Global Ag News For Sept 2.2025

TOP HEADLINES

Japan to Buy US Rice Within Overall Limit on Duty-Free Imports

Japan will handle US demands to buy more American rice within the confines of its existing overall cap on duty-free imports and has no plans to lower its tariffs on farm products, according to Tokyo’s top trade negotiator.

Ryosei Akazawa on Tuesday denied a report by the Nikkei newspaper last week that claimed the US had proposed including cuts to Japanese tariffs on agricultural products in an executive order on tariffs. The report also said Washington wanted to include an expansion of Tokyo’s US rice imports in the order.

“The agreement didn’t involve lowering tariffs on agricultural products,” he said, referring to the Japan-US trade deal reached on July 22. “I’ve done absolutely no negotiation that would sacrifice agriculture, and there’s no change on that.”

The cancellation last week of Akazawa’s trip to Washington to put the final touches on a $550 billion investment initiative has generated speculation of a difference of views between the two sides that is blocking implementation of the trade deal. The canceled trip came as Japan tries to get the US to follow through with an agreement to lower tariffs on autos and to incorporate a separate 2.5% levy into the new 15% rate. There is still no formal joint document in public detailing the deal.

Akazawa said there’s no gap in how Japan and the US understand the deal. Japan will see what it can do to accommodate US requests to buy more American rice within Japan’s current ceiling for tariff-free foreign rice imports, he said. He added that he has yet to reschedule his Washington visit.

The White House’s fact sheet on the trade deal said that Japan will immediately increase imports of US rice by 75%, with a major expansion of import quotas.

Japan imported 346,000 metric tons of American rice last year, while its overall tariff-free imports of the grain remained at 770,000 tons, according to Japan’s Agriculture Ministry. A 75% increase would raise the US quota to around 600,000 tons, an amount that would require a cut in Japan’s rice purchases from other nations including Thailand, Australia and China.

Tokyo is trying to get the US to implement the cut in auto tariffs and the removal of the stacked levy via an executive order. The US, meanwhile, has yet to see Japanese funds flowing in to help the revival of American manufacturing. It remains unclear how the investment initiative in the US, a key pillar of the deal, will work.

 

FUTURES & WEATHER

Wheat prices overnight are down 6 1/2 in SRW, down 5 1/4 in HRW, down 7 1/4 in HRS; Corn is down 3/4; Soybeans down 8; Soymeal down $3.10; Soyoil up 0.54.

Markets finished last week with wheat prices down 2 in SRW, down 6 1/4 in HRW, down 19 3/4 in HRS; Corn is up 7 1/4; Soybeans down 1 1/4; Soymeal down $5.00; Soyoil down 2.19.

Year-To-Date nearby futures are down 6.9% in SRW, down 11.9% in HRW, down 6.1% in HRS; Corn is down 13.6%; Soybeans up 3.7%; Soymeal down 7.6%; Soyoil up 30.9%.

Chinese Ag futures (NOV 25) Soybeans up 8 yuan; Soymeal down 4; Soyoil up 34; Palm oil up 116; Corn up 16 — Malaysian Palm is up 94.

Malaysian palm oil prices overnight were up 94 ringgit (+2.15%) at 4474.

There were changes in registrations (172 Oats). Registration total: 34 SRW Wheat contracts; 176 Oats; 0 Corn; 590 Soybeans; 707 Soyoil; 475 Soymeal; 419 HRW Wheat.

Preliminary changes in futures Open Interest as of August 29 were: SRW Wheat down 10,535 contracts, HRW Wheat up 1,586, Corn up 851, Soybeans up 3,832, Soymeal down 4,486, Soyoil down 3,572.

 

Rains will give way to the emergence of frost in Argentina’s wheat-growing regions

LSEG Research & Insights – Commodities

What to Watch:

• Rains in Brazil limited to the south
• Frost risk in the Pampas, while heavy rains and stormy conditions will shortly dissipate

Northern Plains: A weak system brought scattered showers and thunderstorms to the region over the long holiday weekend, including an area of heavy rain in South Dakota. A strong front moving through on Tuesday will bring more showers but a significant drop in temperature. Another strong front will move through on Thursday with another round of cold air that could mean some frosts heading into the weekend. If frosts do occur, they could quickly end what has been a strong summer good weather and cut back on yields.

Central/Southern Plains: A weak system meandering about the region produced widespread showers and thunderstorms over the long holiday weekend, including some areas of heavy rain. A front will slip through the region Wednesday and Thursday with a stronger one Friday into the weekend. Some additional showers will be possible with both fronts, but temperatures will take another dip, especially behind the second front. A system will likely develop in the region along the stalled front again Sunday or Monday with more showers moving through. For maturing corn and soybeans, any rain would not be favorable. However, for those that could still use a rain, it would be favorable.

Midwest: A weak system in the Plains pushed a few showers into the region over the long holiday weekend, but most areas stayed dry. Those in the south and east stayed too dry and did not find the conditions favorable. A pair of fronts will move through this week, which will bring a couple of rounds of showers. Most of the crop could still use a drink, but it’s starting to get a little late except for those that had to plant late or replant because of wet conditions this spring. Temperatures behind the fronts will again drop down well below normal and some areas in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin might see a frost. However, that is not forecast to occur over much agricultural land.

Delta: Most areas stayed dry over the long holiday weekend as maturing crops got a break from the heavy rainfall from late last week. Isolated showers will be in the region through Wednesday that could be a little heavy in some small areas. Otherwise, drier weather should favor maturing crops and harvest.

Brazil: A front moved into the far south over the long weekend but did not produce much precipitation. That front could be more active throughout the week, getting showers as far north as Parana by the weekend. Spring planting will begin in a couple of weeks as long as soil moisture is favorable across the south. Central Brazil will wait until wet season rains arrive at the end of September or more likely in October.

Argentina: A system moved through over the weekend which brought areas of heavy rain that should be beneficial for heading wheat as well as increasing soil moisture ahead of corn planting, which begins in a couple of weeks.

Europe: An upper-level system brought waves of showers through much of the continent over the weekend and will continue to do so this week as well. For areas with immature corn and other summer crops, the rain has been and will be beneficial. It will also prep soils ahead of winter wheat planting, which begins later this month.

Black Sea: Though Europe was active with rainfall over the weekend, the Black Sea region was not, and stayed hot and dry, as the poor end of the season continues for much of the region, especially southwestern Russia. A couple of lucky spots will see showers Tuesday and Wednesday, but most areas will stay dry. The active pattern over Europe will continue to bypass the region, which not only puts on a bad end to the current season, but also is poor for the coming winter wheat planting season, which begins later this month.

Australia: It was largely dry over the long holiday weekend, though cold air moving into the east produced some limited frosts for a few unlucky spots. A system will move through Western Australia later this week with widespread showers in the forecast. The system will lose a lot of its punch and potential for showers as it moves through this weekend into early next week. Western Australia has had favorable weather conditions for the last couple of months while the east has had hit-or-miss weather and longer stretches of low precipitation or complete dryness. With wheat heading, we could be seeing some yield limitations in the east.

China: Recent rainfall across central China has been favorable given the region has had issues with heat and dryness throughout much of the season. Northeastern corn and soybean areas continue to have much more favorable weather conditions. Central China will go through a brief dry period through the middle of the week before another system moves through later next week. The heavier rainfall in the central is also favorable for prepping soils ahead of winter wheat and canola planting.

 

The player sheet for 8/29 had funds: net buyers of 2,500 contracts of SRW wheat, buyers of 18,500 corn, buyers of 3,000 soybeans, buyers of 500 soymeal, and buyers of 750 soyoil.

TENDERS

• SOYMEAL PURCHASE: Leading South Korean animal feed maker Nonghyup Feed Inc purchased around 60,000 metric tons of soymeal expected to be sourced from South America in a private deal on Thursday without issuing an international tender, European traders said. It was bought at an estimated outright price of $348.58 a ton cost and freight included. Seller was believed to be trading house Cofco.

 PENDING TENDERS

• WHEAT TENDER: Jordan’s state grain buyer issued an international tender to buy up to 120,000 metric tons of milling wheat which can be sourced from optional origins, European traders said. The deadline for submission of price offers in the tender is September 2.
• FEED BARLEY TENDER: Jordan’s state grains buyer issued an international tender to purchase up to 120,000 metric tons of animal feed barley, European traders said. The deadline for submission of price offers in the tender is September 3.
• WHEAT TENDER: A state grains buyer in Syria issued an international tender to purchase about 200,000 metric tons of soft milling wheat, European traders said. The deadline for the submission of price offers is September 15.

 

 

 

 

TODAY

Russian wheat export prices continue to decline amid weak demand

Russian wheat export prices continued to decline last week amid more active arrivals of the new harvest and sluggish export purchases, analysts said.

The price for Russian wheat with 12.5% protein content for free-on-board (FOB) delivery in late September-early October was $230 a metric ton at the end of last week, down $5 from the previous week, said Dmitry Rylko, head of the IKAR consultancy.

The Sovecon consultancy estimated the price at $232-234 a metric ton FOB compared to $236-239 at the end of the previous week.

“Exporters are cutting prices amid relatively weak import demand and the arrival of the new crop,” Sovecon said in a weekly note.

Shipments at the port of Kavkaz, one of Russia’s key ports in the Azov-Black Sea basin, have accelerated slightly over the past two weeks, traders said.

However, existing complications with vessel passage, which have caused most of August’s shipments to be postponed until September, are reducing exporters’ interest in new purchases.

Analysts have raised their estimates of August exports: IKAR to 4.2 million tons from between 3.5 and 3.8 million tons it had predicted last week, and Sovecon to 4.1 million tons from 4.0 million.

IKAR expects exports in September to amount to between 4.1 and 4.3 million tons.

Last week IKAR raised its 2025 wheat crop and export estimate by 0.5 million tons to higher yields in the Central and Volga regions. Analysts continue to raise their harvest forecasts, noting the increasingly difficult weather conditions in Siberia and the Urals.

“Ample rains in Siberia are gradually becoming an issue for the new wheat crop quality,” Sovecon said.

 

Egypt’s wheat imports fall 21% to 4.5 mln tonnes in 2024-25

Egypt imported 4.5 million tonnes of wheat, costing $1.2 billion, in the 2024-25 financial year, down more than 21% from the previous year, Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk said on Saturday.

 

Morocco June-Aug. Grain Imports 2.38M Tons, -13.6% Y/Y: FNCL

Wheat imports amounted to 1,366,380 tons during the first quarter of the grain importing calender compared with 1,650,952 tons a year earlier, the Moroccan grain traders group FNCL says in a statement.

• Wheat imports included 389,429 tons of durum wheat and 976,951 of soft wheat
• Corn imports rose to 817,311 tons versus 703,238 tons, while barley imports fell to 100,425 tons from 323,783 tons
• France supplied Morocco with 676,666 tons of soft wheat during the June-Aug. period, while US origins accounted for 94,688 tons
• Brazil provided 415,683 tons of corn; Germany led barley supplies with 79,321 tons
• Morocco’s import calendar starts in June and ends in May of the following year

 

Australia Raises Wheat Forecast to Fourth Largest After Rains

Australia is expecting its fourth-largest wheat harvest on record, with crop forecasts dramatically upgraded following heavier-than-expected rainfall across major grain belts during winter.

The nation’s total 2025 grains harvest is expected to be around 62 million tons, a 12% jump from the previous report in June, according to the Department of Agriculture’s quarterly crop report, released Tuesday. Overall, the latest crop estimates are about 26% above the 10-year average.

Wheat is expected to reach 33.8 million tons in the coming harvest, 10% higher than the previous estimate in June. Australia is also forecasting larger-than-expected barley and canola crops, coming in at 14.6 million tons and 6.4 million tons respectively.

Australia is one of the world’s largest wheat exporters, catering to growing economies across Asia and the Middle East who have a large appetite for the nation’s high-protein varieties. It’s just the latest in a series of major grain producers around the world to upgrade their expected 2025 harvests, putting consistent downward pressure on futures prices despite high demand.

Independent consultancy IKAR raised Russia’s wheat production outlook to 86 million tons in late August, just days before the European Union slightly increased its forecast to 128.1 million tons for the current season.

The Australian agriculture department’s latest wheat forecasts are more optimistic than those of the Grain Industry of Western Australia, which last month sharply increased the outlook for the biggest-producing state by more than 20% to 11.5 million tons. In comparison, the crop report is expecting production to grow to 12.7 million tons.

Tuesday’s report said the surge in production was the result of above-average winter rainfall in the important cropping states of Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia after a disappointing start to the season. In addition, the spring weather outlook “is expected to support crop development and boost yield potential.”

 

Argentina’s agricultural export revenues plummet in August

Exports from Argentina’s agricultural sector slumped 25% in August compared to the same month a year earlier, the country’s CIARA-CEC grains processors and exporters’ chamber said on Monday.

The agricultural sector brought in a total of $1.82 billion through exports in the month, the chamber said in a statement, also a sharp decline of 55% compared to July.

 

India’s August palm oil imports surge 16% to 13-month high ahead of festive season

India’s palm oil imports surged in August to a 13-month high, as competitive pricing relative to soyoil prompted refiners to ramp up purchases ahead of the festive season, according to five dealers.

Higher palm oil imports by India, the world’s largest buyer of vegetable oils, are expected to help top producers Indonesia and Malaysia reduce inventories and support benchmark Malaysian palm oil futures FCPOc3.

Palm oil imports rose 16% in August to 993,000 metric tons, the highest point since July 2024, according to estimates from dealers.

Soyoil imports in August slumped 28% month-on-month to 355,000 tons, the lowest level in six months, while sunflower oil imports jumped 27% to a seven-month high of 255,000 tons, according to dealer estimates.

In August, India imported 6,000 tons of canola oil for the first time in nearly five years, they said.

Higher imports of palm oil and soyoil lifted India’s total edible oil imports in August by 3.6% to 1.6 million tons from a month earlier, the highest level in 13 months, according to dealers’ estimates.

The import figures exclude duty-free shipments that arrived via land borders from Nepal, they said.

Refiners increased palm oil purchases over the past two months ahead of the festival season, as the tropical oil remained far cheaper than soyoil, said Rajesh Patel, managing partner at GGN Research, an edible oil trader.

Demand for edible oil, particularly palm oil, in India typically rises during the festival season due to increased consumption of sweets and fried foods.

India’s palm oil imports are likely to remain above 900,000 tons in September, with soyoil imports expected to exceed 450,000 tons, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trade house.

India buys palm oil mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia, while it imports soyoil and sunflower oil from Argentina, Brazil, Russia and Ukraine.

Nepal’s edible oil imports were 95,000 tons in August, up from 86,000 tons in July, GGN Research estimated.

 

Kazakhstan expects 2025 grain crop of more than 20 mln tons

Kazakhstan’s agriculture ministry said on Tuesday that it expects its 2025 grain crop to exceed 20 million tons if weather conditions are favourable.

The agriculture ministry said it expected grain exports in 2025-2026 to reach 8-9 million tons.

The Central Asian country had a record grain harvest of 26.7 million tons in 2024, including 18.0 million tons of wheat.

 

Russia Hopes China to Allow Export of Winter Wheat: IFX

Russia hopes that China will make a positive decision regarding supply of winter wheat to Chinese market, Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut says, according to Interfax.

• Russia doesn’t understand reason for refusal to accept winter wheat, because it is the same wheat as spring wheat
• Russia is currently allowed to export only spring wheat and barley to China, and is currently seeking permission to supply winter wheat, Interfax says

 

Ukraine’s president signs law imposing 10% soybeans, rapeseed export duty

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has signed a law introducing a 10% export duty on soybeans and rapeseed, the Ukraine parliament’s website showed on Tuesday.

In July, the parliament passed a bill imposing the export duty on rapeseed and soybeans, a measure which would hurt small farmers and producers.

 

Ukraine’s farm exports rise 15.6% in August, farm lobby UCAB says

Ukraine’s farm exports in August rose 15.6% from July to 4 million metric tons, farming lobby group UCAB said on Monday.

The body said that exports included 2.5 million tons of grains, 682,400 tons of oilseeds and 211,200 tons of vegetable oils, with volumes dominated by wheat, rapeseed and sunflower oil.

 

Ukraine’s sunoil exports drop 24% in 2024/25, analyst says

Ukraine’s sunflower oil exports fell 24% in the year ended August to 4.73 million metric tons, mostly due to a smaller sunflower seed harvest in 2024, analyst APK-Inform said on Tuesday.

Ukraine is a major sunflower seed grower and sunflower oil exporter but output has fallen sharply since 2022 due to war with Russia as significant territory has been occupied or mined.

“The main factors limiting exports of this product from Ukraine were the smaller sunflower harvest in 2024 and the low margins on its processing,” the consultancy said in a report.

APK-Inform said Ukraine exported sunoil mostly to India with a volume of 767,000 tons, Spain at 656,000 tons and Italy at 504,000 tons.

APK-Inform last month lowered its forecast for Ukraine’s 2025 sunflower seed harvest due to poor weather to 13.8 million tons from 14.6 million tons, against 12.9 million tons harvested in 2024.

The consultancy also cut its estimates for sunoil production to 5.94 million tons from 6.22 million tons. APK-Inform forecast that Ukraine can export 5.7 million tons of sunoil in the 2025/25 season.

 

Malaysia Aug. Palm Oil Exports +10.22% M/m: Intertek

Following is a summary of Malaysia’s Aug. palm oil exports according to Intertek Testing Services.

• Total exports for Aug. 2025: 1.421m tons
• Crude palm oil exports: 311,230 tons, 21.9% of total
• EU led all destinations for total exports: 360,650 tons

 

Indonesia January-July palm oil exports up 11% y/y

Indonesia exported 13.64 million metric tons of crude and refined palm oil from January to July, up 10.95% year-on-year, the statistics bureau said on Monday.

The bureau’s data excludes palm kernel oil, oleochemicals and biodiesel. GAPKI, Indonesia’s palm oil association, usually releases its own data at a later date, which cover more products and so has different export figures.

 

CORN/CEPEA: Crop activities advance; prices continue firm

Although corn trades are moving at a slow pace in the domestic spot market, prices continue firm. As for crops, the second crop harvesting is close to the end, while the planting of the first season has started in Southern Brazil.

Sellers continue to limit the supply, and some of these players expect new price rises, based on the final stage of the harvesting and on the fact that grains have been stored in part of the regions.

Concerning the demand, purchasers who need batches for the short-term face higher prices from sellers. Other purchasers, in turn, have been receiving the product traded previously and using stocks.

They expect that quotations move down again in the next weeks, since the high production in Brazil tends to result in high ending stocks. Moreover, the pace of exports is slow this season.

From February to the third week of August this year, Brazil shipped only 10 million tons – Conab estimated 40 million tons in the 2024/25 season.

The ESALQ/BM&FBovespa Index for corn prices rose 0.4% between August 21 and 28, to close at BRL 64.26 per 60-kg bag on Aug. 28. On the average of the regions surveyed by Cepea, in the same period, corn values upped 0.5% in the wholesale market (deals between processors), but decreased 0.4% in the over-the-counter market (paid to farmers).

In the first 16 producing days of August, the daily pace of exports is 12% higher than that verified in August/24, but the volume shipped so far (4.96 million tons) is lower than the 6 million tons registered one year ago, according to Secex. Anec indicates that sales to the international market are likely to amount 7.8 million tons in August.

At ports, prices dropped 0.9% in Paranaguá (PR) and 3.2% in Santos (SP) from August 21-28. The US dollar decreased 1.4% in the same comparison, to close at BRL 5.40 yesterday.

CROPS – The 2024/25 second crop harvesting reached 94.8% in Brazil until Aug. 23, according to Conab. The 2025/26 summer crop planting, in turn, has started in Paraná and in Rio Grande do Sul.

In Mato Grosso, the harvesting finished in mid-August, with production at 55 million tons, according to Imea.

In Paraná, harvesting activities reached 91% up to August 25, according to Seab/Deral. In Mato Grosso do Sul, Famasul indicates that 80.5% of crops had been harvested until Aug. 22. In Minas Gerais and Goiás, 7% of crops are left to be harvested, while in São Paulo activities are still at 60%, according to data from Conab released on Aug. 23.

In regard of the summer crop, Conab says that some areas in Rio Grande do Sul reached 50% of the area planted up to Aug. 23. In Paraná, Seab/Deral indicates that 1% of the total had been planted until August 25. The area is likely to be at 315 thousand hectares, 12% up compared to the season before, which may result in production at 3.2 million tons, 5.5% more than in 2024/25.

 

SOYBEAN/CEPEA: Pace of trades slows down; prices drop

Soybean trades are moving at a slow pace in this late August, especially because of the low demand.

The proximity of the 2025/26 harvesting in the Northern Hemisphere and expectations of a progress in the trade agreement between the United States and China tends to reduce Brazilian exports, which pushes away purchasers. It is worth noting that this redirecting movement of foreign consumers from Brazil to the US is normal in this offseason period.

Thus, export premiums dropped. Moreover, the decrease in the exchange rate (USD/BRL), which is not favorable for Brazilian exports, also pressed quotations down in the domestic market. The US dollar decreased 1.4% between August 21 and 28, closing at BRL 5.405 yesterday.

The CEPEA/ESALQ Index (Paranaguá) dropped 2.3% from August 21-28, closing at BRL 139.66 per 60-kg bag on Aug. 28. The monthly average (BRL 140.55/bag) rose 2.7% in relation to that in July and 2.6% against August/24.

The CEPEA/ESALQ Index (Paraná) moved down 1.7% between August 21 and 28, to close at BRL 134.48 per 60-kg bag. In August, the Index averaged BRL 134.06/bag, increasing 2.8% in one month and 0.9% in one year.

On the average of the regions by Cepea, soybean prices in the over-the-counter market (paid to farmers) downed 1% and 1.4% in the wholesale market (deals between processors) between August 21 and 28.

 

WHEAT/CEPEA: Trades are still limited; harvesting starts in Paraná

Wheat mills claim to be supplied; thus, trades of wheat grain continue limited. Sellers are focused on the development of the crops, on crop activities and on the harvesting beginning in Southern Brazil. Players who have immediate needs end up being more flexible about quotations, while wheat mills that have stocks offer lower prices. Moreover, the proximity of a high volume from the 2025 season, good perspectives of productivity, the low exchange rate and the high global supply reinforce the pressure on domestic quotations.

In Paraná, data from Seab/Deral released in August 26 indicate that the 2025 harvesting has started in Paraná, reaching 2% of the total area so far. In Rio Grande do Sul, Emater/RS says that the rainfall last week did not damage crops significantly.

According to data from Cepea, between August 22 and 29, in the wholesale market (deals between processors), values moved down 0.51% in Rio Grande do Sul, 3% in São Paulo, 1.05% in Paraná and 0.12% in Santa Catarina. The prices paid to wheat farmers (over-the-counter market) remained stable in Santa Catarina, but decreased 0.13% in Rio Grande do Sul and 0.24% in Paraná. The US dollar dropped 0.09% against Real in the same period, at BRL 5.42 on August 29.

In August/25, the monthly average of wheat prices in Paraná was BRL 1,433.50 per ton, downing 2.9% against July/25 and 9.4% in relation to that in August/24, in real terms (IGP-DI). In Rio Grande do Sul, the average was BRL 1,291.08/ton, 2% down in one month and -12.2% in one year. In São Paulo, prices averaged BRL 1.431.12/ton, -4.6% and -12.6% in the same comparisons. As for Santa Catarina, the average was BRL 1,432.41/ton in August, decreasing 0.6% compared to July and 7.6% against that in the same month last year.

 

Amaggi, Inpasa to Form Corn Ethanol Venture in Brazil

Grain trader Amaggi and biofuel producer Inpasa agreed to form a joint venture to build at least three corn-ethanol plants in Brazil, Amaggi said in an emailed statement.

• The plants will each have the capacity to process 2 million metric tons of corn a year
• The deal is subject to antitrust approval

 

US Beef Production Up 2.6% This Week, Pork Down: USDA

US federally inspected beef production rises to 488m pounds for the week ending Aug. 30 from 476m in the previous week, according to USDA estimates published on the agency’s website.

• Cattle slaughter up 2.5% from a week ago to 565m head
• Pork production down 1% from a week ago, hog slaughter falls 0.8%
• For the year, beef production is 4% below last year’s level at this time, and pork is 2.3% below

 

Dreyfus Buys Chunk of Viterra’s European Trading Book From Bunge

Agricultural trading house Louis Dreyfus Co. said it has reached a deal with Bunge to buy parts of what was Viterra’s European grains and oilseeds business.

The deal will see LDC take on trading and business development teams in Hungary and Poland, as well as storage facilities and seed oil plants in the two countries. LDC didn’t disclose the price it paid in a statement released on Monday.

“The transaction reflects the group’s strategic plans to further reinforce its core merchandising capabilities,” LDC CEO Michael Gelchie said in the statement.

LDC is owned by the family foundation of billionaire Margarita Louis-Dreyfus and sovereign wealth fund ADQ. Bunge closed a long-delayed merger with Viterra in July.

 

Philippines suspends rice imports for 60 days from Sept 1

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the suspension of rice imports for 60 days from September 1.

The order announced on Saturday covers the import of regular milled and well-milled rice.

 

Fertilizer Sales Delayed in Brazil as Farm Credit Crunch Deepens

Fertilizer purchases for Brazil’s corn season have slowed significantly as the country grapples with a surge in farm-loan defaults and record delinquency rates of 3.94%. Interest rates have also spiked to the highest since 2006, adding 20% to farmers’ costs and pushing barter (nutrient-to-crop price) ratios to historic highs.

 

India likely to receive above-average monsoon rainfall in September

India is likely to get above-average monsoon rainfall in September after receiving 5% above-normal rains in August, the state-run weather department said on Sunday.

Above-normal rainfall could damage India’s summer-sown crops like rice, cotton, soybean, corn, and pulses, which are typically harvested from mid-September.

All regions, except northeastern states and the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, are likely to receive rainfall equating to 109% of the 50-year average in September, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The monsoon is the lifeblood of India’s nearly $4 trillion economy, delivering almost 70% of the rainfall needed to water farms and replenishing aquifers and reservoirs.

Nearly half of India’s farmland is not irrigated and depends on the annual June-September rains for crop growth.

 

 

 

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