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...
Brazil’s corn production to dip slightly
Corn production for Brazil in marketing year 2025-26 is expected to decline by 2% from the previous year due to lower yields, though higher carryover from a strong 2024-25 harvest will support increased exports, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture. The FAS revised its corn...
Focus on Argentina
Argentina is preparing for a bumper wheat crop, matching the record set in 2021-22, but prices are lagging and the government is trying to stabilize the nation’s economy, which is in a currency crisis, with help from the United States. Wheat production in 2025-26 is estimated at 23 million tonnes, thanks to unprecedented rainfall that...
US grain growers applaud larger vital minerals list
The addition last week of phosphate and potash to a government list of 60 minerals critical to US security was cheered by large US agricultural organizations. The Department of the Interior (DOI), via the US Geological Survey, published its final 2025 List of Critical Materials document on Nov. 7. Ten new materials were added to the list,...
US-China deal opens door for soybeans
After months of negotiations and no 2025-26 marketing year purchases of soybeans until earlier this week, the United States and China on Oct. 30 agreed to a new trade framework that will forestall massive tariff increases set to begin in November. The United States will lower its cumulative tariff rate on Chinese goods to 47%...
IGC: Grains production outlook rises again
Better-than-anticipated wheat and barley yields have boosted the forecast for total grains (wheat and coarse grains) production in the 2025-26 marketing year, according to the International Grain Council’s (IGC) most recent Grain Market Report. The monthly report, released on Oct. 23, projected a 13-million-tonne increase from the September forecast to a record 2.425 billion tonnes....
Focus on Vietnam
Vietnam is in the midst of its most extensive restructuring plan, aiming to create a leaner, more responsive government that drives economic growth and propels the country from a modern industrial state to a high-income developed nation. Part of the plan included forming the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) by merging the Ministry of...
USDA raises wheat production estimate
The National Agricultural Statistics Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in its Small Grains Summary 2025 issued Sept. 30 estimated wheat production in the United States this year at 1,984,537,000 bushels, up 57,511,000 bushels from the August forecast and up 5,840,000 bushels, or 3%, from the upwardly revised production estimate of 1,978,697,000 bushels...