Columbia Grain International seeks ‘refreshed strategic direction
After 32 years in various management positions with Columbia Grain International (GCI), Kurt Haarmann recently ascended to the captain’s seat of the Portland, Oregon, US-based company. His mission: navigate CGI through an extremely challenging business environment and focus on growing the company’s already successful and well-established core segments. Japan-based parent company Marubeni Corp. and the...
Global food prices see first uptick in five months
The benchmark global food commodity index increased for the first time in five months, driven by higher cereal, meat and vegetable oil prices, according to the latest monthly report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The FAO Food Price Index (FPI) averaged 125.3 points in February, up 1.1 points (0.9%) from its...
South Africa’s corn exports on rise
A positive outlook for South Africa’s 2025-26 corn crop following the previous season’s strong harvest is leading to oversupply in the domestic market, with exports anticipated to increase amid lacklustre growth in domestic demand, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture. Favorable La Niña weather conditions...