The sharp increase in sunflower prices due to deteriorating crop forecasts in Russia has caused concern among producers and processors.

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.

Production of soybeans in the EU has decreased due to poor weather conditions. The European Commission has reduced the forecast to 2.8 million tons, which is 10,000 tons less than the previous year. In Romania, the harvest has decreased by 44%, reaching 171,000 tons. Hungary has increased production by 50%, but yields remain below average. Italian companies have reduced soybean imports by 5%. Sunflower crop in the Balkans is also expected to be low due to bad weather.

In Kazakhstan, the harvesting of oilseeds, including sunflower, has been successfully completed. The gross yield has increased by 46% compared to the previous year, however, the prices for seeds are rising due to their shortage. This leads to a decrease in the profitability of oil plants, but will allow farmers to increase revenue in the next season.

The "Forkagro" team congratulates you on the New Year! May 2025 bring abundant harvests, stable development, and good health. May the year bring joy, success, and quality time with your loved ones. Best wishes, Team "Forkagro".

The Russian government has established a tariff quota for the export of sunflower seeds from the Zabaikalsky Krai: 9300 tons until August 31, 2025. The regulation comes into effect in 7 days.

The US Department of Agriculture has not changed the forecast for wheat harvest in Russia - 83 million tonnes. Wheat exports from Russia will remain at 48 million tonnes, while the forecast for corn production has been reduced to 13.5 million tonnes. Forecasts for Ukrainian and Kazakh wheat remain unchanged. The global wheat harvest forecast has decreased to 796.88 million tonnes.

In Krasnodar region, sugar beet yield has decreased from 552 to 352 c/ha. In Voronezh region, 27 thousand hectares were replanted due to frosts, resulting in a yield of 389 c/ha. In Kursk, 4.4 million tons were harvested with a yield of 450 c/ha. Lipetsk region obtained 4.1 million tons due to frosts and drought. Orel region increased the yield by 57 thousand tons, while Tambov region harvested 4.5 million tons.

In the Rostov Region, due to lack of rains, less than 10% of winter crops have already sprouted for the 2025 harvest, while the rest are at the tillering stage due to lack of moisture in the soil. Authorities are considering support options for agricultural producers in case of crop failure. This year, due to drought, farmers lost 50,000 hectares of crops, resulting in damage worth 5 billion rubles.

Swine production in Russia is planned to increase by 25% by 2030, reaching 7.19 million tons live weight. Investments in expanding production and primary meat processing are estimated at 72 billion rubles. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to attract 15,000 specialists in animal husbandry.

On December 12, 2024, prices on grain exchanges changed:

• Corn (CBOT) -6.25 ¢/bsh
• Wheat (CBOT) -4.75 ¢/bsh
• Wheat (KCBT) -4.50 ¢/bsh
• Wheat (MGE) unchanged
• Oats (CBOT) +4.50 ¢/bsh
• Rough rice (CBOT) -0.03 usd/cwt

There was a stable situation in the sugar market: demand remained low, prices hardly changed. Production decreased due to the decline in the quality of sugar beets, however, there is still a surplus. Sugar and raw sugar exports decreased, while imports were cut by a third. The shortage of distillers grains supply to China affected the overall export volume.

The start of Russia's agricultural exports in 2024 showed a 10% growth in volume, but a decrease in value, which Krasnov hopes to rectify by the end of the year. The potential for further development is seen in the export of meat, milk, and processed products. Russia plans to export more than 108 million tons of products abroad in 2024.

In the Krasnoyarsk region, three rapeseed processing plants are planned to be built by 2029. The total project capacity will be 450,000 tons. There will be no changes in the sown areas. By 2024, a plant with a capacity of 72,000 tons was launched, and plants will also be launched in Achinsk and Uyar districts.

Food prices on the world market have been unstable this year, which has led to a decrease in exports. However, the volume of physical shipments has increased by 10%. Meat, dairy, and processed products were successfully exported. Russia aims to double agricultural exports by 2030.