Latest news with #grain
CNA
6 days ago
- Business
- CNA
CNA Correspondent - A tale of two rice-growing countries: The quest for grain stability in Japan and South Korea
The price of rice in Japan has more than doubled since 2024, while in neighbouring South Korea the grain is practically being given away for free. Teresa Tang speaks to correspondents Michiyo Ishida and Lim Yun Suk about what's behind the disparity.
Russia Today
7 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
US investors take over key Ukrainian Black Sea grain hub
US investors have taken over a key export facility at Ukraine's Port of Odessa after winning a lengthy court battle with its previous owners, the Financial Times reported on Monday. The Olimpex grain terminal is one of Ukraine's largest, with an annual capacity of 5 million tons. In the lawsuit, US-based Argentem Creek Partners and Innovatus Capital Partners accused GNT Group of defrauding them on a $20 million loan. According to the court filings, the Ukrainian company misrepresented grain that was supposed to be held as collateral and staged the destruction of what it said was spoiled stock after defaulting following the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022. GNT denied any wrongdoing, and accused the investors of using the loans to stage a 'hostile takeover' of the terminal. A protracted probe and court battle resulted in the arrest of Ukrainian businessman Vladimir Naumenko, one of GNT's key beneficiaries, on fraud charges in May. Last week, Ukraine's Supreme Court approved the facility's transfer. Naumenko's partner, Sergey Groza, dismissed the charges against GNT as 'fabricated,' claiming the court acted on 'commands from above,' referring to Vladimir Zelensky's administration. In an interview with Groza alleged that US investors had used their 'colossal administrative resources' in Ukraine to intimidate GNT and seize the terminal, including employee arrests and office searches. Zelensky's Chief of Staff Andrey Yermak admitted to FT that Kiev had assisted the investors in the legal battle, though he claimed its role was 'purely coordinative.' John Patton, partner at Argentem Creek, told FT that the new management aims to take over the terminal immediately and reopen it this summer, in time for the grain harvest. The Port of Odessa, founded by the Russian Empire in 1794, plays a vital role in global grain exports. It was central to the UN-backed Black Sea Grain Initiative, which initially ensured safe passage for grain shipments during the conflict. Russia withdrew from the deal in 2023, citing the West's failure to lift sanctions on its agricultural exports, a condition of the agreement. Moscow has since accused Kiev of using the port to launch kamikaze drone attacks and deliver weapons, and struck its infrastructure with missiles.
NHK
08-07-2025
- Business
- NHK
Japan supermarket rice prices drop to 5-month low
The price of rice at supermarkets in Japan has fallen for a sixth straight week to a five-month low due to increased sales of cheaper grain from government stockpiles. The agriculture ministry on Monday released its weekly survey of about 1,000 supermarkets nationwide for the period through June 29. The average price of a 5-kilogram bag declined more than 3 percent from the previous week to 3,672 yen including tax, or about 25 dollars. But that is still about 63 percent higher than a year earlier. The price of blended rice and other types including grain from government stockpiles fell 4 percent.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Q2 in Grains and the Outlook for Q3
The grain and oilseed sector of the commodities market edged 0.30% lower in Q2 and was only 0.08% lower during the first six months of 2025. I concluded my Q1 Barchart report on the grain and oilseed sector with the following: I favor the upside in grain and oilseed prices because of the current low price levels. However, another year of bumper crops that satisfy worldwide requirements could send prices lower. Meanwhile, low prices tend to cure those low prices in commodity markets. Risk-reward dynamics favor the upside for prices after the bearish price action since the 2022 highs. The sector experienced a marginal decline in Q2 and the first half of 2025, but low prices have yet to cure the low prices. CBOT soybean futures edged marginally higher in Q2, posting a 0.94% gain and were 2.60% higher over the first six months of 2025. The quarterly chart highlights the long-term bullish trend despite the substantial decline from the 2022 high. Nearby soybean futures settled at $10.2425 per bushel on June 30, 2025. While soybean futures were marginally higher in Q2 and over the first six months of 2025, soybean products moved in opposite directions, with a decline in soybean meal and a rally in soybean oil. Soybean meal futures posted a 7.31% decline in Q2 and were 11.84% lower than the 2024 closing level on June 30, 2025. Nearby soybean meal futures were at the $271.30 per ton level at the end of Q2. Soybean oil futures rallied 16.97% in Q2 and were 32% higher over the first six months of 2025, settling at 52.51 cents per pound on June 30. The USDA increased its global beginning and ending 2025/2026 soybean stock forecast in the June WASDE report, indicating ample supplies to meet the worldwide demand. CBOT corn futures declined by 8.04% in Q2 and were 8.29% lower over the first six months of 2025. While the quarterly CBOT corn futures display the same long-term bullish pattern of higher lows as soybeans, prices have declined substantially from the 2022 high, settling at $4.2050 per bushel as of June 30, 2025. The June WASDE report informed the corn market that U.S. and global inventories had declined from the previous month, leaving the price forecast unchanged. CBOT soft red winter wheat is the most liquid wheat futures contract. The CBOT wheat futures fell 1.54% in Q2 and were down 4.13% over the first half of 2025. The quarterly chart shows the same pattern of higher lows over the past years and decades as the soybean and corn futures. However, after reaching a record high in 2022, prices have plummeted, with the nearby CBOT wheat futures settling at $5.2875 per bushel on June 30, 2025. KCBT hard red winter wheat futures underperformed the CBOT futures, posting a 9.16% Q2 decline and a 9.52% drop over the first half of 2025. The KCBT wheat futures settled at $5.06 per bushel on June 30, at a discount to the CBOT futures, which is below the long-term historical norm of a 20-30 cents premium for the KCBT over the CBOT wheat futures. The discount for KCBT signals that U.S. wholesale bread manufacturers are not hedging their requirements and are purchasing wheat on a hand-to-mouth basis as the prices have substantially declined from the 2022 record peak. Meanwhile, MGE Spring wheat futures posted a 1.68% gain in Q2 and were 1.22% higher over the first six months of 2025, settling at $6.03 per bushel on June 30, 2025. The June WASDE report told the wheat market that U.S. and global stockpiles declined from the previous month, with the USDA slightly increasing its price forecast due to the reduced stocks. Rounding out the price action in the grain and oilseed sector was a rally in oat futures and a decline in rough rice futures. Nearby CBOT oat futures posted an 11.70% Q2 gain and were 17.02% higher over the first half of 2025. The oat futures settled Q2 at $3.8675 per bushel. The nearby rough rice futures moved lower, falling 4.53% in Q2 and posting a 7.63% decline over the first six months of 2025. The rice futures settled at $12.955 per hundredweight. As the grain and oilseed markets enter the second half of 2025, the crops are in the heart of the growing season, where the weather across the fertile plains in the Northern Hemisphere will determine the path of least resistance of prices. The leading grains and oilseeds- corn, wheat, and soybean futures are trading at low levels compared to the 2022 highs, but they also display a long-term, multi-decade pattern of higher lows. Population growth means that production must keep pace with the fundamental equations' ever-expanding demand side for food. Moreover, the increasing demand for biofuel puts additional upward price pressure on the agricultural products. Therefore, I continue to believe that grain and oilseed futures have limited downside and the potential for explosive upside price action. While prices could move over as the 2025 crop year progresses, lower prices could be a buying opportunity for the coming years. On the date of publication, Andrew Hecht did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Corn Pushing Weakness to Wednesday AM Trade
Corn price action is down 3 to 4 cents on Wednesday morning. Futures climbed out of their overnight hole on Tuesday, though contracts still closed with fractional to 3 ½ cent losses. Preliminary open interest was up 24,013 contracts on Tuesday, suggesting net new selling. There were 78 deliveries against July futures overnight. The front month CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price was steady at $3.92 3/4. Grain Crushing data showed a total of 449.44 mbu of corn used for ethanol production in May. That was a jump of 6.2% from April, but still down 1.31% from the same month in 2024. The total for the marketing year through the first 3 quarters is at 4.08 bbu, which is 11 mbu above the same period last year. Arabica Coffee Prices Retreat on Brazil Coffee Crop Optimism Cocoa Prices Plunge on Expectations of a Bigger Ghana Cocoa Crop Cocoa Prices Plunge on Projections for a Larger 2025/26 Ghana Cocoa Crop Markets move fast. Keep up by reading our FREE midday Barchart Brief newsletter for exclusive charts, analysis, and headlines. The 7-day QPF from NOAA shows rains up to 1.5 inches in parts of NE, IA, MN, WI, and the Dakotas with much of the rest of the Corn Belt seeing trace amounts. Ukraine's ag ministry estimates the 2024/25 corn export total for the market year at 22 MMT, which is shy of the 29.5 MMT in 2024. StoneX estimates the Brazilian corn production total at 136.1 MMT, which is 2.1 MMT above their previous number on a hike to the second crop. ANEC estimate June Brazil exports at 566,435 MT, which is below the 982,812 MT prior estimate. Jul 25 Corn closed at $4.20, down 1/2 cent, currently down 3 1/2 cents Nearby Cash was $3.92 3/4, 0 cent, Sep 25 Corn closed at $4.06, down 3 1/4 cents, currently down 3 1/4 cents Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.22, down 3 1/2 cents, currently down 3 1/2 cents New Crop Cash was $3.80, down 3/4 cent, On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Sign in to access your portfolio
