India's rice stocks reached a record 68.43 million tonnes and wheat inventories climbed to their highest in five years at 53.41 million tonnes by June 1. This surge in reserves is expected to bolster food security and provide export flexibility, despite El Nino concerns.
Xinjiang is in full swing with its winter wheat harvest and grain procurement for 2026, with the harvest progressing from south to north. The region is deploying advanced machinery and ensuring comprehensive support for storage, funding, and policies to guarantee a bountiful harvest, secure regional food safety, and boost farmer incomes.
78 birds, mostly corellas and galahs, found dead/dying in Coorow, WA; cause under investigation amid region's severe mouse plague and recent baiting
China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the China Meteorological Administration issued a joint warning for wind disasters in agricultural facilities and lodging risks for winter wheat. Strong convective weather is expected from June 2-4 in eastern Inner Mongolia, northeastern China, central and eastern North China, and eastern Huang-Huai regions, with potential for thunderstorms, strong winds (up to level 11), hail, and short-term heavy rainfall in areas like Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Shandong. High risks of wind damage to greenhouses and crop covers are anticipated in several provinces, along with lodging risks for winter wheat in Beijing, Tianjin, eastern Shanxi, northern Shandong, and northern Henan. Heavy rainfall is also forecast for southern China, posing flood risks to low-lying farmland.
As of June 1st, Shaanxi Province has harvested 1.32 million mu of wheat and 2.35 million mu of rapeseed. The province is utilizing 344,000 sets of agricultural machinery for its "summer grain" production, with 21,000 wheat harvesters available to meet demand.
India anticipates reduced fertilizer use this Kharif season due to a below-normal monsoon forecast. Urea demand is down to 190 lakh tonnes and DAP to 60 lakh tonnes. Despite rising global prices, India is importing urea and has surplus stocks of rice, wheat, and pulses.
Linfen City, Shanxi, began its winter wheat harvest on June 1st, covering nearly 3 million mu. Farmers anticipate a bumper crop due to ample rainfall and scientific management, with mechanized harvesting ensuring efficiency and timely replanting.
Russian wheat exports to the Middle East have reached a record high by mid-May, with grain exports increasing to 13.6 million tons from July 1, 2025, to May 17, 2026. This surge is attributed to a drop in regional harvests, with Turkey, Israel, and Iraq being the largest importers.
Russian Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut announced that Russia expects to export 60 million tonnes of grain in the current marketing year (July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026). This follows a 2025 harvest of 144.6 million tonnes, allowing Russia to maintain its position as the world's leading wheat exporter.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued a decree offering a bonus of 9,000 Syrian pounds per ton of wheat delivered to the government, following farmer protests against the official purchase price.
Australian farmers are planting significantly less wheat due to increased fuel and fertilizer costs linked to the Iran war and a dry weather outlook from El Niño. This could lead to a 40% reduction in harvest, impacting global supply and prices.
Despite a ceasefire, southern Lebanon remains under fire, with continued destruction and displacement. Meanwhile, Syrian farmers protest low wheat prices, and Iraq expresses concern over drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia.
Iraq's "Coordination Framework" faces deep divisions following the formation of Ali Al-Zaydi's government, with factions clashing over ministerial appointments. Meanwhile, Syrian farmers protest low wheat prices set by the government, and Iraq's Foreign Ministry expresses concern over drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, originating from Iraq.
Syrian farmers are protesting low government-set wheat prices, calling them "unfair" and insufficient to cover production costs. Protests have spread across several provinces, with farmers demanding the resignation of the Economy Minister. The government claims the price is competitive globally, but farmers argue it doesn't account for local conditions.
The closure of a bridge linking Wheatbelt residents to their town sparks concern about emergency response times and access to services, including disability support.
A train carriage that has been transformed into a Wheatbelt post office is bringing a small community together.
A train carriage that has been transformed into a Wheatbelt post office is bringing a small community together.
Temperature swings have left crops across the Plains in terrible conditions, with some farmers opting not to harvestMerrill Nielsen’s wheat crop looked healthy after he planted it in the fall on his 2,500-acre farm in north-central Kansas, about 50 miles west of Salina, the plants benefiting from higher-than-normal November rainfall.But an abnormally warm and dry winter, followed by extreme temperature variability, stressed the developing wheat. In the winter-to-spring transition, temperatures fluctuated from 70 to 80F on some days and lows in the teens or low 20s on other days. Continue reading...
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsNewsflash: Global food prices have risen for the third month running, as the Iran war drives up the price of energy and fertiliser.The United Nations’ FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) shows that prices of a basket of food commodities rose by 1.6% in April, adding to price rises in February and March.The price increase was further supported by expectations of reduced wheat plantings in 2026, as farmers shift to less fertilizer‑intensive crops amid high fertilizer prices, driven by elevated energy costs and disruptions linked to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.International palm oil prices rose for the fifth consecutive month in April, largely underpinned by prospective higher demand from the biofuel sector, supported by policy incentives in several producing countries and higher crude oil prices. Additional upward pressure stemmed from concerns over lower production in Southeast Asia in the coming months.The drop in April was mainly driven by expectations of ample global supplies in the current season, reinforced by improved production prospects in key Asian producing countries, notably China and Thailand. The onset of the new harvest in Brazil’s key southern growing regions under favourable weather conditions further contributed to the overall decline in international sugar prices. Continue reading...
We’re talking identity this week on EU Confidential — in more ways than one. First, host Sarah Wheaton sits down with Theresa Kuhn, professor of European studies at the University of Amsterdam, who has led a major research project tracking how European identity has evolved across the continent over the past five decades. At a […]
Péter Magyar promised a full reset between Hungary and Brussels after Viktor Orbán’s defeat — but the EU may be ready to unlock only part of Hungary’s frozen billions. Zoya Sheftalovich, dialing in from Madrid, and Sarah Wheaton unpack the first possible tensions emerging between Brussels and post-Orbán Hungary. Then: a right-wing MEP is planning […]
Glyphosate is currently sprayed on cereal and pulse crops to dessicate them and make them easier to harvestA new trade deal with the EU could lead to restrictions on the use of the controversial weedkiller glyphosate on UK food crops.The full-spectrum herbicide, which kills almost every plant it touches, is often sprayed on wheat, oats and other cereal and pulse crops immediately before harvest to desiccate them and make them easier to handle. Continue reading...
Widespread rain delivers timely relief to grain growers across the southern Wheatbelt, as they balance seeding decisions against soaring diesel and fertiliser costs.
