DA task force sets inventory of rice stocks.

Ram Gopal Yadav (8 years ago)

Manila, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) will lead the creation of a task force to look into the nationwide inventory of rice stocks to counter allegations of a current shortage and speculation of possible importation despite a bumper harvest. The task force aims to prove that there is enough rice supply in the country and establish actual stock situation to allow the government to come up with correct statistics, which could be the basis of sound agricultural planning, particularly in terms of rice production. NFA is insisting on an immediate government-to-government importation of 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice to boost the agency’s inventory. Latest data from the PSA showed that the country’s rice inventory in March declined by 19 percent to 2.18 million MT, from 2.67 million MT recorded a year ago. The agency reported that total rice inventory as of March was also five percent lower than the 2.3 million MT posted in February.

Ukraine farmers started 2017 maize sowing.

Ram Gopal Yadav (8 years ago)

Ukraine says 94 packet of spring grains sown so far. Farmers have also started 2017 maize sowing, seeding 341,000 hectares, or 8 percent of a planned 4.5-million-hectare area. A week ago, the ministry saw the planted area at 4.4 million hectares. Farmers have sown 31,000 hectares of soybean out of a planned 1.9 million hectares this year. They have also sown 1.3 million hectares of sunflower, or 24 percent of the expected area of 5.4 million hectares, and 263,000 hectares of sugar beet, or 90 percent of the forecast.

Ukraine Ag Ministry raised its forecast for 2016/17 grain exports.

Ram Gopal Yadav (8 years ago)

The Ag Ministry of Ukraine raised its forecast for the country’s 2016/17 grain exports from 41 MMT to 42 MMT. The grain export forecast for Ukraine envisages 16.6 MMT of wheat exports, 5.6 MMT of barley, 19 MMT of corn and 1 MMT of other cereals. Ukraine exported some 35.4 MMT of cereals in the 2016/17 season by April 2017, including 15.4 MMT of wheat (of which 10.1 MMT is milling wheat), 14.9 MMT of corn, roughly 4.9 MMT of barley.

Russian grain exports fall on lower Turkish buys.

Ram Gopal Yadav (8 years ago)

Russian grain exports are expected to dip between 3 and 3.1 million tonnes in April from the 3.8 millpn tonnes shipped in March, owed to a drop in Turkish purchases. Turkey, the world’s second largest buyer of Russian wheat after Egypt, is said to have placed its wheat, corn and sunflower imports on hold by imposing high import tariffs from mid-March. However, the loss of the Turkish market is likely to be temporary.