Grain Highlights 01.11.2023

FAS USDA forecasts a wheat production in Argentina of 14.5 million tons in 2023/24 (-5 compared to the previous estimate).

As of October 30, 2023, Russia harvested 140.2 million tons of grain, which is 9.8 million tons less than the previous year. The harvested wheat amounts to 93.7 million tons bunker weight from 97% of the areas. Harvested barley reached 21.9 million tons (97.6%) and harvested corn was 9.3 million tons (52.5%).

In 2023, the oilseed processing capacity in Russia will reach 30.8 million tons annually (28.5 in 2022).

In November, the export tax on sunseed oil from Russia will be 5,773.1 rubles/ton (7,519.6 in October).

In the first 4 months of 2023/24, Ukraine exported 9.244 million tons of grain (13.379 in the previous year), including 2.491 million tons in October. Exported were 4.633 million tons of wheat (1.299), 682,000 tons of barley (60,000) and 3.806 million tons of corn (1.121).

By the end of October, Ukraine planted 4.211 million hectares with winter grain crops, including 3.733 million hectares of wheat, 403,000 hectares of barley, 76,000 hectares of rye. Cultivations of 362,000 hectares were planted for the week. Winter rapeseed was sown on 1.142 million hectares.

According to Safras&Mercado data as of October 27, 2023, 72.4% of the planned areas for the first corn crop of 2023/24 were planted in Brazil (70.1% a year earlier).

FAS USDA forecasts a wheat production in Argentina of 14.5 million tons in 2023/24 (-5 compared to the previous estimate). Estimates for the areas and average yields have been reduced. The total season's exports will be 10 - 11 million tons.

In September, China imported 7.8 million tons of oilseed crops according to Oil World data. For the whole of 2022/23 (October - September), the imports were 109.9 million tons, including soybean imports of 100.87 million tons (91.6 in 2021/22), canola and rapeseed imports of 5.33 million tons (1.66), sunseed imports of 2.96 million tons (+1) - including 2.1 million tons from Ukraine, 0.3 million tons from Russia and 0.5 million tons from Bulgaria. The import of meals was 8.4 million tons (+18%). Soybean processing in China was 95.1 million tons (+0.3). The import of palm oil was 6.9 million tons (4.8), rapeseed oil imports reached 1.9 million tons (0.9), sunseed oil imports were 1.5 million tons (0.5), and the total oil deliveries were 12.7 million tons (8.2).

During the period of November 1 - 15, the base price of unrefined palm oil in Indonesia will be 748.93 USD/ton (740.67 in October 15 - 31). The export tax during this period will be 18 USD/ton.

Tunisia has purchased 100,000 tons of soft wheat at prices ranging from 268.32 to 270.48 USD/ton C&F with delivery from November to December. Also, 75,000 tons of fodder barley were purchased at prices of 220 - 221 USD/ton C&F.

Egypt's state-owned company GASC has announced a tender to purchase 30,000 tons of soyoil and 10,000 tons of sunseed oil with deliveries in January - February.