{"id":7872,"date":"2022-10-07T08:23:33","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T08:23:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/commodityconversations.com\/wordpress2\/?p=7872"},"modified":"2022-10-07T08:23:33","modified_gmt":"2022-10-07T08:23:33","slug":"media-monitor-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/commodityconversations.com\/wordpress2\/2022\/10\/07\/media-monitor-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Media Monitor"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ukraine’s grain harvest could fall by 50 per cent<\/a> next year, with the pace of winter-crop sowing three times slower than last year. As of 3rd<\/sup> October, farms had sown 1.1 mln ha of winter wheat compared with 3.1 mln planted on the same date in 2021.<\/p>\n

Russia\u2019s farmers have accelerated<\/a> winter wheat sowing after recent rain, planting grains on 9.4 mln ha compared with 10.7 mln ha a year ago. Winter wheat typically accounts for 70 per cent of Russia’s crop. The country’s Agriculture Ministry expects Russia\u2019s grain harvest will grow<\/a> by about five mln mt next year following the annexation of four (predominantly agricultural) Ukrainian territories.<\/p>\n

France\u2019s drought-hit farmers predict their corn harvest<\/a> will produce about ten mln mt, the lowest in 30 years.<\/p>\n

Due to low water levels, the cost of transporting<\/a> grains and oilseeds down the Mississippi river has soared nearly 80 per cent since the beginning of September and over 150 per cent since August.<\/p>\n

Last week, the largest Mississippi barge operator declared force majeure<\/a>, warning customers it won\u2019t be able to make good on deliveries because of low water levels. A logjam of vessels threatens to bring river traffic to a halt.<\/p>\n

Canada is also facing problems transporting its wheat because of a shortage<\/a> of railcars.<\/p>\n

A shortage of US dollars has resulted in up to 900,000 mt of wheat building up<\/a> in Egyptian ports. Egypt has been increasing import spending, leaving the central bank short of foreign currency.<\/p>\n

Kenya has lifted<\/a> its ban on importing and producing GM crops following the country\u2019s worst drought in 40 years. The authorities hope the move will improve crop yields and food security.<\/p>\n

Some analysts expect the EU soon to lift its ban on genetically modified and gene-edited crops. The EU official handling the issue said<\/a>, \u201cwe must ensure the technology is safe. Somehow, we must get the balance right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Others would prefer that we plant ancient grains<\/a> like amaranth, quinoa, chia, bulgar, millet, sorghum, and Kamut, a grain found in King Tutankhamen\u2019s tomb.<\/p>\n

Brazil should produce a record<\/a> ten mln mt of wheat this season, up from a previous estimate of 9.67 mln. Brazil is currently a net wheat importer, but the government hopes to be a net exporter in ten years.<\/p>\n

Brazil imported a record quantity<\/a> of fertilisers this year. Their silos are full, and prices are sliding as farmers reduce applications. European farmers are looking at reducing<\/a> fertiliser use, planting less acreage or switching crops. Even livestock farmers could be negatively affected.<\/p>\n

The EU Commission has reduced the residue limits for two neonicotinoid pesticides<\/a>, clothianidin and thiamethoxam, a move which may limit EU food and animal feed imports. The new rules come into force early in 2023, but third countries will have up to three years to adapt to the new regulations.<\/p>\n

JBS, the world\u2019s biggest meat producer, has pulled the plug<\/a> on its US plant-based meat division Planterra Foods, maker of the OZO brand, closing a factory it opened in Denver in 2021. The company will keep its plant-based operations in Brazil and Europe. Is it a bad sign<\/a> for plant-based meat? Do consumers consider fake meat too woke<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Beyond Meat doesn\u2019t think so. It is sticking to its mission of making animal-based meat obsolete<\/a> with innovations, such as its forthcoming vegan steak. Meanwhile, US firms eagerly await<\/a> US government permission to start marketing lab-grown meat. They expect an announcement soon.<\/p>\n

Plant-based milk may also be coming off the boil<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tesco, the UK supermarket chain, has accelerated its plans to halve food waste<\/a> in its operations, bringing the deadline forward from 2030 to 2025. The company has linked directors\u2019 bonuses<\/a> to achieving the goal.<\/p>\n

Rising food prices could encourage<\/a> consumers to waste less but ditching<\/a> \u201cbest before\u201d labels could also help. Wired Magazine believes the solution lies in eating your garbage<\/a> \u2013 making enticing dishes out of the food you would otherwise jettison.<\/p>\n

In shipping, Cargill plans to boost<\/a> its use of biofuels in its fleet and to order methanol-fuelled ships as part of its plans to cut emissions. \u00a0Maersk has ordered<\/a> a further six ocean-going container vessels with dual-fuel engines able to operate on green methanol, bringing their total order to 19 ships.<\/p>\n

Maersk recently raised<\/a> its full-year profit forecast from $24 to about $31 billion. The consultancy Drewry estimates that the entire container-shipping industry will make an operating profit of $270 billion this year, more than ten times the profit of $26 billion in 2020.<\/p>\n

Nestl\u00e9 was in the environmental news last week. The company pledged<\/a> to spend more than CHF 1 billion by 2030 to source coffee sustainably, more than double the previous pledge. In a revolution for UK chocolate lovers, Nestl\u00e9 will ditch<\/a> the foil wrappers it has used for Quality Street for the past 86 years in favour of more environmentally-friendly paper.<\/p>\n

The company has also scrapped<\/a> the gold foil on its KitKat bars, replacing them with wrappers made with 80 per cent recycled plastic.\u202fIt has also said it will stop sourcing<\/a> from an Indonesian palm oil producer accused by environmental groups of land and human rights abuses.<\/p>\n

On the financial side, Nestl\u00e9\u2019s CEO said in an interview<\/a> that the company is ready to make acquisitions in any of its business lines.<\/p>\n

John Deere plans to build a world of fully autonomous farming<\/a> by 2030, while Huawei believes smart farming<\/a> is the start of sustainable food. Some argue that the future lies in vertical farming,<\/a> where yields are higher<\/a> than in traditional farms.<\/p>\n

A coalition of farming and environmental groups have asked the UK government for a level playing field<\/a> for food and animal welfare standards in future post-Brexit trade deals. The call follows a bitter row over the Australian deal, which the National Farmers Union (NFU) called a \u201cbetrayal\u201d of British farmers.<\/p>\n

As if the UK is not going through enough (many self-inflicted) difficulties, the country is suffering its worst avian flu outbreak<\/a> in history. There are fears of a Christmas turkey shortage.<\/p>\n

Many of the above links require subscriptions. Please support quality journalism.<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Commodity Conversations<\/a> \u00ae 2022<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ukraine’s grain harvest could fall by 50 per cent next year, with the pace of winter-crop sowing three times slower than last year. As of 3rd October, farms had sown 1.1 mln ha of winter wheat compared with 3.1 mln planted on the same date in 2021. Russia\u2019s farmers have accelerated winter wheat sowing after … <\/p>\n

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