Weekly Agri- Commodities Recap: 29/07-02/08/24
Aug 05, 2024
Monday started with weaker futures markets as Russian wheat production increased while French wheat faced quality issues due to adverse weather. Algeria bought 100,000 tons of barley at around USD 218.80. Russia's central bank raised interest rates to 18%. Net short positions in wheat, corn, and soybeans were reduced.
Tuesday saw wheat futures recover nicely after an early dip, with corn and soybeans also slightly improved. Russian wheat prices hovered around USD 220. The Swiss grain harvest was disappointing, with yields down 30% due to a wet spring, mirroring poor results in France. Tunisia announced a tender for 125,000 metric tons of soft milling wheat and 50,000 tons of durum wheat. USDA export inspections showed strong numbers for soybeans, wheat, and corn.
Wednesday futures markets closed weaker, starting the day in the red. The cash grain market felt weaker with increased offers from the Black Sea region and subdued demand. U.S. corn and wheat looked attractive due to competitive prices. Brazil saw strong movement with farmers bringing soybeans and corn to market, with the corn harvest advancing rapidly. Tunisia acquired 125,000 metric tons of soft milling wheat and 50,000 metric tons of durum wheat.
Thursday saw Chicago corn futures drop below USD 4.00 for the first time in four years. Wheat markets were mixed, while the bean oil share gained. Jordan passed on a barley tender but will issue a new one on August 7. Cash grain markets were quiet, with Russian wheat showing a weaker tone. The French wheat harvest continued to disappoint. Taiwan's MFIG purchased 65,000 metric tons of Brazilian corn, and Ukraine’s 2024 grain forecast was reduced to 71.8 million metric tons due to heatwaves. Friday saw slight short covering in CBOT due to a weaker U.S. dollar, though European prices stayed weak. The USDA reported a private sale of 202,000 tons of soybeans to China for the 2024/2025 marketing year. Funds reduced their net short in corn while increasing their net short in soybeans. Concerns about a potential U.S. recession impacted global markets and currencies, offering some short-term support for CBOT prices. Weather forecasts suggest favorable conditions for harvest progress in France.
Weekly Recaps
Freight
Freight Recap:
04/12/25
Dec 04, 2025
The dry bulk market saw a generally mixed performance, with Handysize remaining supported in the Atlantic, Supramax showing uneven movement across regions, and Panamax continuing its correction as rising vessel supply weighed on sentiment. Atlantic dynamics were split between firmer US Gulf/US East Coast activity in the smaller segments and softer conditions for Panamax. In the Pacific, muted enquiry and longer lists contributed to a softer tone, especially in NoPac, though isolated strength persisted in Australian coal.
Commodities
Agri- Commodities:
24-28/11/25 Agri
Dec 01, 2025
Wheat opened the week lower after Saudi Arabia’s tender came in sharply priced, while soybeans and corn also finished slightly weaker. Market reaction to the Trump–Xi call remained muted, particularly for soybeans, where repeated political signals have not delivered the expected demand. Saudi Arabia’s GFSA bought 300k tons of wheat for March–April arrival at $257.96–$259.74/t CnF, roughly $5–$5.50 below the previous tender, with February slots skipped. Russian 12.5% protein wheat eased by $1 to $228/t FOB according to IKAR, and MARS reported that winter-cereal sowing in Europe is largely complete under mostly favorable conditions. US winter wheat conditions improved to 48% good/excellent, two points above the five-year average.
USDA confirmed private sales of 123k tons of US soybeans to China, bringing known 25/26 sales to 1.94 mmt, with an additional 0.62 mmt sold to “unknown” since October. Weekly US export inspections showed 799k tons of soybeans, 1,632k tons of corn, and 475k tons of wheat. No soybeans were shipped to China, leaving total inspections well behind last year’s levels.
Freight
Freight Recap:
27/11/25
Nov 27, 2025
The dry bulk market showed a mostly subdued performance, with Handysize and Supramax sentiment remaining soft across both basins and Panamax maintaining a firm, steady tone driven by continued grain activity. The Atlantic saw mixed conditions, with smaller segments facing limited enquiry while Panamax benefitted from solid U.S. Gulf and East Coast support. In the Pacific, Handy/Supra sectors stayed muted, whereas Panamax demand from Indonesia and Japan kept momentum intact despite some easing in Chinese interest.
Commodities
Agri- Commodities:
17-21/11/25 Agri
Nov 24, 2025
The rebound in soybeans and Chicago wheat was even more impressive than Friday’s plunge, driven this time by actual Chinese purchases rather than political promises. US wheat rallied alongside soybeans on talk of Chinese demand, though without confirmation that wheat was included, while MATIF wheat lagged despite a weaker EUR/USD. USDA corrected Friday’s missing flash sales by trimming US soybean sales to China by 100k tons, yet sentiment stayed upbeat on reports that China bought at least 14 US cargoes. NOPA reported a record October crush of 227.65 mbu, suggesting stronger domestic use may offset some export weakness. Weekly inspections showed soybeans at 1,176k tons, corn at 2,054k tons, and wheat at 247k tons; cumulative soybean inspections remain down 7.5 mmt y/y while corn is up 6.7 mmt.
Russian 12.5% wheat FOB for late December fell $3 w/w to $229/t, while Poland reported sabotage on a key rail line used to send aid and weapons to Ukraine. Based on cumulative inspections so far this marketing year, wheat needs to maintain last year’s pace to meet USDA’s export forecast, soybeans need to accelerate, and corn could afford to slow.
