Wildfires on sugar cane plantations in Brazil are threatening global supplies and prices of sugar, with prices rising by 4.2%.

State crop quality monitoring of the 2024 harvest in the Orenburg branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "TSOK APK" has been successfully completed. A total of 2.9 million tons of grain were examined, with over 64,000 tests conducted.

Results:

• Soft wheat - 37.6% third grade, 32.2% fourth grade, 27.7% fifth grade;
• Hard wheat - 29.6% third grade, 44.2% fourth grade, 24.8% fifth grade.

At the beginning of the current season, Kazakhstan increased exports of lentils to Turkey, sending 107.1 thousand tons in September-October 2024. The volume of exports in October reached a record 45.5 thousand tons.

Additionally, imports of lentils to Afghanistan have also increased.

More than half of the sunflower crop in the Altai Territory has been tested, with 58.3% of the seeds being of grades 1 and 2, and 41.2% of grade 3. In the Krasnoshchekovsky and Kurinsky districts, more than half are of the highest quality.

In 2024, the export of sunflower from the region exceeded 168,000 tons, with the main importer being Kazakhstan. 33.7 thousand tons of kernels were shipped to China and Belarus.

Sales of grain from the State Intervention Fund at the Exchange decreased by 5.7 times - to 945 tons for 14.241 million rubles. The trades were conducted in 12 mini-sessions, with the next ones scheduled for December 26-28. The Fund has accumulated 4 million tons of grain since the beginning of purchases in 2023 and successfully sold 113,940 tons of wheat.

Grain exports decreased by 23.2% to 2.5 million tons. The growth in shipments in the first half of December was replaced by a decline. Wheat prices are strengthening in Europe and Russia.

Domestic grain prices are fluctuating, while farmers are hopeful for growth. Exports to Egypt and Bangladesh have increased, with no deliveries to Saudi Arabia. Export quotas for grain in 2025 will be limited.

The Branch of the Holding "Tavros" will not pay dividends for the first 9 months of 2024 due to financial difficulties. Dividends of 1.9 thousand rubles per share will be redirected to finance other companies in the holding. Minority shareholders can expect payments in January 2025 after the funds are reserved.

In the Kursk branch, research on maize continues. 27.9 thousand studies have been conducted with a total volume of 1.21 million tons. The grain is being tested for compliance with standards, impurity content, and safety. The tested samples meet the requirements. Specialists recommend monitoring exports and compliance with storage rules.

The US Department of Agriculture has reduced the forecast for wheat harvest in Russia by 5 million tons and estimated the remaining stocks at 250,000 tons. The export forecast has been reduced by 4 million tons. The corn harvest has decreased by 600,000 tons, and the production of feed grains by 1.1 million tons.

The European Union has increased the wheat export forecast, while Ukraine has reduced the forecasts for wheat and increased them for corn. The global wheat harvest forecast has decreased by 7.44 million tons.

By the end of October 2024, Russia has increased its export of sunflower oil to India to 1.8 million tons, which is twice as much as the previous year. India has become the main importer, acquiring 43% of the total volume, followed by Turkey at 15% and China at 13%.

In the current season, India plans to import 3.4 million tons of sunflower oil, while Russia is strengthening its position in the market.

At the "Pig Farming-2024" conference, the general director of the Institute for Agricultural Market Conjunction discussed plans to increase processing of oilseeds that require additional planting areas. The crop yields are differently evaluated: sunflower will decrease, while rapeseed and soybean will reach record levels. Prices for meal are decreasing, raising questions about the quality of soybean. Russian producers of rapeseed meal will face changes in market channels due to the export ban to the EU.

The corporate group is planning to build a grain and container terminal in Iran for grain deliveries from Russia. The costs for the project will amount to 10 billion rubles for the grain terminal and 7 billion rubles for the container terminal. The construction is planned to be completed by 2027.

The organization is also working on a similar terminal in the Trans-Baikal Territory.

The National Commodity Exchange has launched a test calculation of new exchange indices for sunflower seeds, rapeseed, and margarine. The indices display prices per 1 ton of the product. The calculations are based on NTB auction prices including VAT. Market interest in the new indices is planned to be evaluated.

The USMCA Trade Commission has deemed Mexico's ban on genetically modified corn from the USA as illegal. Mexico disagrees with the decision, stating that it is based on health protection. The appointment of Mexico's new president has not influenced the decision to maintain the ban.

India extends the temporary ban on futures trading of key agricultural commodities until January 2025. SEBI has shortened the ban by one month, signaling a possible resumption of futures trading at the beginning of next year. The decision has a positive impact on the oilseeds market in the country.