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.
Maharashtra to buy paddy, maize, jowar.
Maharashtra’s State Co-operative Marketing Federation along with Adivasi Vikas Mahamandal will start procurement of maize, paddy, jowar, bajra and other coarse cereals on behalf of Food Corp of India. Procurement of paddy (in Maharashtra) will start from now, while that of maize, jowar and bajra will commence from Nov 1. The government will procure fair average quality common paddy variety at 1,750 rupees per 100 kg and grade “A” variety at 1,770 rupees per 100 kg. Procurement of maize will be at 1,700 rupees, bajra at 1,950 rupees and jowar hybrid variety at 2,430 rupees and Maldandi variety at 2,450 rupees per 100 kg. The registration and buying of the farmers’ produce will be done online through NCDEX e-Markets Ltd, formerly known as NCDEX Spot Exchange Ltd. Output of kharif rice in the country in 2018-19 (Jul-Jun) is estimated at 99.24 mln tn, up 1.8% on year, kharif maize output is forecast at 21.47 mln tn, up 6.1%, while that of kharif jowar is estimated at 1.88 mln tn, down from 2.10 mln tn in 2017-18.
Maize prices largely unch on limited demand.
Spot price of maize in key Davanagere market in Karntaka was steady at 1,400-1,450 rupees per 100 kg. Demand from bulk buyers is limited because of less availability of good quality crop. Currently, maize prices are stuck in a range as buyers are waiting for fresh crop arrivals to begin, which could exert pressure on spot prices.
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.
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.
Iraq buys 100,000 T wheat, 90,000 T rice in direct deals.
Iraq’s trade ministry said it bought 100,000 tonnes of wheat and 90,000 tonnes of rice in direct deals, outside of the international tendering process.Of the total, Iraq bought 50,000 tonnes of US wheat and 50,000 tonnes of Australian wheat.
Ukraine keeps wheat export memorandum for 2018/19 unchanged.
Ukraine will not review a recently signed memorandum with traders on the volume of wheat available for export in the 2018/19 season. The memorandum allows the export of 8 million tonnes of milling wheat and 8 million tonnes of feed wheat.
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.
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.
Egypt’s GASC buys 180,000 T and 295,000 T wheat shipments.
Egypt’s state grains buyer GASC has bought 180,000 tonnes of wheat for shipment over Nov. 1-10 and a further 295,000 tonnes for shipment over Nov. 11-20. All of the wheat was Russian, apart from one 60,000 tonne cargo of Ukrainian wheat. For shipment Nov. 1-10 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat from GTCS at $226 free on board (FOB) and $17.10 freight, equating to $243.10 cost and freight (C&F). 60,000 tonnes of Ukrainian wheat from Louis Dreyfus at $227.73 FOB and $16.87 freight, equating to $244.60 C&F.
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.
Govt approves moong procurement at MSP in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.
The government has approved the procurement of moong sown in 2018-19 (Jul-Jun) kharif season at minimum support price of 6,975 rupees per 100 kg from farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The state governments have sought approval for procurement of green gram (moong) at minimum support price under the price support scheme. The Centre has approved the procurement of 23,000 tn of moong in Karnataka and around 5,000 tn in Tamil Nadu in this kharif marketing season beginning October when arrivals commence in full swing. Higher arrivals and hopes of a bumper crop this year are expected to further weigh on the prices. The move comes in the wake of high domestic supplies due to a bumper pulses, including moong, output in 2017-18 (Jul-Jun) and hopes of higher crop this year as well.
Kharif urad acreage 4 mln ha, down 9% on year.
Farmers in the country have sown urad across 4.04 mln ha this kharif season, down 9% on year. Urad acreage this kharif season is already well above the five-year average of 3.14 mln ha for the corresponding period. In Madhya Pradesh, the largest grower of urad, acreage was down 7.7% on year at 1.65 mln ha as farmers shifted to paddy and soybean for lucrative returns. Harvesting of urad has begun in some parts of Madhya Pradesh and fresh arrivals are entering the market. Madhya Pradesh’s urad output in 2018-19 is estimated at 1.73 mln tn, down 1.1% from last year.
Moong acreage up 7.4% on year at 3.44 mln ha.
Moong acreage across the country rose 7.4% on year to 3.44 mln ha, largely due to a rise in area under the crop in Rajasthan and Karnataka.
Serbia’s 2018 wheat output rises 29.3%.
Serbia’s 2018 wheat output rose 29.3% on the year to 2.942 million tonnes. The harvested area increased to 648,083 hectares in 2018, from 557,702 ha last year. Maize production is seen at 6.965 million tonnes in 2018, up 73.3% over the previous year.