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BEIJING, CHINA – China plays an enormous role in the world grains market, with a large population that is increasing in affluence. Its huge pigmeat sector has been disrupted by African swine fever and then reformed in the aftermath of the disease, pushing feed demand higher.

In its Nov. 18 Grain Market Report, the International Grains Council (IGC) put China’s total grains production at 417.7 million tonnes in 2021-22, compared with 403.2 million in 2020-21.

The IGC puts the wheat crop at ...

WASHINGTON, DC, US — Whole wheat flour production in 2021 was 19.964 million cwts, down 157,000 cwts , or 0.8%, from 20.121 million cwts in 2020, according to data issued Feb. 1 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the US Department of Agriculture. The annual figure was the smallest since NASS began tracking whole wheat flour (and all flour) production data in 2014.

Since peaking in 2015 at 24.115 million cwts, annual production of whole wheat flour has fallen 4.151 ...

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US — Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) has been named one of the world’s most admired companies in the food production industry for the 14th year in a row by Fortune magazine.

“This achievement year after year is a true testament to our talented, diverse and dedicated workforce,” said Juan Luciano, chairman and chief executive officer of ADM, based in Chicago, Illinois, US. “I am proud of the work we do every day to unlock the power of nature ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA, US – US farmer sentiment weakened in January as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer declined 6 points to a reading of 119, its second-lowest reading since July 2020. The Index of Current Conditions fell 13 points to a reading of 133, while the Index of Future Expectations changed little in January, down 2 points to a reading of 112.

The Ag Economy Barometer is calculated each month from 400 US agricultural producers’ responses to a telephone ...

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — The European Commission on Jan. 27 revised its forecast of European Union soft wheat stocks upward due to sharply increased imports.

The Commission forecasts soft wheat stocks to reach 13.3 million tonnes at the end of the 2021-22 marketing year, a four-year high and increase from its December projection of 12.9 million tonnes.

The Commission revised the EU’s soft wheat imports higher by 500,000 tonnes for an overall total of 2 million tonnes.

The Commission’s forecast for 2021-22 production and ...

WASHINGTON, DC, US — Tight supplies of grain and oilseeds have propelled prices in recent months to multi-year highs for ingredients like flour and soybean oil. Data issued in mid-January by the US Department of Agriculture provided some relief, but a prominent commodity analyst cautioned it would be premature to declare an end to the commodity bull market.

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service on Jan. 12 estimated area planted to winter wheat for harvest in 2022 at 34.397 million acres, ...

DAMASCUS, SYRIA – Syria in 2021 saw its lowest level of wheat production in 50 years as drought, high input costs and dire economic conditions took their toll, according to a recent report by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The FAO noted in its report that “immediate action is required to support the agricultural sector” for its next season.

The decline in agriculture production comes as war-torn Syria suffers from famine-like conditions in parts of the country with over ...

WASHINGTON, DC, US — The US Department of Agriculture in its Dec. 9 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report forecast the US carryover of wheat on June 1, 2022, at 598 million bushels, up 15 million bushels from the November projection but down 247 million bushels, or 29%, from 845 million bushels in 2021. Nearby wheat futures closed 13¢ to 17¢ a bushel lower after the report.

The USDA lowered its forecast for the 2021-22 wheat supply by 5 million ...

LONDON, ENGLAND — Global wheat stocks continue to tighten as the International Grains Council (IGC) released its latest Grain Market Review report on Nov. 18 that showed production falling by 4 million tonnes and carryover stocks declining by 2 million tonnes since last month’s estimates.

The IGC said the wheat production forecast was lowered to 777 million tonnes, mainly because of a sharp reduction in output in Iran as well as downgrades in Kazakhstan, Algeria and the European Union. Iran’s decline ...