Corn futures are fractionally higher.

They closed with most contracts 1 to 2 1/4 cents higher supported by gains in the wheat complex. Trade Ministry data shows Brazil’s September corn exports at 3.424 MMT, up 18.11% from August but down 42.12% from last year.

Jaipur barley up on demand from feed sector.

Prices of barley rose in Jaipur due to higher demand from the poultry feed sector and domestic stockists. In Jaipur, the benchmark market for the commodity, the coarse grain was sold at 1,600 rupees per 100 kg, up 10 rupees. Negligible supply in the market also supported prices. Only a couple of bags, each carrying 85 kg of barley, arrived in the market, due to low stocks with farmers.

Pricing panel moots 1,440 rupee/100 kg barley MSP ’18-19.

Pricing panel recommends 30 rupees/100 kg hike in barley MSP. The government wants to declare the minimum support prices for key rabi crops at the onset of the season due to upcoming Assembly polls in several states. It has to be declared before the code of conduct comes into place. The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices has recommended a hike of 105 rupees per 100 kg in minimum support price for key rabi food grain.

Wheat futures are currently unchanged

Wheat futures are currently unchanged to 5 cents higher after posting 9 to 15 cent gains in most contracts, with MPLS the strongest in both cases. Russia’s ag safety watchdog apparently warned of a possible temporary suspension of 30 grain loading facilities for up to 90 days for phytosanitary issues. Importers had complained about poor quality in Russian shipments. NASS pegged the winter wheat planting at 43% complete, with the normal pace running 40%. The crop was 14% emerged, matching the average. Planting in the Southern Plains is ahead of the average, at 41% for KS and OK and 42% for TX. Taiwan purchased 110,000 MT of US wheat in their latest tender.

Chana rises in Delhi as govt extends peas import ban.

Despite higher arrivals, chana prices in Delhi rose as the government extended the import ban on peas for another three months until December and on improved demand from the dal millers. In Delhi, the pulse was sold at 4,425 rupees per 100 kg, up 75 rupees. Halt in the chana sales by NAFED is also seen creating positive sentiments.

Cabinet approves proposal to hike MSP on rabi crops.

The farm pricing panel has also recommended an increase of 220 rupees per 100 kg in the support price for chana to 4,620 rupees. Farmers of masur, another key rabi crop, may get a minimum support price of 4,475 rupees per 100 kg as against 4,250 rupees last year. The government wants to declare the minimum support prices for key rabi crops at the onset of the season due to upcoming Assembly polls in several states. It has to be declared before the code of conduct comes into place.

Wheat slips on reduced offtake by flour mills.

Wheat prices slipped by Rs 15 per quintal at the wholesale grains market due to reduced offtake by flour mills against adequate stocks position. However, other grains held steady in thin trade. Besides fall in demand from flour mills, sufficient stocks position on increased arrivals from growing regions mainly weighed on wheat prices.

EU wheat falls on poor demand, high global supplies.

European wheat prices pared gains, pressured by a lack of demand for European supplies and reports of a record wheat harvest in Argentina. Benchmark December milling wheat on Paris-based Euronext closed 0.50 euro or 0.25 percent lower at 200.50 euros a tonne. Reached 202.75 euros in earlier trade. Argentina’s 2018/19 wheat harvest is expected to reach a record 19.7 million tonnes, up from 17.8 million tonnes last year.

The Latin American country is competing with European wheat on many international markets.

Demand for French wheat has been shrinking, with port data showing a thin line-up aiming to France’s main client Algeria with nearly no exports to West Africa. French port silos are full so deliveries are being slowed down, although not halted, due to a lack of room.Silos are full in (the Atlantic port of) La Pallice and in Rouen and export prospects for October are thin or non-existent.

Khammam Production of maize to touch 30,000 tonnes.

Maize production is expected to cross 30,000 tonnes this year. Maize was sown in 13,000 acres in Khammam and Bhadradri districts and the extent of the irrigated dry crop is increasing by the year. Farmers at large in Mudigonda, Kusumanchi, Bonakal, Errupalem and Chintakani mandals in Khammam district and Allapalli, Sattupalli, Yellandu, Tekulapalli, Mulakalapalli and Chandrugonda mandals in Bhadradri district opted to sow maize. The crop is now at harvesting stage and his is creating tension among the farmers as they remember the horrible experiences of last year. Delayed lifting led to crop getting damaged in the fields due to rains last year. The resultant losses were put at around Rs 5 crore. The delayed lifting also forced farmers to stay at the lifting centres over three days or more. Private traders, who cashed in on the the situation, bought the damaged maize at throwaway prices.

Syria bought about 200,000 tonnes wheat in tender.

Syria’s state grain import agency bought about 200,000 tonnes of Russian wheat in an international tender which closed this week. The General Establishment for Cereal Processing and Trade (Hoboob) purchased the wheat at $224.50 per tonne c&f free out Syrian ports. The tender had sought wheat sourced from Russia, Romania or Bulgaria. Shipment is for between Oct. 15 and Dec. 15. The tender allows partial shipment but not less than 100,000 tonnes. Syria is planning to import around 1.5 million tonnes of mostly Russian wheat this year to fill a supply shortfall. Food Corp of India sold 231,600 tn of wheat in the 3rd tender of september of auctions under the open market sales scheme for 2018-19 (Apr-Mar). The state-run agency had offered 1.98 mln tn of the grain at the auction.

Taiwan tenders to buy 110,000 tonnes wheat of US-origin.

The Taiwan Flour Millers’ Association has issued an international tender to purchase 110,000 tonnes of grade 1 milling wheat to be sourced from the United States. The tender deadline is Oct. 2. The wheat is sought in two consignments both of 55,000 tonnes for shipment from the US Pacific Northwest coast.

Rains improve conditions for winter grain sowing in russia, ukraine.

Recent rains across Ukraine and Russia have improved conditions for 2018’s winter grain sowing and the prospects for the next year’s harvest. The situation is very favourable for sowing. Weather again gave us a bonus. Rains have fallen in all regions and there is nobody who can complain about the weather. Ukrainian farmers have sown 2.3 million hectares of winter grains as of Sept. 24, or 32 percent of the forecasted area of 7.2 million hectares. They sowed 2.5 million hectares at the same date a year earlier.

New urad crop arrivals start in Madhya Pradesh, prices may fall more.

New crop of urad or black matpe has started arriving in some parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the two key producing states, over the last few days. However, the new crop is being sold at 2,800-3,000 rupees per 100 kg, compared with 3,500-3,700 rupees a year ago, as urad prices are already 46% below the minimum support price of 5,600 rupees per 100 kg fixed by the government for 2018-19 (Jul-Jun). Prices are down this year due to higher moisture content in the new crop. New crop arrivals have started on time this year in Madhya Pradesh, and about 50-60 bags (1 bag = 100 kg) are arriving daily in the market as against 100-120 bags last year. The new crop this year has moisture content of 15-16% compared with 12-13% last year, which has led to fall in domestic demand. In Maharashtra, another key market, arrivals of urad have started in Latur, and 2,500-3,000 bags (1 bag = 100 kg) are arriving daily in the market as against 5,000-6,000 bags last year. Arrivals of the pulse are lower as output is expected to fall due to erratic weather conditions in the key growing areas of the state. New crop is currently being sold in the range of 3,500-4,000 rupees per 100 kg, up 50-100 rupees from the year-ago period.

SEBI mulls lifting decade-old ban on tur, urad futures.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) may soon allow futures trading in tur and urad dal as the regulator considers lifting a decade-old ban. Agri-commodities bourse NCDEX has also sought the regulator’s nod for relaunching futures trading in tur and urad. Trading in tur and urad was banned in 2007 after a spike in prices of these commodities Currently, these commodities have been trading below the minimum support price (MSP), which is a cause of concern for the government. If SEBI allows future trading in tur and urad, it may ease cartelisation in pulses. Large players will also show interest and derivative is a good tool for price discovery.