Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 29 September–03 October 2025 The market remained bearish under pressure from the new crop. However, the export market is fueling optimism. With relatively low export duties, Russian farmers may improve grain margins this year, supported by significant trade volumes...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 22–26 September 2025 The Russian grains market remained stable with a slightly bearish tone, particularly for corn, which led declines amid ongoing harvests and steady export flows. Barley and corn weakness is expected to pressure feed wheat prices. Peas are also un...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 15–19 September 2025 Bullish sentiment returned to the Russian grain markets during the third week of September, defying expectations of continued bearishness. Despite exportable surpluses and farmers’ need to generate cash to service rising interest-bearing l...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 8–12 September 2025 Bearish sentiment in the Russian grains markets eased during the second week of September, with prices stabilizing in some regions. Proximity to ports continues to offer premiums as export activity gains momentum. Most grains are experiencing sol...
WASDE Wheat - Sep 2025
Wheat - USDA’s Sep 2025 outlook is for U.S. total wheat exports to increase by 25 million bushels to 900 million. That reduced ending stocks by 25 million bushels to 844 million - slightly less than last year. The projected 2025/26 seasonal average farm price is reduced by $0.20 per bushe...
Market Commentary: Calm for the Day but Geopolitics Hint at Looming Volatility
The CBOT was solidly in the red on Wednesday while cattle futures regained some of their former strength. Markets had to process multiple headlines at the national/international political level, which led to some mild risk-off trade. Mostly, however, for grains, the looming WASDE dominated the...
Wheat from the Chaff; Europe Gets Squeezed
Wheat from the Chaff An agricultural meeting in Arkansas last week drew 400 to 500 farmers, a much larger group than expected at harvest time. They vented their angst over low commodity prices, high input costs, and consequently low profitability. One estimate from bankers is that farm bankrupt...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 1–5 September 2025 Bearish sentiments prevailed across both the European and Asian parts of Russia. The market is under pressure as stocks and yields are better than expected especially in Volga Valley and Black Soil region. Siberia and Urals harvesting campaign is...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 25 – 29 August 2025 Bearish sentiments prevail on the Russian market. Most likely the bottom price levels are near for most of the grains except corn whose season started in September. Bearish trend is a tradition for this part of the season as harvesting is un...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 18 – 22 August 2025 The market continues following a bearish trend, mostly related to the peak of the harvest campaign and a surplus of freshly cut grains. The export market continues driving prices inside the country and while European Russia is focused on Azov Sea...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 11 – 15 August 2025 During the second week of August, the market realized that harvesting produces all the grain the market needs and this caused bearish sentiments in most of Russia’s regions. Some regions like Siberia and Ural are sensitive to the harvesting...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 4 – 8 August 2025 The speed of the harvesting campaign was the key price driver. Improved harvesting pace in the Centre and Black Soil regions made most of the grain prices plummet except for the best milling quality wheat. This is understandable as excessive rains...
WASDE Wheat - August 2025
USDA increased their estimate for U.S. wheat exports by 25 million bushels to 875 million on the continued strong pace of sales and shipments, particularly for Hard Red Winter. Projected ending stocks are reduced by 21 million bushels to 869 million. Nevertheless, the 2025/26 season-average far...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 28 July – 1 August 2025 The harmonizing of July old crop and new crop pricing is coming to an end. As harvesting continues with a delay, prices are volatile depending on the region. Delayed harvest often causes bullish sentiments in some individual regions but press...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 21 – 25 July 2025 During the fourth week of the new 2025/26 season, the export market was still the driving force behind pricing patterns. Harvesting entered into the active phase filling the needs on the market to the brim. As a result, domestic prices plummeted. T...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 14 – 18 July 2025 The new 2025/26 season export market is the driving force behind pricing patterns asking for more goods at the premium price. The southern federal district enjoyed bullish sentiments, while the rest of the country was waking up to what is going on...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 7 – 11 July 2025 The export market is drawing all the attention and in the southern (export oriented) regions of Russia, demand and hunger for more business surpass supply, thus bringing prices back to previous levels, sometimes even higher. In some regions where ha...
Market Commentary: Corn Posts Bullish Reversal while Soy, Wheat Slip Lower
Monday’s trade at the CBOT was interesting with corn, soybeans, and wheat all rallying off fresh contract or selloff lows overnight, but only corn holding onto those gains by the closing bell. For corn futures, the market seemed to be more focused on the USDA’s ending stocks figure...
WASDE Wheat - July 2025
USDA’s July 2025 outlook for U.S. wheat is for a 1 bushel per acre increase in average yield to 52.6 bushels per acre. The projection is for U.S. wheat production to increase 8 million bushels to 1,929 million bushels. However, the estimate for U.S. wheat exports is raised by 25 million b...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 30 June – 4 July 2025 During the first week of the new season 2025/26, seasonal price depreciation continued, however, delayed harvesting was helping wheat prices rebound in the south, the Russia’s main export hub. To add fuel to the fire, yields are lower com...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 23 – 27 June 2025 Grain markets remained slightly bearish because harvesting is ongoing and traditionally with and excess of grains on the market, prices are bearish. However, the first cuts of wheat showed poor results and encouraged farmers to wait and see. The av...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 16 – 20 June 2025 Grain markets plummeted to seasonally low price levels which are usually established at the beginning of the season. This was probably the straw that broke the camels back and it is hard to see prices any lower. But on the other hand, the month of...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 9 – 13 June 2025 The grains market saw no major changes especially with two days of holidays when the country celebrated Russia day. The new crop smell is in the air with annexed Crimea already harvesting. This season the crop in Crimea will be poor because the irri...
WASDE Corn – June 2025
USDA’s outlook for 2025/26 U.S. corn is for record supplies to create higher ending stocks. The corn crop is projected at 15.8 billion bushels, up 6 percent from a year ago due to increases in both area and yield. Planted area is estimated to be 95.3 million acres and yield is projected t...
WASDE Wheat – June 2025
USDA’s outlook for 2025/26 U.S. wheat is for yields to average 51.6 bushels per acre, which is up 0.4 bushels from last year. Hard Red Winter and White account for most of the increase. Total 2025/26 domestic use is a record 977 million bushels, mostly on food use. Exports are projected l...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 2 – 6 June 2025 The grain market continued the transition from old crop to new crop meaning that the bearish trend is now across the board for all grains. The biggest bear was registered in the wheat belt which is located close to the export terminals as export dema...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 26 – 30 May 2025 The grain market was more similar to an end of June market rather than end of May. A new season seems to have started a month earlier. Wheat and barley prices in the south near the ports plummeted to new level. Usually transition from old crop to ne...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 19 –23 May 2025 Grain markets finally realized that the new crop is near and bearish adjustments between the old crop and new crop started to become a reality like never before. Only Siberia is still waiting while the rest of the country is watching the export new c...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 12 –16 May 2025 Crop Outlook 2025 The grain market was relatively stable, however, the gap between the new crop and old crop price indicators is getting wider and wider. The export market is just finishing up the marathon run where everybody knows the winner, the qu...
Policy Quick Hits
The following is a rundown of some key issues impacting agriculture: Reconciliation: The reconciliation bill passed through the Agriculture Committee on a party line vote, 29 to 25. All the amendments offered also passed by the same party line vote. The bill would cut the Supplemental Nutrition...
Wheat Problem Areas
As noted yesterday, global wheat consumption has been growing faster than the expansion in production. Sometimes it takes non-agricultural researchers to look at an issue in a different way. Petroleum engineers at the Colorado School of Mines studied global areas where the loss of sub-surface s...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 5 – 9 May 2025 Crop Outlook 2025 Russian analysts from IKRAR increased the wheat production forecast in Russia by 1.3 MMT to reach 83.8 MMT. They attribute the upgrade to rains in the wheat belt of Russia during the first 10 days of May. As a result, they also revis...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 28 April – 2 May 2025 Russian audit, corporate finance, and consultancy company BEFL published a rating of Russia’s largest megafarms which included 75 companies – half the number registered a year ago. This is telling us that large farms are becom...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 21 – 25 April 2025 Crop Outlook 2025 The spring planting campaign in Russia is in full swing. Fifty-six regions of Russia are reportedly planting spring crops, and this season is showing much better speed than last year. To date, around 10.5 million hectares (Mha) a...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 14 – 18 April 2025 Crop Outlook 2025 Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced that around 90 percent of all winter crops are in good and satisfactory condition. According to Mr. Mishustin, winter crops cover around 20 million ha (Mha). He is expecting that...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 7 – 11 April 2025 Crop Outlook 2025 Dmitriy Patrushev, the Vice Premier of Russia, announced that during 2025 Russian farmers will plant around 84 million ha (Mha) which is up almost 1 Mha from last season. 20 Mha have already been planted with winter crops. Accordi...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 29 September–03 October 2025 The market remained bearish under pressure from the new crop. However, the export market is fueling optimism. With relatively low export duties, Russian farmers may improve grain margins this year, supported by significant trade volumes...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 22–26 September 2025 The Russian grains market remained stable with a slightly bearish tone, particularly for corn, which led declines amid ongoing harvests and steady export flows. Barley and corn weakness is expected to pressure feed wheat prices. Peas are also un...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 15–19 September 2025 Bullish sentiment returned to the Russian grain markets during the third week of September, defying expectations of continued bearishness. Despite exportable surpluses and farmers’ need to generate cash to service rising interest-bearing l...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 8–12 September 2025 Bearish sentiment in the Russian grains markets eased during the second week of September, with prices stabilizing in some regions. Proximity to ports continues to offer premiums as export activity gains momentum. Most grains are experiencing sol...
WASDE Wheat - Sep 2025
Wheat - USDA’s Sep 2025 outlook is for U.S. total wheat exports to increase by 25 million bushels to 900 million. That reduced ending stocks by 25 million bushels to 844 million - slightly less than last year. The projected 2025/26 seasonal average farm price is reduced by $0.20 per bushe...
Market Commentary: Calm for the Day but Geopolitics Hint at Looming Volatility
The CBOT was solidly in the red on Wednesday while cattle futures regained some of their former strength. Markets had to process multiple headlines at the national/international political level, which led to some mild risk-off trade. Mostly, however, for grains, the looming WASDE dominated the...
Wheat from the Chaff; Europe Gets Squeezed
Wheat from the Chaff An agricultural meeting in Arkansas last week drew 400 to 500 farmers, a much larger group than expected at harvest time. They vented their angst over low commodity prices, high input costs, and consequently low profitability. One estimate from bankers is that farm bankrupt...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 1–5 September 2025 Bearish sentiments prevailed across both the European and Asian parts of Russia. The market is under pressure as stocks and yields are better than expected especially in Volga Valley and Black Soil region. Siberia and Urals harvesting campaign is...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 25 – 29 August 2025 Bearish sentiments prevail on the Russian market. Most likely the bottom price levels are near for most of the grains except corn whose season started in September. Bearish trend is a tradition for this part of the season as harvesting is un...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grains Market: 18 – 22 August 2025 The market continues following a bearish trend, mostly related to the peak of the harvest campaign and a surplus of freshly cut grains. The export market continues driving prices inside the country and while European Russia is focused on Azov Sea...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 11 – 15 August 2025 During the second week of August, the market realized that harvesting produces all the grain the market needs and this caused bearish sentiments in most of Russia’s regions. Some regions like Siberia and Ural are sensitive to the harvesting...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 4 – 8 August 2025 The speed of the harvesting campaign was the key price driver. Improved harvesting pace in the Centre and Black Soil regions made most of the grain prices plummet except for the best milling quality wheat. This is understandable as excessive rains...
WASDE Wheat - August 2025
USDA increased their estimate for U.S. wheat exports by 25 million bushels to 875 million on the continued strong pace of sales and shipments, particularly for Hard Red Winter. Projected ending stocks are reduced by 21 million bushels to 869 million. Nevertheless, the 2025/26 season-average far...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 28 July – 1 August 2025 The harmonizing of July old crop and new crop pricing is coming to an end. As harvesting continues with a delay, prices are volatile depending on the region. Delayed harvest often causes bullish sentiments in some individual regions but press...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 21 – 25 July 2025 During the fourth week of the new 2025/26 season, the export market was still the driving force behind pricing patterns. Harvesting entered into the active phase filling the needs on the market to the brim. As a result, domestic prices plummeted. T...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 14 – 18 July 2025 The new 2025/26 season export market is the driving force behind pricing patterns asking for more goods at the premium price. The southern federal district enjoyed bullish sentiments, while the rest of the country was waking up to what is going on...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 7 – 11 July 2025 The export market is drawing all the attention and in the southern (export oriented) regions of Russia, demand and hunger for more business surpass supply, thus bringing prices back to previous levels, sometimes even higher. In some regions where ha...
Market Commentary: Corn Posts Bullish Reversal while Soy, Wheat Slip Lower
Monday’s trade at the CBOT was interesting with corn, soybeans, and wheat all rallying off fresh contract or selloff lows overnight, but only corn holding onto those gains by the closing bell. For corn futures, the market seemed to be more focused on the USDA’s ending stocks figure...
WASDE Wheat - July 2025
USDA’s July 2025 outlook for U.S. wheat is for a 1 bushel per acre increase in average yield to 52.6 bushels per acre. The projection is for U.S. wheat production to increase 8 million bushels to 1,929 million bushels. However, the estimate for U.S. wheat exports is raised by 25 million b...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 30 June – 4 July 2025 During the first week of the new season 2025/26, seasonal price depreciation continued, however, delayed harvesting was helping wheat prices rebound in the south, the Russia’s main export hub. To add fuel to the fire, yields are lower com...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 23 – 27 June 2025 Grain markets remained slightly bearish because harvesting is ongoing and traditionally with and excess of grains on the market, prices are bearish. However, the first cuts of wheat showed poor results and encouraged farmers to wait and see. The av...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 16 – 20 June 2025 Grain markets plummeted to seasonally low price levels which are usually established at the beginning of the season. This was probably the straw that broke the camels back and it is hard to see prices any lower. But on the other hand, the month of...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 9 – 13 June 2025 The grains market saw no major changes especially with two days of holidays when the country celebrated Russia day. The new crop smell is in the air with annexed Crimea already harvesting. This season the crop in Crimea will be poor because the irri...
WASDE Corn – June 2025
USDA’s outlook for 2025/26 U.S. corn is for record supplies to create higher ending stocks. The corn crop is projected at 15.8 billion bushels, up 6 percent from a year ago due to increases in both area and yield. Planted area is estimated to be 95.3 million acres and yield is projected t...
WASDE Wheat – June 2025
USDA’s outlook for 2025/26 U.S. wheat is for yields to average 51.6 bushels per acre, which is up 0.4 bushels from last year. Hard Red Winter and White account for most of the increase. Total 2025/26 domestic use is a record 977 million bushels, mostly on food use. Exports are projected l...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 2 – 6 June 2025 The grain market continued the transition from old crop to new crop meaning that the bearish trend is now across the board for all grains. The biggest bear was registered in the wheat belt which is located close to the export terminals as export dema...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 26 – 30 May 2025 The grain market was more similar to an end of June market rather than end of May. A new season seems to have started a month earlier. Wheat and barley prices in the south near the ports plummeted to new level. Usually transition from old crop to ne...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 19 –23 May 2025 Grain markets finally realized that the new crop is near and bearish adjustments between the old crop and new crop started to become a reality like never before. Only Siberia is still waiting while the rest of the country is watching the export new c...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 12 –16 May 2025 Crop Outlook 2025 The grain market was relatively stable, however, the gap between the new crop and old crop price indicators is getting wider and wider. The export market is just finishing up the marathon run where everybody knows the winner, the qu...
Policy Quick Hits
The following is a rundown of some key issues impacting agriculture: Reconciliation: The reconciliation bill passed through the Agriculture Committee on a party line vote, 29 to 25. All the amendments offered also passed by the same party line vote. The bill would cut the Supplemental Nutrition...
Wheat Problem Areas
As noted yesterday, global wheat consumption has been growing faster than the expansion in production. Sometimes it takes non-agricultural researchers to look at an issue in a different way. Petroleum engineers at the Colorado School of Mines studied global areas where the loss of sub-surface s...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 5 – 9 May 2025 Crop Outlook 2025 Russian analysts from IKRAR increased the wheat production forecast in Russia by 1.3 MMT to reach 83.8 MMT. They attribute the upgrade to rains in the wheat belt of Russia during the first 10 days of May. As a result, they also revis...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 28 April – 2 May 2025 Russian audit, corporate finance, and consultancy company BEFL published a rating of Russia’s largest megafarms which included 75 companies – half the number registered a year ago. This is telling us that large farms are becom...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 21 – 25 April 2025 Crop Outlook 2025 The spring planting campaign in Russia is in full swing. Fifty-six regions of Russia are reportedly planting spring crops, and this season is showing much better speed than last year. To date, around 10.5 million hectares (Mha) a...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 14 – 18 April 2025 Crop Outlook 2025 Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced that around 90 percent of all winter crops are in good and satisfactory condition. According to Mr. Mishustin, winter crops cover around 20 million ha (Mha). He is expecting that...
Black Sea Regional Analysis
Russian Grain Markets: 7 – 11 April 2025 Crop Outlook 2025 Dmitriy Patrushev, the Vice Premier of Russia, announced that during 2025 Russian farmers will plant around 84 million ha (Mha) which is up almost 1 Mha from last season. 20 Mha have already been planted with winter crops. Accordi...