030, said Alaa Khalil, head of the ministry's Field Corps Research Institute. 

Nov 21 - Ivory Coast 2019/20 cotton output expected to hit record 510,000 T
Ivory Coast's cotton output for the 2019/2020 season is forecast to hit a record 510,000 tonnes, up from about 468,000 tonnes in the previous season, the cotton ginners' association said on Wednesday. "The rains were good during sowing and the farmers received the inputs they needed," Christophe N'Dri, executive secretary of the association, told Reuters. 

Nov 20 - Russia's VTB plans to expand grain business and then exit – CEO
Russia's VTB bank, which is expanding in commodities in a bid to create a national grains champion, will exit the sector once it has built up the assets in the next few years, its CEO told Reuters. Andrey Kostin also said in an interview that VTB plans to start trading wheat via its Swiss operation and that it is in the final stage of talks to purchase half of the Taman grain terminal on the Black Sea.

 Nov 20 - A trade deal with China could end up hurting the U.S. soybean market - Braun
Soybean trade between the United States and China has been disrupted for nearly a year and a half as the trade war rages on, but the extent to which an official pact would benefit the U.S. side largely depends on the details inside. Restoring trade to the previous conditions and allowing China to purchase U.S. soybeans and other agricultural goods when the market is favorable is probably the optimal outcome.

 Nov 20 - U.S. reaches deal for $110 mln of U.S. rice exports to South Korea annually
The United States has reached an agreement ensuring the largest ever volume of guaranteed market access for U.S. rice exports to South Korea, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Tuesday. Under the agreement, South Korea will provide access for 132,304 tons of U.S. rice annually at a value of about $110 million, Lighthizer's office said in a statement.

 Nov 20 - Palm oil output to see only slight growth in 2020, deficit likely - analyst Fry
Top palm oil producers Indonesia and Malaysia will see little growth in output next year, potentially leading to a supply deficit and higher prices, leading industry analyst James Fry said on Wednesday. Indonesia, the biggest producer, will grow production by 2%-3% next year, said Fry, adding that output will be hurt by drought and lower fertiliser use.

 Nov 20 - Canada's largest railroad hit by strike, putting Trudeau in hot seat
Thousands of workers at Canada's largest railway went on strike for the first time in a decade on Tuesday, disrupting the shipping of commodities and sparking calls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government to intervene. About 3,000 unionized workers of Canadian National Railway, including conductors and yardmen, hit picket lines after both sides failed to resolve contract issues at a time of softening demand for freight service. 

Nov 20 - Bid by U.S. fund Amerra for Brazil sugar mill fails to win creditor approval
A bid by U.S.-based fund Amerra Capital Management LLC to buy one of the mills from Brazilian sugar and ethanol producer Clealco failed to win approval from a group of creditors of the Brazilian company. Clealco, which filed for bankruptcy protection in July, said late on Monday that Amerra's bid of $47 million for its Queiroz mill, one of the three mills the company operates in Brazil, was not approved, at a meeting on Monday, by creditors who have a total debt estimated at around 1 billion reais ($238.03 million).

Nov 20 - Global dairy prices rise for fifth time in a row
Global dairy prices rose for the fifth time in a row at a fortnightly auction held early on Wednesday as constrained global supply provided support. The GDT Price Index climbed 1.7%, with an average selling price of $3,481 per tonne, having risen 3.7% in the previous sale. 

Nov 19 - Beyond Meat vs Zhenmeat: The battle for China's meatless market
U.S. plant-based "meat" makers targeting China like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat Inc will need to battle homegrown rivals which are developing local favourites such as dumplings and mooncakes to nab a share of the lucrative market. China's meat substitute industry has seen a surge in interest in recent months, with startups, traditional food businesses and investors betting trend-loving Chinese consumers will take to plant-based protein like their U.S. counterparts.

 Nov 19 - Malaysian palm oil to meet new EU food safety levels by 2021 -minister
Malaysia, the second-biggest producer and exporter of palm oil after Indonesia, will enforce regulations to ensure that by 2021 its palm oil meets new food safety standards under consideration by the European Union, a minister said on Tuesday. The EU is considering setting new limits by an as-yet unspecified date on food contaminants in refined fats and oils, and is discussing imposing a safety level for so-called 3-MCPD esters found in palm oil. 

 Nov 19 - Funds remain stubbornly bearish CBOT corn through slow U.S. harvest -Braun
Despite a historically slow U.S. corn harvest pace and the associated strong cash markets, speculators refuse to budge from pessimistic views on Chicago-traded corn, seemingly focused on projections for global supply to remain ample headed into next year. In the week ended Nov. 12, hedge funds and other money managers extended their net short position in CBOT corn futures and options to 110,921 contracts from 104,846 a week earlier, based on data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.  

 Nov 19 - U.S. states declare emergencies to help farmers hit by propane shortage
Regional shortages of propane, which is used for heating homes and barns and by farmers to dry their crops, have led to emergency declarations covering nine U.S. Midwest states amid late harvests of soggy grains. Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin declared state emergencies beginning in late October, and continued last Friday to ease hours of service or load restrictions on delivery vehicles. 

 Nov 19 - Strategie Grains trims EU wheat area outlook, raises barley after wet spell
Strategie Grains has lowered its estimate of the soft wheat area for next year's harvest in the European Union after heavy rain disrupted field work in western EU countries. In a monthly report, the French analyst firm pegged the EU's soft wheat area for 2020 at 23.7 million hectares, down about 200,000 hectares from its initial outlook in October and now below an estimated 23.8 million hectares harvested this year.

Nov 19 - Canadian ministers meet with CN Rail, union in effort to avert strike
Canada's Liberal government sent two ministers on Monday to meet with representatives of Canadian National Railway Ltd and its largest union, as already hard-hit shippers pleaded for government intervention to avert a strike planned for early on Tuesday. The threatened strike by 3,000 workers with Teamsters Canada comes as the country is grappling with softer demand for freight.

Nov 19 - South Korea's NOFI issues tenders for corn, soymeal
South Korea's largest feedmaker Nonghyup Feed Inc. (NOFI) has issued an international tender to purchase up to 69,000 tonnes of corn and about 120,000 tonnes of soymeal, European traders said on Tuesday. The tender deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 19, according to traders.

Nov 19 - Shares of Brazil's Marfrig rise 5% after National Beef deal
Shares of Brazilian food processor Marfrig Global Foods SA rose 5% in morning trading in Sao Paulo after the company announced it raised its stake in U.S. meatpacker National Beef Packing Company to 81.7% from 51%. Marfrig acquired the stake from Jefferies Financial Group Inc for $860 million. Including dividends relative to this year, Jefferies will receive a total of $970 million.

Nov 18 - Trump hails 'cash' to farmers, U.S. aid in China trade war
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday welcomed a "cash" payout to American farmers before the Thanksgiving Day holiday that he attributed to China tariffs, but that money actually is part of a U.S. government aid package. "Our great Farmers will recieve (sic) another major round of 'cash,' compliments of China Tariffs, prior to Thanksgiving," he wrote on Twitter. 

 Nov 18 - China urges regions to speed up pig breeding ahead of Lunar New Year
China's agriculture minister Han Changfu has told officials with nine regional governments to speed up their efforts to raise pig breeding numbers, while adding that supportive measures from Beijing are starting to take effect. According to some estimates, China's pig population has been cut by as much as half since August last year following an outbreak of African swine fever, leading to a surge in prices. 

 Nov 18 - 'Hanging by its fingernails': U.S. biodiesel industry struggles without subsidy
When John Whittington shut his Morristown, Indiana, biodiesel plant this week, he knew the move would leave all 14 of his workers there looking for jobs heading into the U.S. holiday season. But he felt he had no choice. A $1-per-gallon subsidy that had been propping up the industry since 2005 lapsed at the beginning of 2018 due to Congressional inaction, and his hopes for a swift renewal had been declining along with his business ever since.

 Nov 18 - NOPA October soy crush jumps to record-high 175.397 million bushels
U.S. oilseed processors crushed a record-large volume of soybeans in October, topping the previous monthly record set in the same month a year ago by more than 3 million bushels, according to National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) data issued on Friday. NOPA members, which handle about 95 percent of all soybeans processed in the United States, crushed 175.397 million bushels of soybeans last month, up from 152.566 million a month earlier and 172.346 million in October 2018, NOPA said.

 Nov 18 - China buys U.S. soybeans, pork amid uncertainty about trade war settlement
China continued to buy U.S. farm products in early November, even as uncertainty about a potential settlement to the trade war between the world's two largest economies roiled the markets, U.S. government data showed on Friday. The U.S. Agriculture Department's weekly report on export sales showed that Chinese buyers booked deals to purchase 760,527 tonnes of soybeans in the week ended Nov. 7. U.S. exporters also shipped out 693,527 tonnes of the oilseed China. 

Nov 18 - Millions of acres of Canadian canola freeze, compounding 'harvest from hell'
Heavy snow and rain during harvest on the Canadian Prairies have left several million acres of canola buried until spring, the latest blow in a miserable year that may compound farmer problems into 2020. Canola is renowned as Canada's most profitable crop, exported to China, Japan and Mexico to make vegetable oil and animal feed.

Nov 18 - France to end tax breaks for palm oil in biofuel
France's parliament on Friday voted to remove tax breaks for the use of palm oil as a biofuel, a day after a ruling in favour of maintaining the advantage led to howls of protests from environmentalists. A large majority of members present voted against a government-backed proposal to delay until 2026 the end of palm oil's tax advantages, giving companies like oil major Total more time to phase out the use of palm oil in biofuels.

Nov 18 - French maize harvest, cereal sowing stay slow in wet weather
Maize harvesting and winter cereal sowing in France remained well behind their usual pace last week, data from farm office FranceAgriMer showed, suggesting wet weather was continuing to hamper field work in the EU's biggest grain producer. French farmers had harvested 85% of this year's grain maize crop by Nov. 11, up from 79% a week earlier, FranceAgriMer said in a weekly crop report on Friday.

Nov 15 - China ends ban on U.S. poultry imports, seeking meat during pig disease crisis
Beijing lifted a nearly five-year ban on imports of U.S. poultry meat on Thursday, a move the U.S. Trade Representative said would lead to more than $1 billion in annual shipments to China. China's decision comes as the world's two largest economies are trying to finalize a limited trade deal.

 Nov 15 - USDA says exporters sell 129,000 tonnes of soybeans to China
China bought 129,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans for delivery during the current marketing year, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Thursday. The sale - about two cargoes worth - was the first deal for farm products to China the U.S. government has announced in a week.

 Nov 15 - Brazil prosecutors push soy, cattle moratorium to protect natives 
In a part of Brazil plagued by land conflicts and violence against indigenous tribes, prosecutors say they are pushing major grains traders and meatpackers to stop buying from farmers and ranchers charged with crimes against natives. Federal prosecutors have proposed the ban to agribusiness groups in the form of a "voluntary protocol," focusing initially on the troubled southern cone of Mato Grosso do Sul, a state that produces about a tenth of Brazil's beef and soy.

 Nov 15 - Egypt's GASC buys 465,000 tonnes of wheat in tender for shipment Jan. 5-15 
Egypt's state grain buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC,) said on Thursday it had bought 465,000 tonnes of wheat in an international purchase tender for shipment Jan. 5-15. GASC said the purchase comprised of 120,000 tonnes of Ukrainian wheat and 345,000 tonnes of Russian wheat.

 Nov 15 - Deere workers grapple with fallout from Trump's trade war 
Devin Spencer has been on edge ever since Deere & Co. laid off dozens of his colleagues at its Harvester Works plant in western Illinois due to dwindling demand for farm combines. He considers himself lucky to have escaped the indefinite layoffs, but has been relegated to a lower-level job with a pay cut. The 29-year-old welder blames America's trade war with China, which has dented U.S. agricultural exports and, in turn, slowed sales of equipment, for his situation.

Nov 15 - GrainCorp-ANZ Terminals deal passes major regulatory hurdle, shares jump 
GrainCorp on Friday passed a major regulatory hurdle to sell its Australian bulk liquid terminals business to ANZ Terminals, propelling its shares around 8% higher. The clearance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) comes a day after GrainCorp posted its biggest annual loss in more than two decades. It had also warned of a weaker crop outlook in 2020 as it battles a three-year drought that has wilted its output.

Nov 15 - India resumes buying Malaysian palm oil as Kuala Lumpur offers discount - traders
Indian refiners have resumed buying Malaysian palm oil after a near one-month suspension linked to a political row as Kuala Lumpur began offering a $5 a tonne discount over supplies from rival Indonesia, five traders told Reuters on Thursday. The resumption in purchases by India, the biggest buyer of Malaysian palm oil this year and which has contracted some 70,000 tonnes for December, could support Malaysian palm oil prices, which are near their highest in two years.

Nov 15 - China lifting U.S. poultry ban welcome news amid trade war - Braun 
The U.S. agriculture industry has been hoping to reignite trade with China ever since the trade war between the two countries began 16 months ago. Either Beijing’s lift of the U.S. poultry ban on Thursday is a refreshing step toward that goal, or China is extremely short on meat. U.S. poultry trade pales in comparison to that of top export soybeans, and chicken is not traditionally China’s top protein of choice. Chinese poultry consumption is on the rise amid the domestic pork shortage, however, so there is reason to be optimistic about the U.S. prospects.

Nov 15 - Strategie Grains raises 2019/20 EU soft wheat export forecast 
Strong competitiveness of European wheat on world markets prompted consultancy Strategie Grains on Thursday to lift its outlook for this season's EU soft wheat exports again. In a monthly report Strategie Grains forecast 2019/2020 exports outside the European Union at 28.8 million tonnes, up from 27.3 million seen last month and now nearly 7 million tonnes above its July estimate.

Nov 15 - Big, fast cull in S.Korea over swine fever raises safety concerns 
An extensive, rapid slaughter of hogs to control an outbreak of African swine fever has sparked concern over whether South Korea is prepared to dispose of the culled animal, as reports emerged this week a river was contaminated by pig blood. Authorities have slaughtered about 380,000 pigs since the outbreak was reported in September to contain the disease, all in a northern region bordering North Korea.

Nov 14 - Australia's GrainCorp slides to biggest loss since 1998 as drought shrivels output 
Australian bulk grain handler GrainCorp on Thursday warned of an even weaker crop outlook for 2020, after the drought that has ravaged farms across the country's east coast slashed output and pushed it to its biggest loss since 1998. GrainCorp's warning, echoing those of firms like pesticides and crop seeds maker Nufarm Ltd and dairy produce supplier Bega Cheese, comes as wild bushfires plague the region. After three years of extreme drought, the east coast is now forecast to swelter through at least three more months of dry and hotter-than-normal conditions.

 Nov 14 - FranceAgriMer increases wheat export forecast again
Farm office FranceAgriMer on Wednesday increased its forecast of French soft wheat exports for a second month in a row, adding to expectations that France is benefitting from a big harvest and reduced Russian competition to gain market share overseas. In monthly supply and demand estimates for major cereals, FranceAgriMer pegged French soft wheat shipments outside the European Union this season at 12.0 million tonnes, up from 11.7 million projected last month and a new four-year high.

 Nov 14 - Bad U.S. weather forces sugar producers to declare force majeure, prices jump 
Two sugar beet producers declared a surprising force majeure due to freezing U.S. weather conditions, according to market participants and company officials, driving the market higher on Wednesday. Beet producers Western Sugar Cooperative and United Sugars Corp issued force majeure notices to clients late Tuesday, according to three market participants, after a cold snap hit large portions of the United States. 

 Nov 14 - ADM says to focus on organic growth after acquisitions 
Grain trader Archer Daniels Midland Co ADM does not expect to continue its aggressive strategy of acquisitions in the next few years and will instead focus on organic growth, a senior official said on Wednesday. "With this level of acquisitions we have had, I don't think you will see ADM being a very aggressive M&A investor over the next few years," Ismael Roig, Europe, Middle East and Africa President Archer Daniels Midland Co told the Global Grain conference in Geneva.

 Nov 14 - NOPA October U.S. soy crush seen at 166.795 mln bushels - survey
U.S. soy processors ramped up their crush last month as more newly harvested beans became available, although the month's crush was likely below the record pace set in October 2018, according to analysts polled ahead of a monthly National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) report due on Friday. NOPA members, which together handle about 95% of all soybeans processed in the United States, likely crushed 166.795 million bushels of soybeans last month, according to the average of estimates from nine analysts surveyed by Reuters.

Nov 14 - Euronext plans cash-settled durum, feed barley futures for 2020 
Euronext plans to launch futures contracts for durum wheat and animal-feed barley next year, extending its coverage of agricultural markets, the European exchange's head of commodities said on Wednesday. Euronext is developing cash-settled contracts, without physical delivery, for several agricultural products, with the key ones being durum and feed barley, Nicholas Kennedy told Reuters.

Nov 14 - U.S. farmers to leverage land as farm economy deteriorates - survey 
As the U.S.-China trade war drags on, more farmers are expected to take out debt against the land they own - their collateral of last resort - to keep their operations going, according to a survey of lenders. The survey found that bankers are increasingly worried about farmers facing cash-flow problems: 46% of bankers expect an increase in loans secured by farmland for the 2019/20 growing year, up from 37% for the previous period.

Nov 14 - K+S reports Q3 above expectations but cuts output again 
German minerals miner K+S on Thursday reported a beat in third-quarter revenues and core earnings but said it would further cut production of potassium chloride this year by 200,000 tonnes. The world's largest producer of salt for food and de-icing also updated its guidance following the second production cut and now expects earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the full year of 650 million euros ($716.30 million).

Nov 14 - Brazil agriculture minister calls Amazon soy moratorium "absurd" 
Brazil's Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias has criticized a 2008 commitment from the country's grain traders not to buy oilseed from land cleared in the Amazon rainforest known as the soy moratorium. Dias told journalists on Tuesday the pact was "absurd" and argued that strict laws governing where grains can be grown were sufficient to protect the Amazon, whose preservation is considered important to control emissions of greenhouse gases.

Nov 13 - Brazil gets approval for 13 meatpacking plants for China exports
Chinese authorities approved new Brazilian meat exporting plants on Tuesday, according to the Brazilian agriculture ministry, a highly anticipated move as the two nations continue to strengthen trade ties. The approvals come as China seeks to increase meat imports to compensate for the death of around half of its pig herd from African swine fever.

 Nov 13 - China's pork prices slump on higher supply, falling consumption
China's pork prices fell sharply last week for the first time in 10 months, as reports of fresh disease outbreaks in the northeast led to more hogs being sent for slaughter just as consumers cut back on pricey meat, analysts said. Chinese pork prices hit record levels after an epidemic of African swine fever killed millions of pigs in the world's top pork producer.

 Nov 13 - U.S. pork prices rise as fatal pig disease cuts global meat supply - Tyson Foods CEO 
U.S. pork prices rose in recent weeks at a time when they would normally be falling, as a fatal pig disease in China is tightening global meat supplies, the chief executive of Tyson Foods Inc said on Tuesday. The price increase is probably the first time African swine fever (ASF) has significantly affected the United States, CEO Noel White said, after the company posted lower-than-expected quarterly earnings.

 Nov 13 - Brazil soy exports to China to fall to 53 mln T in case of trade deal 
Brazilian soybean exports to China could fall from 60 million tonnes in the 2018-19 season to 53 million tonnes in 2019-20 in the case of a trade deal between the Asian country and the United States, said consultancy Agroconsult on Tuesday. Agroconsult expects Brazilian exports to China to fall less if a trade deal is not reached, projecting soybean exports at 57 million tonnes, since the Asian nation is posed to reduce soybean buying overall due to smaller local demand for soymeal after the African swine fever (ASF) crisis.

 Nov 13 - Brazilian corn muscles in on turf of U.S. exporters - Braun 
Brazilian corn exporters are enjoying a banner year thanks to a big crop and improved logistics, burnishing the country's status as a top global corn supplier and threatening the United States' traditional dominance in the arena. The United States is likely to remain the leading exporter for now, but Brazilian corn has recently been capturing more business from traditional U.S. customers than before. Some of that is due to this year's circumstances, but some of the gains could be more permanent.

Nov 13 - Brazil's BNDES hiring banks to sell at least $1.2 bln in JBS shares -sources 
Brazilian development bank BNDES has asked banks for proposals to sell a stake worth 5 billion reais ($1.2 billion) in meatpacker JBS SA, sources with knowledge of the matter said. The proposals are expected to be delivered in the coming days, according to three sources, and are the first step for hiring the banks to manage the offering.

Nov 13 - Paraguay approves drought-resistant soybean variety from Argentina's Bioceres 
Argentine biotechnology company Bioceres SA said on Tuesday that Paraguay, the fourth largest exporter of soy, had approved a soybean seed resistant to drought and "HB4" herbicides, adding the South American nation to a growing list of countries authorizing it. The variety, developed by Bioceres and U.S.-based Arcadia Biosciences Inc through joint venture Verdeca, has already been approved by the United States, Brasil and Argentina, the world´s three top soy exporters.

Nov 13 - Brazil to boost biodiesel blend to 15% by 2023, helping soy demand 
Brazil is poised to increase for the second time in less than a year the minimum amount of biodiesel to be blended into diesel fuel and to follow up with increases of 1 percentage point a year up to 2023, which in turn should boost demand for soybeans. Analysts, producers and government officials see the country pushing the minimum biodiesel blend to 12% of diesel composition next March after an increase from 10% to 11% last September. They see Brazil reaching a 15% blend by 2023 and are discussing the path to higher blends after that.

Nov 13 - BRF mulls acquisitions in Turkey to grow in-country production 
BRF SA, the world's largest chicken exporter, said on Tuesday it would consider acquisitions in Turkey as part of a strategy to increase production there and remain a leading food supplier in the halal world. Patricio Rohner, vice president of international operations, told a news conference that the company now accounts for about 12% of production in Turkey and aims to grow that to 20%.

Nov 12 - Crop Watch: Terrible N. Dakota soy result, stronger showing for Nebraska corn -Braun 
Although the U.S. corn and soybean harvests are still notably behind schedule, things are nearly complete for the U.S. Crop Watch fields, as both the Nebraska corn and the North Dakota soybeans were finished on Friday. The corn was above average, as expected, but the beans were very disappointing and the worst-yielding of the 16 subject fields relative to normal. The Crop Watch harvest began on Sept. 26 with the corn in Kansas. As of Monday, just the North Dakota corn remains.

 Nov 12 - Grain traders oppose end of Brazil's soy ban in Amazon rainforest 
Brazil's soybean traders association Abiove said on Monday it opposes a movement led by some farmers to end the country's so-called soy moratorium, an agreement that bars trade in soy grown in newly deforested areas in the Amazon rainforest. A group of farmers announced last week that they would seek to cancel the soy moratorium, claiming they had the support of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

 Nov 12 - Brazil says Saudi Arabia approved eight new beef exporting plants
The Brazilian government said in a statement on Monday that the Saudi Food and Drug Authority has approved eight Brazilian beef exporting plants, as the two countries seek to boost business ties. The approvals come on the heels of an official visit to Saudi Arabia by President Jair Bolsonaro last month.

 Nov 12 - Record Arctic cold may hit U.S. Gulf Coast, damage crops 
An Arctic blast pummeling the northern United States on Monday is forecast to break more than 400 cold-temperature records in the next 48 hours and bring a potentially crop-damaging freeze to Texas and other Gulf states. Every state east of the Mississippi River, with the exception of Florida, is expected to see at least one record-cold temperature through Wednesday, said Alex Lamers, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. 

 

Nov 11 - USDA cuts U.S. corn harvest forecast as cold, rain hurts yields 
The U.S. Agriculture Department lowered its corn harvest outlook on Friday as cold and wet conditions late in the growing season cut into yields in key production areas such as South Dakota, Nebraska and Minnesota. USDA also lowered its outlook for wheat production but left its soybean harvest view unchanged after what has been a complicated growing season for farmers wrestling with falling income due to a trade war with China in addition to poor weather.

 Nov 11 - China reshapes global meat markets as swine fever rages
China is scouring the world for meat to replace the millions of pigs killed by African swine fever (ASF), boosting prices, business and profits for European and South American meatpackers as it re-shapes global markets for pork, beef and chicken. The European Union, the world's second largest pork producer after China, has ramped up sales to the Asian giant although it can only fill part of the shortfall caused by ASF. Argentina and Brazil have approved new export plants to meet demand and are selling beef and chickens, as well as pork, to fill the gap. U.S. producers, however, have been hampered due to tariffs imposed by Beijing.

 Nov 11 - Fear of higher Argentine export taxes triggers surge in forward grain sales 
Forward sales of Argentine corn and soybeans are zooming higher versus last year as growers hedge against possible increases in export taxes under President Alberto Fernandez, who is set to take office on Dec. 10. With nearly half of this year's corn already sown, and soy planting recently begun, farmers have sold 12.4 million tonnes of corn and 7.2 million tonnes of soy versus 4.6 million and 2.9 million, respectively, at this point last year.

 Nov 11 - Murder of Indonesia palm oil activists shows growing threat, rights groups say 
The murder of two Indonesian activists, which police say was ordered by a palm oil businessman, highlights the escalating violence and threats faced by environmentalists who challenge the industry, rights groups say. Martua Parasian Siregar, 55, and Maraden Sianipar, 42, were found dead 10 days ago with multiple stab wounds near a palm plantation in the island of North Sumatra.

 Nov 11 - China approves new Argentine slaughterhouses to handle beef exports 
China has approved six new Argentine slaughterhouses and processing plants to handle the increasing amount of beef being shipped from the South American farming powerhouse to the commodities-hungry Asian country, an official said on Friday. China, the world's top pork producer, has seen its hog herd shrink by a third since African swine fever arrived in the country more than a year ago. That has led to a spike in beef imports from markets like Argentina and Brazil. 

 

Nov 11 - Heavy rains slow EU winter crop sowings, disrupt maize harvest 
Heavy rains have delayed grain sowings in parts of the European Union with the situation particularly severe in Britain where they could trigger a significant shift to spring planted crops. The rains have also disrupted the harvesting of maize and sugar beet, adding to the challenge faced by farmers who are trying to get winter crops planted.

Nov 11 - France's Avril to drop palm oil, may sell sites in biodiesel revamp 
French oilseed group Avril may sell two processing factories and plans to stop using imported palm oil as it attempts to turn around its loss-making biodiesel division. The group's Saipol unit, which produces vegetable oil and biodiesel fuel, has been hurt by competition from cheaper imported biofuel as well as a decline in demand for diesel cars in Europe.

Nov 11 - Brazil investors unimpressed by BRF's higher earnings, shares fall 
Brazilian food processor BRF SA posted third-quarter net income that beat the average of analysts estimates, but shares fell nearly 2% in late morning trading in São Paulo as investors see obstacles to maintaining momentum. In an earnings statement on Friday, BRF said net income came in at 446 million reais ($109 million), as net revenue rose by 8.4% to 8.4 billion reais from the third quarter in 2018.

Nov 11 - Three dozen rescued after blast in east German potash mine 
Around three dozen mine staff in eastern Germany were rescued on Friday after being trapped 700 metres (2,300 feet) below ground following an unexplained blast in a potash mine, police said. The local broadcaster MDR reported that firefighters had carried out a rescue operation, and shortly afterwards local police tweeted: "All personnel have been rescued".

Nov 08 - China reshapes global meat markets as swine fever rages
China is scouring the world for meat to replace the millions of pigs killed by African swine fever (ASF), boosting prices, business and profits for European and South American meatpackers as it re-shapes global markets for pork, beef and chicken. The European Union, the world's second largest pork producer after China, has ramped up sales to the Asian giant although it can only fill part of the shortfall caused by ASF. 

 Nov 08 - China imported 6.18 mln tonnes of soy in October
China, the world's largest soy buyer, imported 6.18 million tonnes of soybeans in October, down 24.6 percent from 8.20 million tonnes in September, figures from the General Administration of Customs of China showed. Imports of vegetable oils in October were 912,000 tonnes, up 8.6 percent from the previous month.

 Nov 08 - Delayed U.S. soybean cargo booked under waiver offloads, worries linger
A cargo of American soybeans booked in the hope it would be exempt from tariffs has been offloaded in China after about a one-week delay due to a dispute between the buyer and customs officials over duty payments, said two sources briefed on the matter. The cargo, bought by state-owned Jiusan Group, had been sitting at a port in northeastern China for about a week after customs demanded payment of the 33% duties on U.S. soybeans, according to the two sources and another trader who has spoken to Jiusan about the matter.

 Nov 08 - China, U.S. agree tariff rollback if phase one trade deal is completed
China and the United States have agreed to roll back tariffs on each others' goods in a "phase one" trade deal if it is completed, officials from both sides said on Thursday, sparking division among some advisers to President Donald Trump. The Chinese Commerce Ministry, without laying out a timetable, said the two countries had agreed to cancel the tariffs in phases.

Nov 08 - Corn and soy futures vulnerable again as USDA update looms - Braun
Analysts polled ahead of Friday’s monthly update from the U.S. Department of Agriculture expect domestic corn and soybean supplies to come in lighter than in October, but this week, the corn market has traded as if the opposite will happen. Chicago-traded corn futures have lost 3.6% so far this week, which is the biggest weekly downturn for the most-active contract since the first week of September. 

Nov 08 - ADM offers free corn drying at three Midwest processing plants
Grain merchant Archer Daniels Midland Co is waiving the fees it charges farmers to dry grain at three of its Midwestern corn processors as it seeks supplies to keep the plants running at optimum levels through a slow, wet harvest period, a spokeswoman said on Thursday. Farmers, who are weeks behind schedule in much of the U.S. corn belt due to rainy harvest conditions, have been reluctant to sell their grain at current price levels. 

Nov 08 - Grain traders oppose Brazil's soy ban to protect savannah
Global grain traders are against banning soy purchases from newly deforested areas of Brazil's savannah region, that would duplicate a similar moratorium in place for the Amazon rainforest, an industry association said on Thursday. "There is no intention of doing this," Lucas Brito, executive assistant at grain exporters group Anec, told Reuters on the sidelines of an industry conference in Campinas.

Nov 08 - Dry weather in Argentina threatens to further damage wheat crops
Wheat in the south of Argentina's agricultural area could suffer further yield damage if it does not receive significant rainfall over the days ahead, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said in its weekly crop report on Thursday. Last month, the exchange cut its 2019/20 wheat estimate to 18.8 million tonnes, due to bad weather over recent months.

Nov 08 - Dry, hot weather threatens South African grain crops
Farmers in South Africa are concerned that a drought and hot weather could delay the coming season's plantings of grain crops and damage yields. "In certain areas it is very, very dry. We are concerned about parts of the Limpopo Province, big parts of Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and parts of the Western Cape," said agricultural industry body AgriSA Executive Director Omri van Zyl. 

Nov 07 - China's pork imports to peak in 2022, driven by fatal swine fever - consultancy 
Global meat shippers have three years to make the most of the outbreak of a fatal pig disease in China before Chinese pork imports peak, according to a report released by the U.S. pork industry, which is competing for sales against Europe and South America. The forecast issued on Wednesday starts a clock ticking for companies to profit from the epidemic of African swine fever (ASF), which has killed up to half of China's hog herd since August 2018 and pushed Chinese pork prices to record highs.

 Nov 07 - U.S. corn exports falter, and soy business could meet same fate -Braun 
It is no secret that overseas demand for U.S. corn has been downright terrible as of late, and relief does not seem likely in the immediate term as purchase commitments remain dismal. Forward sales for U.S. soybeans are nothing to brag about either, but soy exporters have enjoyed more success recently than those for corn. The United States exported 3.89 million tonnes of soybeans in September, according to data published Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 17% more than in the previous year and the second-largest ever for the month, behind 4.5 million tonnes in 2017.

 Nov 07 - Australia offers drought ravaged farmers up to $688 million in cheap loans 
Australia will offer farmers hurt by drought up to A$1 billion ($688.10 million) in cheap loans, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, as the government seeks to curb rising discontent from rural voters. Farmers across Australia's east coast have been battling drought conditions for more than three years, wilting agricultural production and leaving some towns on the brink of running out of drinking water supplies.

 Nov 07 - EU, China agree to protect 100 of the other's regional foods 
The European Union and China agreed on Wednesday to protect 100 European regional food designations in China and 100 Chinese equivalents in the EU to spur trade, particularly of European food and drinks. The deal will protect the names of such products as cava, Irish whiskey, feta and prosciutto di Parma, as well as China's Pixian bean paste, Anji white tea and Panjin rice.

Nov 07 - Brazil implements tariff-free 750,000 tns/yr wheat import quota 
Brazil has put into effect a tariff-free import quota for 750,000 tonnes of wheat per year that is open to any country and has no end-date, the Agriculture Ministry said on Wednesday. The zero-tariff wheat quota was announced in March when President Jair Bolsonaro visited the White House, much to the concern of traditional suppliers in Argentina, Brazil's partner in the South American common market Mercosur. But it is only now that it has come into effect.

Nov 07 - China's Yangtze region facing severe drought, affecting production - report 
The middle and lower reaches of China's Yangtze river are suffering from the most severe drought in 40 years, with temperatures up to 3 degrees Celsius higher than normal in some regions, the official People's Daily said on Thursday. Citing the ministry in charge of handling natural disasters, the newspaper said the drought was affecting local grain production,  and had delayed rapeseed planting in the region.

Nov 06 - China to resume imports of Canadian beef and pork
China will resume imports of Canadian beef and pork, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday, some four months after Beijing blocked shipments amid an escalating diplomatic feud between the two countries. "Good news for Canadian farmers today: Canadian pork and beef exports to China will resume," Trudeau tweeted.

 Nov 06 - FCStone poll pegs Australian wheat production at nearly 20% lower than official estimates
Commodity brokerage INTL FCStone said on Wednesday a poll of its clients estimated Australian wheat production during the 2019/29 season would be nearly 20% lower than official estimates. INTL FCStone said its poll of an unspecified number of clients pegged Australian wheat production at 15.54 million tonnes, 19.1% lower than Australia's official estimate of 19.2 million tonnes.

 Nov 06 - At Smithfield Foods' slaughterhouse, China brings home U.S. bacon
Smithfield Foods' slaughterhouse in Virginia used to carve up pork for American sandwiches and holiday dinners. But workers now box up pig carcasses to ship to China, according to employees, local officials and industry sources. The transformation at the Smithfield, Virginia, plant shows how the global meat industry is adapting to profit from African swine fever, a fatal pig disease that has killed millions of hogs in China and turned the world's top pork consumer into a major meat importer. 

 Nov 06 - China's cooking oil market boils amid pork shortage, low soy stocks
China's soyoil prices rallied to their highest in more than two years this week as consumers turned to shrinking inventories of vegetable oils amid a national shortage of pork. China is the top global consumer of pork and the shortage has pushed prices to record levels, forcing some diners to switch to alternative proteins like duck and chicken. 

 Nov 06 - Malaysia palm oil stockpiles forecast to rise 2.8% in October
Malaysian palm oil stockpiles likely rose in October as production increased to its highest in a year, even as export demand surged for the edible oil, a Reuters survey showed. Inventories during October in the world's second-largest palm oil producer are forecast to rise 2.8% from September to a seven-month high of 2.52 million tonnes, according to a median estimate of seven planters, traders and analysts polled by Reuters. 

 Nov 06 - Australia calls on China to finish anti-dumping probe on barley exports
China should finish its investigation into whether Australian barley suppliers dumped cheap imports into the country within months, in line with global trade rules, Australia's Minister for Trade Simon Birmingham said on Wednesday. The Chinese probe, widely considered politically motivated, has shaken barley trading between the two countries, with traders hesitant of booking new shipments when tariffs could be imposed. 

 Nov 06 - Scramble for propane marks Mother Nature's latest challenge for U.S. farmers
Months after historic floods ravaged the U.S. Midwest, farmers scrambling to harvest their crops face a new headache: finding fuel to dry their soaked grains. Normally, farmers use propane as fuel for grain dryers to reduce moisture levels in corn crops to ready for sale or to safely store the grain.

Nov 06 - Brazil farmers push traders to end Amazon soy moratorium
Brazilian farmers plan to start a campaign next week to end a ban by trading firms on buying soybeans from parts of the Amazon rainforest cleared after 2008, leaders from a major farmer group told Reuters, citing support from President Jair Bolsonaro. The push to end traders' voluntary "soy moratorium" — one of the farm industry's most high-profile efforts to preserve the Amazon — comes despite mounting global pressure on Brazil to protect the environment from its expanding farm frontier.

Nov 06 - Brazil's JBS sells 400 tonnes of pork innards to China
Seara Alimentos, a company of the JBS group, concluded its first negotiation for the sale of pork innards to China after the Asian country authorized seven new Brazilian units to export this type of product. According to a JBS statement on Tuesday, Seara has closed a shipment of 400 tonnes.

Nov 06 - Global dairy prices jump 3.7% on dampened supply
Global dairy prices surged 3.7% at a fortnightly auction held early on Wednesday, boosted by constrained global supply and New Zealand production. The GDT price index climbed to $3,446 per tonne, after rising 0.5% at the previous sale.

Nov 05 - Brazil soy planting passes 5-yr average; remains below 2018's level – AgRural
Brazilian soybean growers have planted 46% of the estimated area in the 2019/2020 crop, which they started sowing around September, below the level of 60% seen last year, agribusiness consultancy AgRural said on Monday, citing scarce rains. Despite the slower pace of soy planting compared with 2018, soy sowing work is above a five-year average of 43% of the area for this time of the year, AgRural said. 

 Nov 05 - Crop Watch: Harvest conditions finally improving in North Dakota -Braun
Most of the U.S. Crop Watch growers are beginning to wind down their harvests, though colder temperatures are allowing activity to pick up speed in North Dakota after field work has been delayed for many weeks by extremely soggy conditions. The subject corn field in Minnesota was finished last week, leaving just the Nebraska corn and the two North Dakota fields still awaiting harvest. All but the North Dakota corn should be completed this week.

 Nov 05 - U.S. corn harvest seen as 54% complete, soybeans 75% harvested - poll
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's weekly crop progress report should show the U.S. corn harvest as 54% complete, according to the average of estimates by 10 analysts surveyed by Reuters on Monday. The poll forecast no change in weekly crop condition ratings since a week ago, with 58% of the crop seen as good to excellent.

 Nov 05 - Brazil says China approves seven plants for exports of pork innards
The Brazilian government said on Monday that China has approved seven meatpacking plants in the state of Santa Catarina for the export of pork innards. Exports can begin immediately, Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias said on Twitter, adding that the approvals came as a result of talks held during President Jair Bolsonaro's visit to China last month.

Nov 05 - EU 2020 rapeseed crop may only just reach 19 mln T - Strategie Grains
Rapeseed production in the European Union may only just reach 19 million tonnes next year after dry weather hampered sowings, reducing the planted area, consultancy Strategie Grains said. The consultancy said last month the area sown with rapeseed in the EU this year would be well below the five-year average, as farmers have turned away from the crop after several years of poor performance and weather damage. 

Nov 05 - China to reduce number of small slaughterhouses to better control African swine fever
China's agriculture ministry on Tuesday said it will reduce the number of small-scale slaughterhouses to better prevent and control African swine fever. There are too many small slaughterhouses in some places in China, equipped with old facilities and backward production techniques, and checks on the pork quality are not done properly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement on its website.

Nov 05 - Egypt's GASC seeks wheat for Dec. 15-25 shipment
Egypt's General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) set a tender on Monday to buy an unspecified amount of wheat from global suppliers for shipment from Dec. 15-25. GASC Vice Chairman Ahmed Youssef said the authority was seeking to buy cargoes of soft and/or milling wheat from the United States, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Poland, Argentina, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Paraguay and Serbia.

Nov 04 - Australia rains: Dancing in the street, not so much down on the farm
The heaviest rains in years have fallen across parts of Australia's east coast, bringing relief to some struggling livestock farmers, although the showers are not likely to break a drought that has crippled the country's grains sector. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said some parts of the state of New South Wales received nearly 100 mm (4 inches) of rain over Sunday. 

 Nov 04 - Funds add to bullish soybean bets with futures near 16-month highs - Braun
Speculators last week marked their seventh straight week of covering short positions in Chicago-traded soybeans as top soybean buyer China continues to be active in the U.S. market despite the lack of a firm trade agreement between the two countries. In the week ended Oct. 29, hedge funds and other money managers increased their net long in CBOT soybean futures and options to 72,325 contracts from 68,822 in the previous week, according to data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. 

 Nov 04 - Rain, early snows delay U.S. harvest in latest blow to farmers
Excessive rains and an October snowstorm have stalled the harvest in the U.S. grain belt's northern tier, one more blow to farmers already struggling with the effects of planting delays and a trade war that has pressured commodity prices. The corn and soybean harvests are especially delayed in North Dakota and Minnesota - precisely the states suffering the most from the U.S.-China trade war due to their reliance on exporting to Asia through West Coast ports. 

 Nov 04 - China books deal for 132,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans - USDA
Private exporters reported the sale of 132,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans to China on Friday, the latest in a string of purchases the top buyer of the oilseed has booked as the world's two largest economies negotiate to end a bilateral trade war that has lasted more than a year. The deal, which calls for delivery by Aug. 31, brings China's total U.S. soybean purchase commitments to 6.322 million tonnes for the marketing year.

Nov 04 - French firm Axereal seals acquisition of Cargill's malt business
Axereal, France's largest grain cooperative, said it had sealed its previously-announced acquisition of Cargill's malt business, in a deal which would make Axereal's Boortmalt unit the world's leading company in terms of malt production. Boortmalt will take over all of Cargill's malt activities, featuring 16 malthouses in nine countries, nearly 600 employees, and with a total production capacity of 1.7 million tonnes.

Nov 04 - Brazil corn crop at risk due to soy planting delays - farmer group
Delays in Brazil's soybean planting due to scarce rainfall may affect sowing of the country's second corn crop, which is planted after the oilseed is harvested and represents about 73% of the South American output. "There is a lot of risk for the (corn) crop," said Antonio Galvan, head of the Mato Grosso state grain growers association, said in a telephone interview with Reuters on Friday. 

Nov 04 - For many U.S. farmers who planted hemp, CBD boom leaves bitter taste
Dan Maclure planted eight acres of hemp on his Vermont farm for the first time this year, aiming to cash in on the exploding demand for CBD, a derivative of the plant reputed to ease anxiety and other ills without the high of its close cousin, marijuana. He persevered when some of his hemp plants grew white with mildew and others failed lab tests and had to be destroyed.

Nov 04 - Brazil's beef, cotton exports reach all-time highs in October – govt
Brazilian exports of beef and cotton reached all-time highs in October, considering monthly volumes, according to detailed government data for the country's commodities exports released on Friday. Brazil shipped abroad 160,100 tonnes of fresh beef (in natura) in October. Cotton exports in the same month reached 273,400 tonnes, trade ministry data showed.

Nov 01 - U.S. ships most soybeans to China since August in late October 
China purchased 481,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans in the week ended Oct. 24 and shipped more than half a million tonnes, the most since August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Thursday. Purchases of U.S. agricultural products are seen as key to securing a deal to end a bilateral trade war between the United States and China that has lasted more than a year.

 Nov 01 - Nutrition business helps ADM weather trade war impact, results beat forecasts 
Grain trader Archer Daniels Midland Co posted higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, as increased returns in its nutrition business and improved U.S. grain marketing efforts helped cushion the impact of sluggish commodity prices, ethanol industry troubles and trade war woes.  Chicago-based ADM and its rivals have been restructuring their businesses after a years-long crop supply glut thinned margins and sapped profits. Adding to the challenges are the U.S.-China trade war and a deadly pig disease that has dampened demand for soymeal in China. 

 Nov 01 - Swine fever pushes Chinese pig farmers to record quarterly profits 
China's top pig producers posted their highest ever profits in the three months to September, as soaring hog prices more than compensated for losses resulting from African swine fever. The huge profits underline how the fatal pig disease, which has killed millions of hogs across Asia and left many small farmers bankrupt, has proved a major opportunity for the leading producers in the world's largest but highly fragmented hog sector. 

 Nov 01 - Will November snap record 15-month wet streak in the U.S. Midwest? - Braun 
It is no surprise that U.S. farmers had trouble with their corn and soybean crops this year – from the slowest planting on record to one of the latest-ever harvests – as above-average precipitation has been a staple in the Midwest for an unheard-of period of time.  October likely marked the 15th straight month in which precipitation was greater than the long-term average in the Midwest, where the majority of U.S. corn and soybeans are grown. Plentiful rainfall is generally good for yields, but it is not ideal during planting or harvest, as waterlogged soils cannot support heavy equipment.

Nov 01 - Argentine 2019/20 wheat crop estimate lowered to 18.8 mln tonnes - exchange 
Argentina's 2019/20 wheat harvest is expected at 18.8 million tonnes, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said in its weekly crop report on Thursday, citing bad weather as its reason for cutting its previous 19.8 million tonne forecast. "The crop has gone through unfavorable climate conditions that have negatively affected crop performance," it said.

Nov 01 - Indonesia reviewing terms of EU trade deal as WTO palm oil spat brews - vice min 
Indonesia's vice foreign minister Mahendra Siregar said Jakarta is reviewing a draft trade deal with the European Union in the run-up to filing a complaint against the trading bloc with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over use of palm oil in biofuels. Siregar said on Friday the government will take a close look at the proposed text of Indonesia's comprehensive economic agreement, currently under negotiation with the EU, to make sure palm oil is positioned "fairly" in the planned deal. Indonesia is the world's biggest producer and exporter of palm oil, used in everything from cookies to soap.

Nov 01 - Corteva signals hit from delayed planting in Brazil, slowing China 
Corteva Inc said on Thursday demand for grains and oilseeds could be hit by a delayed soybean planting in Brazil and cooling growth in China and emerging economies, sending its shares down 8%. Persistent dry weather has pushed out soybean planting and the use of crop protection products in Brazil, the world's top exporter of the oilseed, while purchases by top buyer China have been erratic due to Beijing's trade war with Washington, which has also hit growth at the world's second-largest economy.

Nov 01 - French maize harvest 65% complete by Oct. 28 
French farmers had harvested 65% of this year's grain maize crop as of Oct. 28, up from 46% a week earlier, farm office FranceAgriMer said on Thursday. The harvest progress remained well below last year's, when 96% of the crop had been harvested by that time, FranceAgriMer's weekly crop report showed.

Nov 01 - China's Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange eyes coffee, peanut futures 
China's Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange will speed up preparations to launch soda ash, coffee and peanuts futures among others, an executive from the bourse said on Thursday. The exchange will also accelerate the listing of purified terephthalic acid (PTA), methanol and rapeseed meal options, its deputy general manager, Wang Xiaoming, said at an industry conference in Shanghai.

Oct 31 - Beijing could axe extra tariffs on U.S. ag products to boost imports 
Beijing could remove extra tariffs imposed since last year on U.S. farm products to ease the way for importers to buy up to $50 billion worth, rather than direct them to buy specific amounts, the head of a government-backed trade association said. U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this month that China had pledged to spend between $40 billion and $50 billion on U.S. agricultural products annually as part of a deal to end a trade war that broke out last year.

Oct 31 - Big corn, big oil both blast Trump biofuel plan at EPA hearing 
Corn farmers, ethanol producers, refinery representatives, energy traders and state and local officials from the Midwest all blasted away at the Trump administration's proposed biofuels plan for next year during a public hearing on Wednesday hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The hearing in Ann Arbor, Michigan, marks the second public meeting on the topic in as many days, airing the grievances of the opposing oil and corn constituencies President Donald Trump has been working to win over ahead of next year's election.

Oct 31 - No country immune to risk of African swine fever spreading - OIE 
African swine fever will spread further across Asia where it has devastated herds, and no country is immune from being hit by the deadly animal virus, the head of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Wednesday. The disease, which has hit the world's top pork producer China hard, originated in Africa before spreading to Europe and Asia. It has been found in 50 countries, killing hundreds of million pigs, while reshaping global meat and feed markets.

Oct 31 - Bunge shares slide as China trade war, pig disease upset exports 
Agricultural merchant Bunge Ltd warned on Wednesday of a drop in annual profits due to mounting challenges to its grain trading and processing business from the U.S.-China trade war and a fatal pig disease in Asia, sending shares down more than 4%. The company reported better-than-expected third-quarter profits, driven by higher margins on its edible oil products in North America and Brazil. However, Chief Executive Greg Heckman projected annual earnings would fall 15 cents to 20 cents a share below 2018, excluding certain items. 

 Oct 31 - Rains spark Argentine soy planting, too late for wheat hit hardest by drought 
Soy planting can start in the days ahead after rains pelted Argentina's agricultural belt, but the moisture arrived too late for wheat yields to recover from damage caused by weeks of dryness in some key farm areas, farmers said on Wednesday. "We have had some rain now, so we are starting to plant soybeans. But it did not come in time to help with wheat yields," said Pedro Vigneau, who operates a farm outside the town of Bolivar in the heart of the bread-basket province of Buenos Aires.

 Oct 31 - USDA September soybean crush seen at 161.8 mln bushels 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expected to report that 4.854 million short tons, or 161.8 million bushels, of soybeans were crushed at U.S. processing plants in September, according to the average forecast of eight analysts surveyed by Reuters ahead of monthly data. Estimates ranged from 161.3 million bushels to 162.5 million bushels, with a median of 161.7 million.

 Oct 31 - Argentina ready to fill Vietnam's wheat supply gap - export chamber 
Argentina could export up to 2 million tonnes of wheat to Vietnam per year, replacing shipments from Russia which were suspended because of the presence of thistle seed, Argentina's export company chamber said on Wednesday. "Vietnam has recognized that Argentina can be certified free of these pests, which brought Russian wheat into question," Gustavo Idigoras, head of the Argentine agro-industrial export chamber CIARA-CEC, told Reuters.

Oct 31 - Fonterra reports higher milk solids production in September 
New Zealand's Fonterra on Thursday reported a 0.7% rise in milk solids production in September, due to favourable temperatures and pasture conditions across much of the country. Liquid milk production fell 0.7% for the same period, a difference Fonterra said indicates improved pasture quality from September last year. Milk solids are the amount of fat and protein contained in the liquid milk supplied to Fonterra.

Oct 31 - Malaysia says trade spat with India over palm oil will not be prolonged 
A Malaysian minister on Wednesday said a boycott of the country's palm oil by Indian traders will likely not be prolonged as there were not enough supplies from top producer Indonesia to cover the shortfall.  Indian traders have been told to stop buying palm oil from Malaysia, the second biggest exporter of the commodity, after remarks by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Kashmir sparked anger in New Delhi. 

Oct 30 - In US-China talks, Beijing's refusal to spell out farm buys is big sticking point 
U.S. President Donald Trump's demand that Beijing commit to big purchases of American farm products has become a major sticking point in talks to end the Sino-U.S. trade war, according to several people briefed on the negotiations. Trump has said publicly that China could buy as much as $50 billion of U.S. farm products, more than double the annual amount it did the year before the trade war started.

 Oct 30 - Oil and Corn clash over secretive U.S. biofuel waivers in hearing 
The U.S. oil and corn industries continued a long-running public battle over America’s biofuels policy on Tuesday during a Congressional hearing about the Trump administration’s use of “secret waivers” for refineries. Representatives of the biofuels sector accused the administration of "rampant abuse" of the so-called Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) freeing refineries from their annual ethanol blending obligations, while the nation's top refining association argued the program was critical to national security by keeping petroleum fuel producers in business.

 Oct 30 - Vietnam to vet Russian wheat exporters to address quality concerns 
Russia has agreed to provide Vietnam with a list of its wheat exporters for approval, the Russian regulator said on Tuesday, as the two countries try to resolve Vietnamese quality concerns about the Russian crop. Vietnam has complained that it has found thistle seed in wheat imported from Russia and some other big suppliers and has urged local importers to seek supplies from other countries.

 Oct 30 - China's New Hope breaks into Southeast Asia pig farming amid disease woes 
In a cluster of blue and white buildings nestled deep inside one of southern Vietnam's rubber plantations, China's New Hope Liuhe is busy stocking its first overseas pig farm with young sows. New Hope's efforts in Vietnam illustrate a significant acceleration in its global expansion to increase its overseas revenue to 30% of its total in a few years, said Bai Xubo, securities representative with the company.

Oct 30 - Brazil's BRF to invest $120 mln in Saudi chicken processing plant 
Brazilian food processor BRF SA on Tuesday announced an agreement to invest around $120 million to build its first chicken processing plant in Saudi Arabia in a bid to strengthen its position in a key growth market. The company, the largest food exporter in the Gulf region, has four production facilities in the Middle East, where increasing populations will lift demand for food.

Oct 30 - China commodity bourses to stop 'double-counting' from 2020 
China's three biggest commodities exchanges said on Tuesday they would end their practice of double-counting trades from Jan. 1, 2020 and report on a single-count basis instead to help them converge with international standards. The Shanghai Futures Exchange (ShFE), known for its base metal contracts, the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE), home to China's iron ore futures, and the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange, which trades sugar and cotton, announced the switch in separate statements. 

Oct 29 - China's egg futures hit three-year high as pork prices surge 
Egg futures on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange rose to their highest in more than three years on Monday, in a move analysts tied to sharp gains in pork prices after disease devastated the country's hog herd. The most-actively traded egg contract jumped nearly 4% earlier in the day to 4,925 yuan ($697.44) a tonne, the highest since July 2016. It was last up 2.95% at 4,884 yuan. 

 Oct 29 - Russia resumes wheat export to Vietnam - TASS 
Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, has resumed shipments to major buyer Vietnam after a temporary suspension on Vietnam's request, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing Deputy Prime Minister Maxim Akimov.  Vietnam slashed its purchases significantly a year ago after finding imports contained thistle seed. Earlier in October Vietnam asked Russia's agriculture safety watchdog to temporarily suspend issuing wheat export certificates. 

 Oct 29 - EU crop monitor cuts maize, sugar beet yield forecasts 
The European Union's crop monitoring service on Monday cut its forecast for this year's EU grain maize and sugar beet yield. The 2019 grain maize yield in the EU was now expected to reach 7.57 tonnes per hectare (t/ha), down from 7.63 t/ha forecast last month and 9.3% below last year's level, the MARS service said in a monthly report.

 Oct 29 - Crop Watch: Corn, soy harvest advances, except for in North Dakota - Braun 
The U.S. Crop Watch growers report decent progression of the corn and soybean harvests last week, and the overall sentiment toward the crop is unchanged on the week. However, parts of North Dakota continue to struggle in the wet conditions, which are preventing harvest equipment from entering the fields. Four of the 16 Crop Watch fields remain: the corn in Nebraska, Minnesota and North Dakota, and the soybeans in North Dakota. The Minnesota and Nebraska fields should be harvested in the next 10 days. North Dakota is still waiting for the ground to either dry out or freeze before harvest activity can ramp up. 

 Oct 29 - Funds load up on CBOT soy and wheat as U.S.-China possibilities simmer - Braun 
Speculators continued to expand optimism in Chicago-traded soybeans last week amid easing U.S.-China trade tensions, and they turned bullish toward Chicago wheat for the first time in six years during the month of October.  On the charts, both soybeans and wheat were looking top-heavy last week as prices had been above recent averages for unusually long periods. Wheat maintained that trend through the remainder of the week, but soybeans could not hang on.

 Oct 29 - BP still aiming to close Brazil deal with Bunge in 2019 
BP Plc is still looking to close its deal with Bunge Ltd to merge sugar and ethanol assets in Brazil in 2019, so the companies can go on to plan their operations together for the new cane season that starts in early 2020. BP's chief executive for biofuels, Mario Lindenhayn, told reporters on the sidelines of Datagro's sugar conference in Sao Paulo the oil major was just waiting for the green light of antitrust bodies in three countries, including China, to close the deal.

 Oct 29 - Beyond Meat to offer more store discounts as competition heats up; shares fall 
Beyond Meat Inc reported its first ever net profit and raised its full-year sales forecast, but shares tumbled 6.5% in extended trading as the vegan burger maker said it would need to offer more store discounts or promotions as competition heats up. Plant-based burgers, sausages and other meat-lookalikes have become the hottest food trend in recent years, gaining popularity among mainstream consumers looking to cut back on meat consumption. Retailers from Kroger Co to Walmart Inc are making space in their meat aisles as more food makers enter the faux-meat market.

Oct 29 - Philippines to nearly triple local rice purchases, scraps safeguard duty proposal 
The Philippine government will nearly treble rice purchases from local farmers this year, officials said on Monday, after it rejected a proposal last week to impose safeguard duty. The National Food Authority (NFA) said it will now buy up to 1.14 million tonnes of unmilled rice from local farmers, who were hurt by the removal of quantitative import restrictions, compared with the previous target of 389,000 tonnes. 

Oct 28 - Malaysian AM, PM Cash Market Prices for Palm Oil Unavailable
Data for Malaysian cash market prices for palm oil are unavailable due to Deepavali holiday.

Oct 28 - Brazil, China sign sanitary protocols for processed meat, cottonseed meal 
Brazil and China signed on Friday two sanitary protocols for the trading of thermo-processed meat and cottonseed meal, according to a statement from Brazil's Agriculture Ministry.  The protocols, which set hygiene and processing standards for the products, were signed by Brazilian Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias and the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC), the statement said.

 Oct 28 - In Argentina grains belt, farmers ready to 'unsaddle' as Peronists return 
There is a saying among farmers when times are hard on the Argentine Pampas: "Unsaddle the horse until the sun comes out". That saying is starting to spread in farm towns like Saladillo, after the populist-leaning Peronists won back power on Sunday. This dusty soy, corn and cattle ranching town in the bread-basket province of Buenos Aires was a bastion of support for farm-friendly incumbent Mauricio Macri. He was seen here as a free-markets messiah when elected in 2015 after eight years of populist, protectionist rule.

 Oct 28 - Bunge, CJ Selecta, Sodrugestvo vie for Imcopa soy crushing assets 
At least three potential bidders have expressed an interest in buying two soy processing plants put up for sale by Brazilian grain crusher Imcopa Importação, Exportação e Indústria de Óleos SA, two sources familiar with the bidding process told Reuters. The bidders are U.S.-based Bunge Inc  CJ Selecta, owned by South Korea's CJ Cheiljedang; and the local unit of Russia's Sodrugestvo, according to the sources, who requested anonymity this week to discuss the confidential process.

Oct 28 - China pork prices surge towards $8 a kilo as demand picks up 
Pork prices in China surged past 50 yuan ($7.07) per kilogramme this week, as colder weather brought rising demand, exacerbating a severe meat shortage in the world's top consumer. The retail price jumped 9.2% in the week to Oct. 16, data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs showed, the biggest weekly jump since at least 2016.

Oct 28 - Philippine hog industry's losses from swine fever nearly $20 mln a month 
The Philippine hog industry is losing nearly $20 million a month from African swine fever infections, agricultural officials said on Friday, after announcing the virus has also been detected in some processed pork products. The highly contagious pig disease is quickly spreading in the Philippines, the world's 10th-largest pork consumer, pushing up prices of other meat products such as chicken.

Oct 28 - Ukraine weekly sea port grain exports jump to 1.9 mln T - APK-Inform 
Ukrainian grain exports from sea ports more than doubled to 1.865 million tonnes in the week of Oct. 19-25 from 776,000 tonnes a week earlier, due to higher corn and wheat shipments, preliminary data from APK-Inform consultancy showed on Monday. Wheat exports rose to 814,000 tonnes from 386,000 tonnes, while corn shipments rose to 934,000 tonnes from 220,000 tonnes, the consultancy said.

Oct 25 - China's soy imports from U.S. jump in Sept as trade truce orders arrive 
China's September soybean imports from the United States surged from a year ago, customs data showed on Friday, as cargoes bought earlier during an easing in the trade war between the world's top two economies cleared customs.  The world's top buyer of soybeans, brought in 1.73 million tonnes of the oilseed from the United States in September, up from 132,248 tonnes last year, data from the General Administration of Customs showed. 

 Oct 25 - China's alleged offer to buy U.S. farm goods is not a huge win, for now - Braun 
Thursday’s media report that China has agreed to buy a certain volume of U.S. farm goods provides only lukewarm assurance to the agriculture market, which has been waiting for a resurgence of U.S. exports to the East Asian country. While the agreement suggests that trade tensions are easing and that a deal between the United States and China may finally be close to reality after nearly a year and a half, the proposed quantity is not as attractive as what may have been anticipated, and further purchases are contingent on the final deal.

 Oct 25 - Brazil poised to get more meat plant approvals from China - minister 
Brazil is hopeful China will authorize more local meat exporters before Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Brazil next month, as the South American country seeks to position itself as a major food exporter to the world's most populous nation.  "More meat plant approvals may happen in the few days that separate a visit by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to China from the visit of the Chinese president to Brazil," said Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias in a video posted on Twitter on Thursday.

 Oct 25 - China buys 264,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans - USDA 
Private exporters reported the sale of 264,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans to China for delivery in the 2019/20 marketing year, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Thursday, amid hopes for a partial trade deal between the world's two largest economies. That marked the first U.S. government confirmation of a soybean sale to the top buyer of the oilseed since President Donald Trump said on Oct. 11 that China would buy up to $50 billion in American farm products as part of a trade agreement.

 Oct 25 - Australia drought cuts IGC global wheat crop outlook 
The International Grains Council (IGC) on Thursday trimmed its forecast for global wheat production in the 2019/20 season as the outlook for Australia's crop dimmed. In its monthly update, the inter-governmental body cut its global wheat production projection by 2 million tonnes to 762 million tonnes.

 Oct 25 - China's Sinograin names COFCO's Chi as general manager 
China's Sinograin said on Thursday that Jingtao (Johnny) Chi had been appointed its general manager after previously working as an executive at fellow state-owned grain firm COFCO Corp. The appointment was announced at a meeting held by Sinograin on Tuesday, according to a statement on the website of the company, which manages China's state reserves of corn, wheat and soybeans.

 Oct 25 - South African farmers expected to plant more maize in 2019/2020 season 
South African maize farmers intend to plant 9.47% more of the staple grain in the 2019/2020 season, after the previous season's plantings were delayed and profitability of the crop improved, the Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) said on Thursday. Farmers are expected to plant 2.519 million hectares of maize next season compared to 2.301 million hectares planted for the 2018/2019 season.

 Oct 25 - Indonesia wants Indian tariffs on its palm oil kept in line with Malaysia - official 
Indonesia has asked India to keep tariffs the South Asian country charges on its palm oil in line with rates given to Malaysia under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership negotiations, an Indonesian official said on Thursday. Imam Pambagyo, who heads Indonesia's negotiating team in the RCEP talks, said Jakarta is making the request to Delhi bilaterally but under the RCEP framework.

Oct 24 - China to boost imports of goods including farm products
China will boost imports of certain goods including agricultural, consumer and components products as part of its efforts to stabilise foreign trade, Chinese state television said on Wednesday, citing the cabinet.  CCTV said the State Council also decided to improve its policies on tax rebates, trade finance and insurance, and ease restrictions for capital account transactions as part of its efforts. 

 Oct 24 - Elevated CBOT soy prices in serious need of less talk, more action -Braun
The recent price action in Chicago-traded soybeans has been friendly for the bulls, and even historically aggressive. But the futures rally has plateaued over the last several sessions, and now the bullish market is at risk of a downturn without more supportive news very soon, particularly surrounding U.S.-China relations. Short-term trends in Chicago wheat futures have also been dynamic, but that is less true for corn prices, despite being at multi-year highs. 

 Oct 24 - India raises wheat buying price, makes exports unviable
India has lifted the price at which it buys locally produced new-season wheat by 85 rupees or 4.6% to support farmers, officials said on Wednesday, but the rise was the lowest in five years as New Delhi struggles to sell grain bought in 2019. The increase will widen the difference between local and overseas wheat prices and make exports from the world's second-biggest producer of the grain unviable.

 Oct 24 - Iran plans to import 3 mln tonnes of wheat - official
Iran plans to import 3 million tonnes of wheat this Iranian calendar year, according to a presentation delivered by the secretary general of the country's Federation of Food Industry Associations Kaveh Zargaran on Wednesday. Iran was a major importer of wheat and one of the largest markets for Russian wheat until it reduced purchases in 2016 because of Tehran's self-sufficiency drive.

 Oct 24 - Biofuel groups file petition challenging Trump administration's small-refinery waivers
Biofuels groups have filed a petition in the U.S. court of appeals in Washington against the Environmental Protection Agency, challenging the agency's process for granting refineries exemptions to the nation's biofuel blending mandates, the groups said Wednesday. The petition, filed by groups such as the Renewable Fuels Association, the American Coalition for Ethanol, and Growth Energy, challenges the EPA's process for granting waivers to 31 oil refineries for 2018. The biofuels industry has criticized the Trump administration for expanding the number of waivers granted in recent years, claiming the exemptions undercut demand for fuels such as corn-based ethanol.

 Oct 24 - Manure, trash and wastewater: U.S. utilities get dirty in climate fight
Joey Airoso has always been proud of his cows, whose milk goes into the butter sold by national dairy company Land O'Lakes. Now he has something new to brag about: the vast amounts of gas produced by his 2,900-head herd is powering truck fleets, homes and factories across the state of California. "It's pretty incredible if you think about it," Airoso said during a recent tour of his 1,500-acre (607-hectare) farm, as a stream of watered-down manure flowed from cow sheds into a nearby pit. There the slurry releases methane that is captured and eventually piped into fueling stations and buildings.

 Oct 24 - Saudi Arabia's SALIC says looking at Black Sea grain terminal
Saudi Arabia's SALIC is conducting due diligence on several projects in the Black Sea region and is looking to acquire a grain terminal there, its managing director told Reuters. SALIC, the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Co, was formed in 2011 to secure food supplies for the desert kingdom, the world's top oil exporter, through mass production and foreign investments. 

 Oct 24 - In hungry Venezuela, food producers step up exports to survive
Shrimp farming is booming in this western Venezuelan city, but little of the shellfish is destined for tables in this malnourished nation. About 90% of this shrimp is headed for Europe and Asia - with the blessing of President Nicolas Maduro.

 Oct 24 - South Africa expected to plant more maize hectares than in previous season - poll
South Africa's 2019 maize production forecast is expected to be 2.58% higher than September's estimate on better yields and higher than expected rainfall, a Reuters survey of analysts showed on Wednesday. The government's Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) is expected to put the harvest at 2.36 million hectares, up from its September estimate of 2.3 million hectares, a poll of five traders and market analysts showed.

 Oct 24 - As population grows, human diet must cut down on meat, sugar, salt - Nestlé exec
Nestlé SA, one of the world's largest food processors, believes population growth will require human diets to adapt, reducing consumption of sugar, salt and meat products, an executive said on Wednesday. "We have 7.5 billion people and the population continues to grow, so there is a need to eat more vegetables, cereals, and less sugar, meat products," said Laurent Freixe, Executive Vice President and head of operations in the Americas. 

Oct 23 - China offers tariff-free quota for 10 mln T of U.S. soybean purchases - sources
Beijing on Tuesday offered major Chinese and international soybean processors waivers that would exempt the companies from steep tariffs on imports of up to 10 million tonnes of U.S. soybeans, according to two people briefed on the matter. The waivers, however, failed to unleash a flood of immediate buying on Tuesday as U.S. prices remained too high, according to U.S. export traders. Market conditions have continued to determine Chinese buying in recent weeks despite U.S. President Donald Trump's assurances of a wave of imminent sales. 

 Oct 23 - How a major U.S. farm lender left a trail of defaults, lawsuits
After completing a credit review in a half-hour phone call, a BMO Harris Bank underwriter cleared $12 million in loans for Ohio corn and soybean producer Greg Kruger in 2013. Kruger had initially asked for a $2 million loan to build a grain elevator. But the Chicago-based bank, one of the largest U.S. farm lenders, ended up selling him a $5 million loan for the elevator and another $7 million to finance crops, machinery and debt consolidation, according to documents in the Ohio foreclosure case the bank filed to seize Kruger's farm.

 Oct 23 - Dry weather to cut Ukraine 2020 winter grain area - forecaster
Drought across most Ukrainian regions is likely to reduce the area sown in the 2020 winter grain harvest, the head of Ukraine's state weather forecasting centre said on Tuesday. Ukraine and Russia, its main rival on Black Sea grain exports, have been both looking for more rains this autumn. In Russia, though, warm and rainy weather has speeded up sowing in recent weeks and is expected to favour works in the next few weeks. 

 Oct 23 - Crop Watch: What the corn and soybean scores reveal about yield - Braun
With most of the U.S. Crop Watch corn and soybeans now in the bins rather than in the fields, it is worth taking a moment to examine the results more closely and make comparisons with both the previous year and U.S. government expectations. For the most part, the Crop Watch data is consistent with recent industry estimates for the U.S. corn and soybean harvest. But it is important to understand the origin of those numbers and what they actually represent.

 Oct 23 - Indian trade body calls for end to duty free edible oil import loophole
India's top vegetable oil trade body called on Tuesday for the government to close a South Asian regional free-trade pact loophole it said had been used to circumvent tax by re-routing palm oil and soyoil imports through Nepal and Bangladesh. The Solvent Extractors' Association of India said some traders were sourcing palm oil and soyoil from Nepal and Bangladesh under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), even though both rely on imports from other countries.

 Oct 23 - Clean getaway: Meat waste joins biofuels at luxury jet show
At the world's biggest industry show in Las Vegas luxury jets are luring buyers with their sleek silhouettes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels. Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to showcase novel forms of aviation fuel deemed less harmful to the climate, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less glamorous meat waste.

Oct 22 - Shun Malaysia, India's palm oil buyers told amid Kashmir standoff
India's top vegetable oil trade body on Monday asked its members to stop buying palm oil from Malaysia, an unprecedented call aimed at helping New Delhi punish the country for criticising India over its policy towards Kashmir. The directive by the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEAI) shows how nationalist sentiments can affect international business, and is a big blow to Malaysia, the world's second largest producer and exporter of palm oil after Indonesia.

 Oct 22 - Malaysia warns new EU rules could hurt palm oil used in food
Malaysia, the world's second largest producer and exporter of palm oil, warned on Tuesday against new European Union (EU) rules that could hurt demand for a commodity used in foods from snacks to chocolate spread, threatening a $60-billion industry. Palm oil is used in everything from lipstick to biofuels, but its role as a cheaper cooking medium ensures that food accounts for nearly 70% of global consumption of an edible oil whose cultivation is blamed for stripping tropical rainforest.

 Oct 22 - Crop Watch: Corn and soy yields fall after a busy week of harvest - Braun
Six more U.S. Crop Watch corn and soybean fields were harvested in the latest week, the busiest one yet for the participating growers, and the results reduced the overall yield scores for both crops. Particularly for corn, it appears that largely favorable weather during the growing season could not outweigh some of the earlier problems with moisture during and just after planting.

 Oct 22 - Brazil's soybean planting at slower pace due to scarce rainfall - AgRural
The planting of Brazil's 2019/20 soybean crop has progressed to 21% of the estimated area through last Thursday, below last year's 34% level as scarce rains delayed sowing work, according to agribusiness consultancy AgRural on Monday. However slower than last year, planting in Brazil, the world's largest exporter of soybeans, is in line with a five-year average driven by the good pace of planting in Mato Grosso state, the consultancy said.

 Oct 22 - Cargill resumes receiving cattle at Kansas beef plant after blast
Cargill resumed receiving cattle for slaughter at its Dodge City, Kansas, beef plant on Monday after an explosion last week, a company spokesman said. The explosion, which occurred Oct. 17 in a stand-alone building outside the main facility and injured two workers, prompted the company to suspend some shifts last week and stop receiving livestock. 

 Oct 22 - NZ's Fonterra raises farmgate milk price forecast
The world's biggest dairy exporter Fonterra on Tuesday increased the 2019-2020 guidance range for the price it pays farmers to procure milk, saying it has managed to achieve firm prices for its milk so far this year. Fonterra raised its 2019-2020 forecast farmgate milk price to between NZ$6.55 and NZ$7.55 per kilogram of milk solids (kgMS) from between NZ$6.25 and NZ$7.25 per kgMS it had earlier forecast.

Oct 21 - After trade talks in U.S., China ramps up Brazilian soy purchases 
Chinese importers have been busy booking fresh purchases of soybeans from Brazil this week, despite the White House announcement that China had agreed to buy up to $50 billion of U.S. farm products annually during trade talks last week. The purchases from Brazil, rather than the United States, show that Chinese buying has been driven more by price than policy since last week's preliminary trade agreement that U.S. President Donald Trump hopes will be signed next month.

 Oct 21 - USDA says pork sales data may include old deals, vexing traders 
U.S. Department of Agriculture pork export sales data issued on Friday for Oct. 4-10 included "a significant quantity" that might have been sold in previous weeks, the agency said, after traders and analysts questioned the accuracy of the weekly report. Traders have been paying close attention to U.S. sales as a devastating outbreak of a fatal pig disease in China, the world's top pork consumer, has tightened global meat supplies. The delayed disclosure that Friday's report may have contained sales from prior weeks shook some traders' confidence in USDA data, the reference for the U.S. farm sector. 

 Oct 21 - African swine fever outbreak has cut Vietnam hog herd by 20% - USDA undersecretary 
African swine fever has killed off about 20% of Vietnam's hog herd, and it is not clear whether the outbreak has been contained, U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Ted McKinney said on Friday. There were some reports that the number might be higher, said McKinney, who spoke to reporters on a conference call from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, during a government and agricultural industry trade mission.

 Oct 21 - Funds extend bullish soybean views with U.S.-China trade deal in sight - Braun 
Speculators boosted bullish views on Chicago-traded soybeans last week as it appears that an official trade deal between the United States and its top buyer China is just weeks away. Meanwhile, market participants are still unsure on the size of the U.S. soybean harvest, which is underway now. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts it will be the smallest crop in six years, down 20% on the year, though some believe the decline could be sharper.

 Oct 21 - Cargill to resume receiving cattle at Kansas plant early next week - spokesman 
Cargill stopped receiving cattle for slaughter at its Dodge City, Kansas, beef plant after an explosion on Thursday but it expects to resume early next week, a company spokesman said on Friday. The company continues to process carcasses it had on hand at the time of the Thursday explosion, which occurred in a stand-alone building outside the main facility and injured two workers. 

 Oct 21 - Kashmir apple trade picks up again under shadow of militant attacks 
More than 10,000 trucks laden with apples left Indian-ruled Kashmir this week in a sign that the territory is returning to normal, according to officials and government data, after India imposed a clampdown on the region in August. Involving some 3.5 million people, apples are the core of Indian Kashmir's economy, which went into a tailspin after phone and internet links were suspended and hundreds of people detained to prevent anti-India protests from erupting in the streets.

 Oct 21 - Egypt's GASC seeking soyoil, sunflower oil in tender 
Egypt's General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) is seeking cargoes of soyoil and sunflower oil in an international tender, the state buyer said on Sunday.  GASC is seeking at least 30,000 tonnes of soyoil and 10,000 tonnes of sunflower oil The vegetable oils are for arrival Dec. 5-20, GASC Vice Chairman Ahmed Youssef said. The deadline for offers is Oct. 23.

Oct 21 - Brazil soy crusher Imcopa may sell plants at auction on Dec. 4, judge rules 
A bankruptcy court in Paraná state has scheduled an auction to sell two plants belonging to Brazilian soy processor Imcopa International SA on Dec. 4, the company said on Friday. Imcopa, one of the largest non-genetically modified soy crushers in Brazil, said the sale of the plants in the towns of Araucária and Cambé was foreseen in its reorganization plan approved by creditors in 2017.

 

Oct 18 - Tyson Foods bans growth drug from U.S. hog supply as meat firms chase China demand 
Tyson Foods Inc in February will stop buying U.S. hogs raised with a growth drug banned by China, the company said on Thursday, as global meat suppliers seek an edge in boosting sales to Chinese buyers facing a huge pork shortage due to an outbreak of a fatal pig disease. The halt in the use of the drug, ractopamine, reflects a change in strategy for Tyson, company watchers say. The company previously sought to profit by filling holes in U.S. supplies that were left when industry rivals like Smithfield Foods and JBS USA sent American pork to China. 

 Oct 18 - China pork output falls 17.2% y/y for Jan-Sept period - stats bureau 
China produced 31.81 million tonnes of pork in the first nine months of 2019, down 17.2% from the same period last year, official data showed on Friday, after African swine fever devastated its hog herd.  Output fell as the size of the herd declined 28.5% from a year earlier to 306.75 million head as of the end of September, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said. 

 Oct 18 - Strategie Grains further raises 2019/20 EU wheat export forecast 
Strategie Grains has again lifted its outlook for European Union soft wheat exports this season, citing competitiveness on world markets and lower-than-expected global supply, notably from drought-hit Argentina and Australia. In a monthly report the consultancy forecast 2019/2020 exports outside the EU at 27.3 million tonnes, up from 25.7 million seen in September.

Oct 18 - White House adviser says China agricultural purchases will depend partly on markets 
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Thursday that China's "serious commitment" to buy $40 billion to $50 billion worth of U.S. agricultural goods as part of a phase 1 trade deal would depend in part on private companies and market conditions. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Kudlow said the first phase of a trade deal, revealed last week, may be signed at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum next month in Chile, noting that the figures relating to Chinese purchases were a "considered number."

Oct 18 - Dryness dents Argentine wheat, rains in eastern corn belt speed sowing 
Rains in Argentina have not been strong enough to help wheat fields after weeks of dryness, but showers in the eastern farm belt have helped speed corn planting, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said on Thursday.  Potential wheat yield losses are estimated at up to 40% in southern Cordoba, eastern La Pampa and western Buenos Aires province, the exchange said in a report. Those areas got less that 20 mm (0.8 inch) of rain on average during the week.

Oct 18 - Russia says Vietnam asked it to temporarily suspend wheat exports 
Vietnam has asked Russia's agriculture safety watchdog to temporarily suspend issuing wheat export certificates, Yulia Melano, spokeswoman for watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor, said on Thursday. Russia is the world's largest wheat exporter and Vietnam is a major buyer of its wheat but it slashed its purchases significantly a year ago after finding imports containing thistle seed. 

Oct 18 - Cargill suspends shifts at Kansas beef facility after explosion 
Cargill said on Thursday it had suspended some shifts at its Dodge City, Kansas, beef-packing plant after an explosion injured two employees. Cargill spokesman Daniel Sullivan said the company expects the facility to be fully operational soon and that it would meet all it customer commitments. The company is investigating the cause of the accident at a stand-alone building on the site, he said. 

Oct 17 - China's pig herd to recover in 2020 after African swine fever devastation - official
China's hog production capacity should bottom out before the end of 2019 after outbreaks of African swine fever decimated the world's biggest pig herd, an official said on Thursday, forecasting a return to usual pig numbers in 2020. Inventories at large farms have already started to rebound, according to Yang Zhenhai, director of the Husbandry and Veterinary Bureau of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, speaking at a briefing on Thursday. 

 Oct 17 - Drought vaporizes Australia's share of global wheat exports - Braun
Drought has plagued Australia’s wheat crop for the third year in a row, and the sharp production losses have caused the traditionally major wheat supplier to slip into its most insignificant state ever on the global export scene. This has opened the door for other suppliers to take advantage, but global wheat supply is still comfortable and exports competitive even as Australia has been largely lacking from the equation for two years now. 

 Oct 17 - Subsidy helps India traders sell sugar to Iran - sources
Indian mills are aggressively selling old season sugar to Iran after New Delhi announced a subsidy to help cash-strapped mills export a surplus, five traders said, as Tehran strives to secure food supplies under U.S. sanctions. Exports from the world's biggest sugar producer could put pressure on global prices but will help India reduce its inventories that have driven down domestic prices.

Oct 17 - Cargill names new Brazil leader Sousa to replace Pretti
U.S. Commodities trader Cargill Inc on Wednesday said Paulo Sousa would lead the company's operations in Brazil, taking over as president on Dec. 16 as Luiz Pretti prepares to step down. Sousa will also retain his position as head of Cargill's South American agricultural commodities division, which he has led since 2016, the company said.

Oct 17 - Bayer expects significant surge in number of U.S. glyphosate cases 
Bayer expects the number of claims in the United States related to Roundup herbicide to have surged in the third quarter, as the German drugs and pesticides maker tries to reach a settlement after earlier court rulings against it. "With the substantial increase in plaintiff advertising this year, we expect to see a significant surge in the number of plaintiff filings over the third quarter," the company said in a written statement.

Oct 17 - Angry farmers cause Dutch police to close off parliament square
Police in the Dutch city of The Hague closed its central parliament square on Wednesday to keep out farmers protesting over what they see as attempts to blame them for nitrogen pollution. Thousands of irate farmers had driven tractors to The Hague hours earlier in their third large protest in a matter of weeks. 

Oct 17 - Warming climate puts Austria's hip Gruener Veltliner wine at risk
One of Austria's leading wine-growing regions, which helped place the environmentalist Greens on the threshold of power in elections last month, has one demand for the new government: save the country's most famous tipple. A rapidly heating climate threatens Austria's best-known wine, the Gruener Veltliner, which put the Alpine country back on the global map after a scandal over wine contaminated with antifreeze nearly ruined the sector three decades ago.

Oct 16 - China says it already bought 700,000 tonnes of U.S. pork, data shows smaller sales
Chinese firms have already purchased 700,000 tonnes of pork and 700,000 tonnes of sorghum from the United States this year to meet market demand, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, although U.S. government data pointed to smaller pork sales. China, the world's top agriculture market, has also bought 320,000 tonnes of cotton, 230,000 tonnes of wheat and 20 million tonnes of soybeans from the United States, spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily press briefing.

Oct 16 - Trump administration proposes plan to raise U.S. biofuels use - EPA
The Trump administration, in an effort to mend fences with the powerful corn lobby, proposed a new formula on Tuesday to boost biofuels demand, but the proposal instead only provoked more consternation from the industry. Corn and soybean farmers have been angered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to greatly expand the number of exemptions given to smaller refiners from blending biofuels into the nation's gasoline pool. They argue the expansion undercuts demand. 

Oct 16 - USDA mulls adding corn crop revisions to September quarterly stocks report
Statisticians at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are considering adding revisions of the previous year's corn crop to the government's September quarterly stocks report, a USDA official said on Tuesday. Each September, as part of the quarterly report, the USDA reviews its estimate of the previous year's soybean crop, based on an analysis of on- and off-farm stocks, export and domestic usage, and farm program administrative data. 

Oct 16 - NOPA September soy crush below expectations at 152.566 million bushels
U.S. soybean crushings were well below trade expectations in September after tumbling 9.2% from the previous month, according to National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) data released on Tuesday. NOPA members, which handle about 95 percent of all soybeans processed in the United States, crushed 152.566 million bushels of soybeans last month, NOPA said. That was down sharply from the 168.085 million bushels crushed in August and the 160.779 million bushels crushed in September 2018.

Oct 16 - Malaysia offers to increase imports from India after Kashmir row
Malaysia is considering raising imports of raw sugar and buffalo meat from India, potentially easing trade tensions after reports New Delhi could restrict Malaysian palm oil imports following the country's criticism of India's actions in Kashmir. Malaysia is the world's second largest producer and exporter of palm oil after Indonesia. Its benchmark palm oil futures recouped losses to end higher on Tuesday after the announcement by the country's government. 

Oct 16 - Pilgrim's Pride closes Tulip acquisition, strengthens position in UK pork market
Brazil's JBS SA said on Tuesday that its subsidiary Pilgrim's Pride Corp concluded the acquisition of Tulip Ltd in the United Kingdom, where the company is seeking to strengthen its position in the market for pork. In a securities filing on Tuesday, JBS said Tulip's acquisition, valued at 290 million pounds ($367 million), was approved by Pilgrim's board and funded with cash.

Oct 15 - Trump's hailing of $50bln in Chinese farm purchases seen as 'meaningless'
China is still a long way from forking out $50 billion for farm goods from the United States, agriculture industry analysts said on Monday, cautioning that getting there is contingent on removing substantial technical and political hurdles. Outlining the first phase of a deal to end a trade war with China, U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday lauded his counterparts for agreeing to make purchases of $40 billion to $50 billion in U.S. agricultural goods. 

 Oct 15 - China's pig herd in Sept down 41.1% from year earlier
China's pig herd in September was 41.1% smaller than it was a year earlier, the agriculture ministry said on Monday, as a year-long African swine fever epidemic continued to slash the world's largest herd. The number of sows in China also fell by 38.9% in September, after the deadly disease spread to every province in the country.

 Oct 15 - Crop Watch: Corn and soy yields edge upward as harvest progresses -Braun
Harvest activity has finally started picking up for the U.S. Crop Watch growers, and both the yield expectations and final outcomes are slightly better for both corn and soybeans than what most of the growers had predicted all season. Four of the eight Crop Watch soybean fields have been harvested, and two more are in progress. 

Oct 15 - Saudi's SALIC, Russian fund team up on agri projects
Russian sovereign wealth fund RDIF and Saudi Arabia's SALIC have signed an agreement to team up in searching for investment projects in the Russian agricultural sector, RDIF said in a statement on Monday. President Vladimir Putin visited Riyadh on Monday for the first time in over a decade, seeking to capitalise on growing influence borne of military advances in Syria, strong ties with regional rivals and cooperation on energy policy. 

Oct 14 - China's pork, beef imports surge in September 
China's pork imports in September surged 76% from a year earlier while beef imports came close to a monthly record, as it stocked up on proteins after disease decimated its huge hog herd, customs data showed on Monday. Pork imports for the first eight months of the year were 1.33 million tonnes, up 43.6% from the same period a year earlier, said the General Administration of Customs in a statement. 

 Oct 14 - U.S. farmers cheered by apparent trade truce, hope shipments to follow
U.S. farmers cheered the Trump administration's announcement of a potentially dramatic increase in U.S. agricultural sales to China on Friday but warned they needed to see a follow-through of actual purchases.  Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the agricultural purchases could scale up to $40 billion-$50 billion annually as part of a partial trade deal, potentially more than doubling the $24 billion in agricultural and related products China purchased from the United States in 2017. 

Oct 14 - Funds’ soybean optimism reaches 16-month top on China, smaller U.S. crop - Braun  Speculators have turned bullish on Chicago-traded soybeans for the first time since the trade war ramped up last year between the United States and China. It appears progress has finally been made between the two countries in the trade talks, and at the same time, the U.S. soybean crop is stumbling and huge domestic supplies are set to shrink.

Oct 14 - China Sept soybean imports ease on falling animal feed demand 
China's soybean imports in September fell 13.5% from the previous month, customs data showed on Monday, as an epidemic of African swine fever that has slashed China's pig herd reduced demand for soymeal. China, the world's top market for soybeans, brought in 8.2 million tonnes of the oilseed in September, down from last month's 9.48 million tonnes, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs.

Oct 14 - India may restrict imports of palm oil, other goods from Malaysia 
India is considering restricting imports of some products from Malaysia including palm oil, according to government and industry sources, in reaction to the Southeast Asian country's leader criticising New Delhi for its actions in Kashmir. India is looking for ways to limit palm oil imports and may place restrictions on other goods from the country, said a government source and an industry source who participated in discussions led by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on the planned restrictions.

Oct 14 - Trump's non-deal deal with China is mainly significant for sentiment: Russell When is an agreement not really an agreement? When it is the latest manoeuvre in the long-running trade dispute between the United States and China. That's not to say the Oct. 11 announcement by both parties isn't significant, but it is still a long, long way from the sort of comprehensive resolution sought not only by the world's two biggest economies, but also by the rest of the world fearful of a trade war-inspired recession.

Oct 14 - China reports new African swine fever outbreak in northwest province 
China reported another outbreak of the African swine fever on Sunday in its northwestern province of Gansu, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on its website. The virus, fatal to pigs but not contagious to human beings, has significantly slashed pig output in the world's largest herd since the deadly disease was first detected in August last year.

 Oct 14 - Rainfall to miss Argentina's drought-hit wheat regions - meteorologist
Current rainfall in Argentina will miss agricultural regions impacted by a drought that has forced the main grains exchanges to cut their 2019/20 wheat forecasts, a meteorologist said on Friday.  The west and south of Buenos Aires province and the provinces of Cordoba and La Pampa, regions that urgently need rains to avoid further productivity losses, have received very little rainfall in recent months.

 Oct 14 - Iraq allocates more land for wheat planting in 2019-2020 season
Iraq approved an allocation of 2.25 million hectares of agricultural land for wheat planting as part of its 2019-2020 season, 500,000 hectares more than the previous season, an official at the agriculture ministry told Reuters on Sunday. Iraq is a major Middle East grain importer and needs between 4.5 million and 5 million tonnes of wheat a year to supply for its massive food rationing programme.

Oct 14 - China caps volume of wheat to receive price support in 2020 
China said on Saturday it had set the 2020 minimum purchasing price for wheat at 2,240 yuan ($316.08) per tonne, the same level as 2019, but said it will cap the volume it buys from farmers under the guarantee programme. China buys wheat from farmers at the minimum price when the market price drops below that level. However it has been reforming its farmer support system in recent years after it amassed huge stocks of grain, often of poor quality.

Oct 14 - U.S. regulators allow genetically modified cotton as human food source 
U.S. regulators on Friday gave the green light for genetically modified cotton to be used for human consumption, paving the way for a protein-packed new food source - edible cottonseed that tastes a bit like chickpeas - that its developers said could help tackle global malnutrition. The Food and Drug Administration's decision on the cotton plant developed by Texas A&M University scientists means it is allowed as food for people and all types of animals.

Oct 11 - China buys more U.S. soybeans, record volume of pork ahead of trade talks 
Chinese importers stepped up purchases of U.S. agricultural goods ahead of high-level trade talks in Washington, including another wave of soybean deals and the country's record largest weekly purchase of American pork, U.S. data showed on Thursday. Private exporters sold 398,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans to China, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported via its daily sales reporting system that tracks large purchases. It was the second daily "flash sale" of soybeans this week to the world's top soybean importer.

 Oct 11 - USDA trims corn harvest view by less than expected, prices fall 
The U.S. Agriculture Department lowered its outlook for the corn harvest by less than most analysts were expecting on Thursday, with yield expectations seen as robust after good weather bolstered crop development during September. Crumbling demand for corn due to ample global supplies will also keep U.S. stocks plentiful, the government World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates report showed. 

 Oct 11 - Australian farmer brings legal action vs Bayer over weedkiller - report 
An Australian farmer has launched a legal action against Bayer AG's agricultural chemicals unit Monsanto after being diagnosed with a type of cancer he says was caused by its weedkiller, a lawyer for the man said on Friday. New South Wales farmer Ross Wild was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma last year after using the weedkiller Roundup on his farming property near the border of NSW and Victoria since 1976, according to his lawyer Tony Carbone, of Melbourne-based Carbone lawyers.

 Oct 11 - U.S. soybean supply exodus: fleeting or final? - Braun 
A year ago, no one in the agriculture industry would have predicted such a low carryout number to appear on the U.S. soybean balance sheet on Thursday when the U.S. government updated its supply and demand figures. However, that lighter inventory – which is now expected to return near the previously “normal” range over the next year – is certainly vulnerable to build back up just as quickly as it disappeared.

Oct 11 - U.S. diesel prices hit 3-year low as farmers fear further harvest delays 
Diesel prices in the U.S. Midwest have sunk to a three-year seasonal low as farmers in the region face adverse weather conditions, further complicating an already delayed harvest season, traders and farmers said. Diesel demand typically rises during harvest season because farming equipment and trucks transporting product use the fuel. Average distillate product supplied, which includes diesel, in the United States for the past four weeks was down 7 percent, according to U.S. Energy Department data.

Oct 11 - India's August rice exports drop 29% on weak African demand - govt 
India's rice exports in August fell 29% year-on-year to 644,249 tonnes, government data showed on Thursday, due to weak demand from African countries for non-basmati rice, among other factors. "Demand from west African countries is weak for non-basmati rice. They have bought a lot from China and don't need to buy huge volumes now," said Nitin Gupta, vice president of Olam India's rice business.

Oct 11 - Argentine wheat crop estimate cut to 19.8 mln tonnes due to bad weather - exchange 
Argentina's 2019/20 wheat harvest is expected at 19.8 million tonnes, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said in its weekly crop report on Thursday, citing bad weather as the reason for cutting its previous 21 million-tonne forecast. "Toward the center and south of the agricultural belt, the season has progressed practically without rains of considerable magnitude, and with temperatures below medium levels, which has compromised crop development," the report said.

Oct 11 - Brazil eager to boost share of global trade with new pacts - farm minister 
Brazil is eager to boost its share of global trade beyond the current level of 7% and that may be achieved by negotiating access to new markets, Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias said on Thursday. The government aims to forge trade agreements between the Mercosur South America trade bloc and countries including Canada, Japan and Singapore, Dias said at an international investment conference in São Paulo.

Oct 10 - FranceAgriMer raises wheat export outlook on trader optimism 
Farm office FranceAgriMer sharply increased its forecast for French soft wheat exports this season, pointing to optimism among traders that a big harvest and competitive prices would let France expand overseas sales. In supply and demand projections released on Wednesday, the agency raised its estimate of French soft wheat exports outside the European Union in 2019/20 to 11.7 million tonnes from 11.0 million seen last month.

 Oct 10 - China offering extra U.S. agriculture purchases - FT 
Chinese officials are offering to increase annual purchases of U.S. agricultural products as the two countries seek to resolve their trade dispute, the Financial Times newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.  Vice Premier Liu He, China's top trade negotiator, is scheduled to travel to Washington for their next round of trade talks on Oct 10-11. 

 Oct 10 - Political uncertainty dents Argentine corn crop expectations - exchange 
Argentina is expected to harvest 47.5 million tonnes of corn this season, the Rosario grains exchange said on Wednesday, down from a previous estimate of 50 million tonnes as growers grapple with dry weather and political uncertainty favors soy planting. President Mauricio Macri, a proponent of low taxes and free markets who won office in 2015 with strong support from the farm sector, is expected to lose his bid for a second term in the Oct. 27 election. Front-runner Alberto Fernandez favors more government intervention in the economy. 

Oct 10 - China flies in 900 Danish breeding pigs to replenish herd 
One of China's top pig farming companies imported 906 breeding pigs from Denmark this week, China's customs said on Wednesday, in the first import of live pigs in a year. The animals bought by C.P. Pokphand Co, China's fifth largest pig producer, arrived on a charter flight in August and spent over a month in quarantine in Xiangyang city in central Hubei province, according to a report on the website of China's General Administration of Customs.

Oct 10 - Snow, freezing temperatures threaten northern U.S. corn, soybeans 
Plunging temperatures and heavy snow forecast for the upper U.S. Plains from Friday to Sunday are likely to damage unharvested corn and soybean crops in parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa, meteorologists said on Wednesday. The winter-like blast could dump up to 3 feet of snow in central and eastern North Dakota and send temperatures plunging into the 20s Fahrenheit in Nebraska, western Iowa, southwest Minnesota and the Dakotas, said Kyle Tapley, senior agricultural meteorologist with space technology company Maxar.

Oct 10 - Dryness forces some Brazil soy farmers to replant; delays in second crop seen 
Scarce rainfall in Brazil's main soybean producing regions at the start of the season will result in the replanting of some areas where farmers risked sowing with low moisture, according to weather experts. Lack of rain is causing soybean planting delays and can exacerbate the risk of delays in planting of Brazil's second crop - either corn or cotton - which farmers typically sow after the oilseed is harvested.

Oct 10 - South America forest fires could disrupt rainfall in region's farm belt - experts 
Forest fires that swept across Bolivia and Brazil this year could disrupt rainfall distribution across South America's grains-and-beef producing regions in unpredictable ways for years to come, a scientist and meteorologist said. Recent rains in both countries have helped put out the wildfires, which were likely started by farmers and ranchers using slash-and-burn agricultural methods. 

Oct 10 - Brazil's BRF maintains Gulf meat supply despite Abu Dhabi plant audit 
Brazilian food processor BRF SA confirmed on Wednesday that its plant in Abu Dhabi was being audited and that Saudi Arabia had restricted buying of some of its products, but it was still supplying Gulf markets. BRF, which did not immediately name the auditing body involved, said the restrictions to sell to Saudi Arabia affect only a fraction of its business in the Gulf region.

Oct 09 - Rain boosts prospects for western European crop sowing 
Recent rain has brought relief to parched western European grain belts and improved conditions for cereal sowing and for earlier-sown rapeseed crops, analysts and traders said.  Limited rain and scorching summer temperatures had hampered early rapeseed sowing and raised fears of a repeat of drought losses seen during last year's planting season. 

 Oct 09 - U.S. senators call for probe of Brazilian meatpacker JBS 
Two U.S. senators called on the U.S. Treasury on Tuesday to open an investigation into the world's largest meat processing company, Brazil's JBS S.A., due to alleged ties with the Venezuelan government of leftist President Nicolas Maduro. President Donald Trump's government has imposed sanctions on dozens of top Venezuelan officials as well as state oil company PDVSA in an effort to remove Maduro, whom it accuses of fixing elections last year and abusing human rights in the oil-rich nation. 

 Oct 09 - U.S. corn, soy output is basically settled, according to analysts - Braun 
Some market participants have been waiting for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to finally acknowledge that the 2019 U.S. corn and soybean harvests will not be as large as the agency has previously stated, primarily due to historically late planting and crop development. But industry analysts polled ahead of USDA’s next update, set for Thursday at noon EDT (1600 GMT), do not see an extraordinary amount of further downside for the harvests. The ranges of ideas are also relatively narrow.

 Oct 09 - French wheat exporters see Morocco imports at 3.8 mln T 
French wheat exporters said on Tuesday they expected Moroccan imports of soft wheat to rise to 3.8 million tonnes in the 2019/2020 season, with France supplying 65% of that.  Last season, Morocco imported 2.6 million tonnes of soft wheat, according to Morocco's grains and cereals agency (ONICL). 

Oct 08 - China buys more U.S. soybeans ahead of trade talks - USDA 
The U.S. Agriculture Department on Monday reported more soybean exports to China, the latest in a flurry of buying the world's top buyer of the oilseed has done ahead of high-level trade negotiations with the United States.  USDA said that exporters reported the sale of 198,000 tonnes of soybeans to China for delivery in the 2019/20 marketing year that began on Sept. 1. Another 240,000 tonnes of soybeans were sold for shipment to unknown destinations, which traders have said often refers to China. 

 Oct 08 - Louis Dreyfus sees tough year as trade war, swine fever hit profits 
Agricultural commodity giant Louis Dreyfus warned on Monday that international trade tensions and a swine disease epidemic would continue to weigh on its activities in the rest of the year after pushing down first-half profit. The interim results reversed a rebound in group profits in the second half of last year and showed the pressures on trading firms as they try to emerge from a period of falling margins for sourcing and shipping crops such as cereals and oilseeds. 

Oct 08 - U.S.-Japan trade deal aims to put U.S. farmers on par with Trans-Pacific trade pact competitors 
The new U.S.-Japan trade deal will provide staged reduction of Japanese tariffs for more than $2 billion worth of U.S. beef and pork, matching access now granted to the 11 Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact countries, a text of the agreement shows. U.S. President Donald Trump presided over a White House signing ceremony on Monday for the final text of the limited bilateral trade pact, more then 2-1/2 years after he pulled the United States out of the much broader TPP. 

Oct 08 - U.S. corn exports remain dismal, but soy shipments lifted by China -Braun 
U.S. soybean exporters had a record fourth quarter and corn shipments slumped to a six-year low. But overseas demand for U.S. corn is starting off the new marketing year on an even worse note, while the soybean market hopes for renewed Chinese business. The United States exported 4.93 million tonnes of soybeans in August, a record for the month and the third consecutive monthly record, according to data published on Friday by the U.S. Census Bureau. 

Oct 08 - Trump says ethanol deal will be around 16 billion gallons 
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday his administration's proposal to boost the biofuels market next year would bring the amount of corn-based ethanol mixed into the nation's fuel to about 16 billion gallons (60.6 billion liters). "We’ve come to an agreement and its going to be, I guess, about, getting close to 16 billion ... that’s a lot of gallons. So they should like me out in Iowa," he told a news conference.

Oct 08 - Iraq replaces the head of its state grain agency 
Iraq, a major Middle East wheat and rice importer, has replaced the head of its state grain buying agency, government sources and a document showed on Tuesday.  Naeem al-Maksousi was replaced by Hassanein Mahdi Elwan, a document reviewed by Reuters showed. The reason for the replacement, which comes after a week of unrest in Iraq in which more than 100 people have been killed, was not clear. 

Oct 08 - Crop Watch: Soybean yields disappoint in Illinois but shock in Ohio -Braun 
U.S. Crop Watch growers in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest reported no harvest activity in their areas last week due to wet weather. Meanwhile, soybean results in the east have been highly mixed, with a poor outcome in Illinois and a surprisingly high yield in Ohio. Four of the 16 Crop Watch fields were harvested as of Sunday. The soybeans in Illinois and Ohio were cut last week as was the corn in Indiana. The Kansas corn was harvested in the previous week.

Oct 08 - Brazil soy planting off to slowest start in six years - report 
Brazilian farmers have planted 3.1% of the estimated soybean area for the 2019/2020 crop, agribusiness consultancy AgRural said on Monday, blaming a lack of rain for the slowest start to the season in six years. At this time in 2018, Brazilian growers had sowed 9.5% of the fields, the consultancy said. It added that thanks to some rain in key stakes like Paraná and Mato Grosso, farmers had advanced soy planting from the level of only 0.9% of the area seen in the previous week.

Oct 07 - Trump administration promises biofuel boost to farmers, angering Big Oil 
The Trump administration on Friday unveiled a plan to boost U.S. biofuels consumption starting next year to help struggling farmers, a move that cheered the agriculture industry but triggered a backlash from Big Oil. The plan would require an unspecified increase in the amount of ethanol that oil refiners must add to their fuel in 2020, and would also aim to remove further barriers to the sale of higher ethanol blends of gasoline like E15, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement.

 Oct 07 - Russia's deputy PM returns to idea of grain OPEC creation - Interfax 
A Russian Deputy Prime Minister in charge of agriculture has proposed the creation of a grain organisation along the lines of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Interfax news agency reported on Saturday, citing his office. Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, is one of the world's largest oil producers, but is not a member of OPEC.

 Oct 07 - JBS USA to produce pork without growth drug banned by China, seeking more exports  
JBS USA will remove a growth drug banned by Beijing from its U.S. hog supply, the company said on Friday, accelerating the competition for pork exports as China grapples with a devastating pig disease. The meat packer's move away from the drug ractopamine, a feed additive, shows how companies are maneuvering to take advantage of an expected shortage in China, the world's largest pork consumer, due to African swine fever (ASF). 

 Oct 07 - Funds dump CBOT soy shorts on shrinking U.S. supply, China optimism - Braun 
Lighter U.S. stocks and renewed buying interest from China had speculators quickly changing their minds about Chicago-traded soybeans last week, as they slashed their pessimism toward the oilseed to an eight-month low.  U.S. corn stocks also shocked the market to the downside, but while investors acted accordingly, their views remain steadfastly bearish as Chicago futures are still elevated for the time of year.

 Oct 07 - Meat industry sues California for animal protection 'overreach' 
California was sued on Friday by the largest U.S. trade group for meat packers and processors, which wants to block enforcement of a voter-approved measure requiring farmers to provide more space for animals being raised for food. The North American Meat Institute, whose members include processors such as Tyson Foods and retailers including Walmart, said enforcing Proposition 12 would hurt producers and consumers by significantly increasing their costs.

 Oct 07 - In Argentina's Pampas, rain clouds spell hope for arid soils 
Gastón Blanchard, a farmer in Argentina's Pampas grains belt, has his eyes on the horizon waiting for rain. Clouds are starting to build, which he hopes will bring much-needed showers for his wheat crop, parched by months of dry weather. A lot is hanging on the rains for Blanchard - and Argentina, one of the world's top sellers of soybeans and a key player in wheat and corn. Drought two seasons ago badly damaged crops, while favorable weather drove record harvests earlier this year.

Oct 07 - Brazil's Mato Grosso soy planting hits 6.65% of area, below last year 
Soy farmers in Brazil's largest growing state of Mato Grosso have planted 6.65% of the estimated area so far for the 2019/2020 soy crop, below the 12.6% level seen at this time last year due to scarce rainfall, state research institute Imea said on Friday.  Mato Grosso farmers, who harvested an estimated 32.45 million tonnes of the oilseed in the last crop, had planted 1.7% of the estimated area last week, Imea said.

Oct 07 - U.S. 2019 corn yield estimate lowered to 167.5 bu/acre - IEG Vantage document 
Private analytics firm IEG Vantage, formerly known as Informa Economics IEG, on Friday lowered its forecast of the average U.S. 2019 corn yield to 167.5 bushels per acre (bpa), from 169.6 a month ago, according to an IEG client note seen by Reuters. The firm estimated corn production at 13.695 billion bushels, compared with its Sept. 6 figure of 13.906 billion.

Oct 07 - Where the U.S.-Japan trade deal falls short of Trans-Pacific pact abandoned by Trump 
U.S. President Donald Trump has called his new trade deal with Japan a "phenomenal" victory for U.S. farmers. But don't expect America's Land O'Lakes butter to knock New Zealand's Anchor or France's President brands off store shelves in Japan, the world's third largest economy.

Oct 04 - USDA announces U.S. soybean sale, rare white wheat deal to China 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported more U.S. soybean purchases by China on Thursday, the second consecutive daily confirmation of sales to the world's top soy importer, as well as a rare Chinese purchase of U.S. white wheat. The soybean confirmation comes after a flurry of buying earlier this week by importers that sources said were granted up to 2 million tonnes in exemptions from steep tariffs on U.S. shipments.

 Oct 04 - Yes whey! U.S. touts dairy product to Chinese hog farmers fighting swine fever
When Beijing announced it was exempting 16 U.S. goods from retaliatory tariffs, Chinese firms hurried to call Proliant Dairy Ingredients in the heart of American farm country. Among the products included in China's first batch of exemptions last month was whey permeate for animal feed, a dairy byproduct sold by Iowa-based Proliant.

 Oct 04 - Trump administration likely to announce details of biofuels deal by Friday - sources
The Trump administration is expected to announce by Friday details of a U.S. biofuels policy deal to help farmers angry over waivers granted to refiners exempting them from using corn-based ethanol and other biofuels, four sources familiar with the matter said. The White House has held weeks of discussions with farm- and oil-state senators and executives at oil refiners and officials at biofuels producers.

Oct 04 - Brazil still in need of rain as soybean planting plods along -Braun
Brazil officially began the soybean planting season in mid-September, but it has been slower than normal this year due to the dry conditions, and the forecasts are still not certain when farmers will be out of the woods. On Tuesday, No. 2 producer Parana in the country’s south reported about 10% of the intentions had been planted. That is the slowest start in seven years and well off last year’s record pace of 29%.

Oct 04 - New tariffs on EU food will boost prices, cost U.S. jobs - industry 
New 25% U.S. tariffs on Italian cheese, French wine, Scotch whisky, British biscuits, Spanish olives and thousands of other European food products will lead to higher prices ahead of the holiday season and cost American jobs, trade groups said on Thursday. The U.S. Trade Representative's Office said on Wednesday it was imposing tariffs on hundreds of European products after the World Trade Organization gave the green light to the action in response to EU subsidies on large aircraft.

Oct 04 - Ukraine scraps formal cap on wheat exports in favour of monthly monitoring
Ukraine has scrapped its formal cap on wheat exports in the July 2019 to June 2020 season, with the agriculture ministry instead monitoring market conditions on a monthly basis to ensure domestic supply is adequate. The ministry signed on Thursday its annual memorandum with grains traders, setting terms for wheat exports for the current season.

Oct 04 - Over 20% of Argentina's 2019/20 corn crop planted, wheat harvest starts
About 20.6% of Argentina's 2019/20 corn crop has been planted so far while the season's wheat harvest has begun in early-planted northern farm areas, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said in its weekly report on Thursday. Argentine growers are expected to sow a total 6.4 million hectares with corn this season, according to exchange estimates.

Oct 03 - Ships with 1 mln tonnes of grain stuck outside Iran's ports in payment crisis 
More than 20 ships carrying around one million tonnes of grain are stuck outside Iranian ports as U.S. sanctions create payment problems and hamper the country's efforts to import vital commodities, sources directly involved in the trade said. Trading companies such as Bunge and China’s COFCO International have been hit by payment delays and additional costs of up to $15,000 a day as the renewed U.S. restrictions stifle the processing of transactions, trade sources said.

 Oct 03 - Trump's EPA may use partial refinery waivers under biofuel deal -sources 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may use partial small refinery exemptions under the Trump administration's biofuels deal to help farmers and boost ethanol consumption, two sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The move would be aimed at reducing the impact of the waivers, which free refineries from their obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard - a law requiring ethanol and other biofuels be blended into the nation's gasoline.

 Oct 03 - USDA confirms 464,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans sold to China 
Private exporters sold 464,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans to China for shipment in the 2019/20 marketing year that began Sept. 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Wednesday, the latest in a flurry of purchases by the world's top soy importer. The USDA announcement was expected after sources on Monday said that Chinese buyers had booked up to 600,000 tonnes in purchases for shipment from November to January as part of a tariff-free quota awarded to some importers.

 Oct 03 - China's hog herd may drop by 55% from fatal swine fever - Rabobank 
China's hog herd fell by half in the first eight months of 2019 due to a devastating outbreak of African swine fever and will likely shrink by 55% by the end of the year, analysts at Rabobank said on Wednesday. The pace of herd losses will likely slow in the coming months due to reduced farm numbers and Chinese government measures to control the pig disease in the world's largest pork consumer, according to a report by Rabobank. However, the bank said relatively unstable market conditions will likely persist for the next three to five years.

Oct 03 - U.S. farmers receive $14.03 billion so far in government trade aid 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has so far paid farmers $14.03 billion of a promised $28 billion as compensation for the effects of Washington's trade disputes with China, an agency official told Reuters on Wednesday. The agency has paid $5.43 billion from its latest round of trade aid - up from $4.07 billion in mid-September - as of Monday, USDA Communications Director Michawn Rich said in an email. The agency also has paid out $8.6 billion in the first round of its Market Facilitation Program to date, she said.

Oct 03 - Brazil sells second corn faster than last season on FX rates, firm pricing 
Brazilian corn growers have already traded about a quarter of their second corn crop, which is planted after soybeans are collected from fields, according to estimates from an agribusiness consultancy released on Wednesday. A favorable exchange rate and firmer prices at this point in the 2019/2020 season are driving the faster sales, INTL FCStone said. At this time last year, forward corn sales were below 20% of the estimated crop, analyst Gabriela Fontanari said.

Oct 03 - Co-owner of Russian port terminal in talks with new investors as COFCO withdraws 
Russia's Deloports, which owns 75% of KSK grain terminal in Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, has started talks with new potential buyers of a stake in the terminal after Chinese grain trader COFCO withdrew from talks, Deloports told Reuters. KSK is one of Russia's largest Black Sea grain export terminals, which the world's largest wheat exporter is using to supply the grain to customers in North Africa and the Middle East. U.S. trade giant Cargill owns 25% minus 2 shares in it.

Oct 02 - Brazil meatpacker BRF admits to bribing inspectors with money, benefits 
Brazilian meatpacker BRF SA has admitted to bribing food inspectors with bank deposits and health benefits, police said on Tuesday, although the company itself avoided raids as it was cooperating with the latest phase of the corruption probe. Police said the fourth phase of the so-called Weak Flesh investigation involved evidence from the company of some 19 million reais ($4.56 million) in bribes paid up until 2017, when BRF overhauled its management.

 Oct 02 - Trump administration close to finalizing biofuel deal - sources 
The Trump administration is close to finalizing a deal that would boost U.S. biofuels consumption and is aiming to get it signed by President Donald Trump on Friday, two sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The policy change is intended to assuage anger in U.S. farm country, a key political constituency for Trump, after the administration exempted 31 oil refineries in August from their obligations under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard - a law requiring that corn-based ethanol and other biofuels be blended into the nation's fuel.

 Oct 02 - USDA's corn, soy stocks give market bulls the upper hand, for now -Braun 
Chicago corn and soybean futures have had a tough time weathering the U.S. government's agriculture reports in recent months due to overly bullish market expectations, despite the domestic harvests being poised to hit multi-year lows. But nobody saw Monday’s stock surprise coming, as most market participants had come to terms with excessively large supplies. U.S. corn and soybean stocks as of Sept. 1 both came in below the trade range of pre-report guesses, setting up a potentially friendly scenario headed into the next round of reports.

 Oct 02 - Egypt's GASC seeks wheat for Nov. 5-15 and/or Nov. 15-25 shipment 
Egypt's General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) set a tender on Tuesday to buy an unspecified amount of wheat from global suppliers for shipment from Nov. 5-15 and/or Nov. 15-25. GASC Vice Chairman Ahmed Youssef said the authority was seeking to buy cargoes of soft and/or milling wheat from the United States, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Poland, Argentina, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Paraguay and Serbia.

Oct 02 - Brazil meatpacker Minerva to create China joint venture 
Brazilian meatpacker Minerva SA said on Tuesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture to explore business opportunities involving beef in China. Minerva said in an exchange filing it signed the agreement with two "Chinese representatives" named Xuefang Chen and Wenbo Ge, who will be partners in the joint venture, without giving more details on the two people's identities.

Oct 02 - S.Korea confirms new cases of African swine fever in N.Korea border town 
South Korea on Wednesday confirmed two additional cases of African swine fever at pig farms in Paju, a town near its border with North Korea, the country's agriculture ministry said, bringing its total number of cases of the disease to eleven. South Korea is still looking into the source of the virus, but all of the cases have been found on hog farms near its border with North Korea, which reported an outbreak in May. 

Oct 02 - Brazil's Bolsonaro issues decree expanding farm credit 
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday signed a decree with a variety of measures to expand financing for farmers. The measures include the creation of a "fraternal" fund that will provide an estimated 5 billion reais ($1.20 billion) in additional credit for the sector, according to Rogerio Miranda, the Economy Ministry's subsecretary for agriculture policy.

Oct 01 - China buys U.S. soybeans as part of tariff-free quota ahead of trade talks - traders
Chinese firms bought up to 600,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans on Monday for shipment from November to January as part of a tariff-free quota allotted to the importers to buy up to 2 million tonnes this week, two sources with knowledge of the deals said. Monday's purchases come ahead of high-level U.S.-China trade talks, due to begin next week, aimed at ending a nearly 15-month trade war that has slashed U.S. agricultural exports and rattled global markets.

 Oct 01 - Brazil grain growers wary of dicamba as Bayer launches new GM soy seed
A genetically modified soy seed technology from Germany's Bayer set to launch soon in Brazil has sparked concern from some farmers who worry that other crops could be impacted by dicamba, a herbicide the biotech product is designed to tolerate. Widely used in the United States, dicamba has been described by farmers who have applied it as a volatile product that drifts off easily. As such, it may compromise non-tolerant soybeans, growers told Reuters.

 Oct 01 - Brazil's Bolsonaro fires land rights chief at urging of farm official - sources
Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro has fired the head of the agency responsible for rural land rights at the urging of an official backed by the country's powerful agriculture lobby, two sources told Reuters on Monday. The agency, known as Incra, is responsible for demarcating land for new farming settlements, often created on remote Brazilian land with no other owner, much of it in the Amazon rainforest.

 Oct 01 - Highest Indian monsoon rains in 25 years to boost winter crops
Monsoon rains in India were 10% above average in 2019 and the highest in 25 years as seasonal rainfall continued longer than expected, the weather department said on Monday. Extra June-September monsoon rainfall will help farmers expand areas under winter-sown crops such as wheat, rice rapeseed and chick peas, improving their earning potential and helping revive tepid rural demand that has stung Indian economic growth.

Oct 01 - Some items to keep in mind ahead of USDA's stocks, wheat report -Braun
Agriculture market participants know that U.S. corn and soybean supplies have been building to multi-decade and even record highs over the past year. Monday’s data from the U.S. government will likely cement that, and then analysts can finally look ahead to the supply cuts expected over the next year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will publish quarterly grain stocks and the annual small grains summary on Monday at noon EDT (1600 GMT). The stocks will reflect year-end supplies for U.S. corn and soybeans for 2018-19, which concluded on Aug. 31.

Oct 01 - Brazil soy planting sharply lagging last year's pace, says report
Soybean plantings in Brazil, the world's largest producer and exporter of the oilseed, are sharply lagging the pace seen at this time last year and are also below the average pace seen in the last five seasons, a report showed on Monday. Excessive dryness in most agricultural areas in the southern and central regions in Brazil is delaying field work for the 2019/20 grains crop, and could also delay future sowings of the second corn crop, the country's main crop of the cereal.