Agriculture in the Black Sea Region

US drought: Stuck on dry land

01.08.2012. The heatwave that has pushed corn prices to record highs threatens a new global food crisis and exposes the limitations of even the best technology in coping with extreme weather. By Gregory Meyer Atractor and a chopping machine circle a corn field, pulverising the ruined stalks and spitting them into a grain wagon. By day’s end only a 10-foot wide strip will be saved for the insurance adjuster.

Crop Market Analysis: Tomm Pfitzenmaier

01.08.2012. Grain prices rallied late this week, but not enough to wipe out losses in previous sessions.

For the week, September wheat lost 45 cents, while the nearby corn contract slipped back below the $8 mark with a loss of 26 cents. Soybeans followed the grains lower as the September contract gave back half of last week’s gains, while the nearby meal contract declined by more than $26 per ton. In the softs, cotton also trended lower this week as the December contract posted a loss of 28 cents.

Black Sea Market

30.07.2012. Temperatures are rising in Ukraine and in Russia over 30° C in various production areas. Few rains are expected for the next 15 days close to the Black Sea. This is favorable for crops which have not yet been harvested. Nevertheless, later crops such as soybean and sunflower could be at threat due to such weather conditions particularly in the meridional areas.