International trade - Incubator

The International Grains Council (IGC) has revised down its forecast for global corn production by 7 million tonnes to 1.218 billion tonnes, below consumption levels in 2023/24. Consumption has risen to 1.239 billion tonnes.

The forecast for global corn exports in 2024/25 has increased to 181.6 million tonnes, with the largest growth expected in the US and Ukraine.

In 2024, the export of sunflower oil from the Krasnodar region increased by 37%. More than 1.8 million tons of oil were shipped to 21 countries, including India, Turkey, and Egypt.

The volume of supplies to Iran in 2023 accounted for 12% of the total export.

From July to December 2024, Russia exported 34.257 million tons of grain, which is 5.4% less than the previous year. Wheat shipments increased by 0.7%, while barley and corn decreased. The main buyer is Egypt, while Turkey reduced its orders by 47.5%.

The wheat market: the price rose in Chicago and fell in Kansas City and Minneapolis. The dollar dropped against the euro. Wheat and corn were purchased at international auctions. Weather forecasts in South America are affecting soybean futures.

The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) has inspected the sea checkpoints in three regions and the Republic of Kalmykia.

They checked 3 batches of sunflower meal for animals weighing 12.9 thousand tons, intended for export to Turkey. Research has confirmed that all products meet the requirements.

In 2024, rapeseed harvest in Russia reached a record level of 4,660.2 thousand tons, showing a growth of 10.9% due to an increase in sowing areas. However, the yield decreased by 13.9%.

Krasnoyarsk Krai leads in rapeseed collection, followed by Altai Krai.

In Astana, an agreement on partnership between "KTZ Express" and Yixinou TradingService has been signed. The goal is to increase container transportation on the China-Europe route, as well as through Central Asia and the TMTM. Special attention is paid to increasing transportation from the Chinese province of Zhejiang.

Russian agricultural producers can use drones for distributing beneficial insects, fighting pests, and protecting crops. The company Flyseeagro develops and distributes entomophages using unmanned aerial vehicles, collaborating with research institutions on the creation of biopesticides.

The banking group VTB plans to provide financial support to farmers through preferential programs. The agricultural lending market, after Sberbank's refusal, is transitioning to Rosselkhozbank. VTB intends to increase its loan portfolio in the agricultural sector and provide over 300 billion rubles for seasonal work in 2025.

Climate change creates new opportunities to increase ecosystem productivity in agriculture and forestry. However, the downsides include increased fire hazard and adverse agrometeorological conditions. An increase in temperature and precipitation is expected, as well as a reduction in the permafrost area. Climate change can also promote the socio-economic development of regions in Russia.

At the beginning of 2024, wheat imports to Armenia decreased by 13% to 297.3 thousand tons, costing $57.28 million. The volumes of barley and maize imports also decreased compared to the previous year.

The Trans-Baikal region has been granted permission to export rapeseed to China until 2028. Quotas have been provided to stimulate the expansion of rapeseed and sunflower production. Farmers have been allocated 13.5 thousand hectares for growing rapeseed. The harvest has increased almost fivefold, reaching 17.3 thousand tons.