South Korea wants more rice to be consumed and is subsidizing rice for college students, the cohort least likely to eat breakfast, and is incentivizing food products made from rice flour. Rice production is dropping as population growth has stalled, but rice consumption is dropping even faster. South Korea’s population growth rate is 0.16 percent, but rice consumption is falling by 0.6 percent per year. Instead, wheat consumption is increasing by 0.5 percent per year. The share of rice in ending stocks has risen by 21 percent over the past decade.
The situation in broader East Asia is not too different. The population is increasing by 0.27 percent per year, and rice consumption is increasing by 0.46 percent. But...
Key Takeaways: WPI’s 2025/26 corn export models continue to reflect strong international demand and put the total marketing year volume slightly above USDA’s estimates. Strong old crop corn exports are offset by weaker feed and residual use, leaving ending stocks slightly ele...
WPI Grain Prices and Freight Rate App Note: you can also visit the app directly by clicking here. Supplemental Information The section below offers a concise view of the options available in the current version of the WPI FOB Price and Freight Rate app, along with a short “How To”...
Key Takeaways: Global freight markets are mixed this week with Capesize and Panamax vessel seeing strong performance, primarily on iron ore demand and U.S. Gulf and ECSA grain demand. Handysize and, to a lesser extent, Supramax vessels are trading lower as charterers focus on larger vess...
Key Takeaways: Sugarcane is the world’s largest crop by total production volume, surpassing major commodities such as corn, wheat, and soybeans, and supplies roughly 80 percent of global sugar production. Sugarcane’s perennial growth cycle allows farmers to harvest multiple crops f...
