The threat of a full-scale war has increased fears of shortages in the near future, driving prices up. The ton of soybeans rose 2.4% and closed at US$ 615.45, while corn grew 1.3% to close at US$ 269.19 and wheat climbed 3.6% and to reach US$ 321.87, it was reported.
Some of the first consequences of the Ukraine conflict? Belarus, a close ally of Russia's Vladimir Putin, has announced that the Belarus Potash Corporation, BPC, will no longer abide by some contracts following sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries.
United States keeps breaking records and slowly taking the global beef exports leadership, at least in terms of revenue according to the latest figures from the US Department of Agriculture, USDA. A situation which is having its impact on Brazil, a longtime top of the list in beef exports.
The Argentine beef industry is optimistic about world meat production and global demand this year, with China again playing a leading market role. A report issued by Argentina's Rosario Stock Exchange (BCR) and the Mercado Ganadero Department (Rosgan), world beef production will reach 58 million tons, representing a 1% increase over 2021.
The gauge for world food prices went up in January, largely catalyzed by supply-side constraints for vegetable oils, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 135.7 points in January, 1.1 percent higher than in December. The Index tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities.
The Union of Production Guilds Paraguay Wednesday said it foresaw 2022 will be a tough year for the agricultural sector due to the current drought which will mean, among other setbacks, the worst soybean harvest in the last 25 years, or US $ 2 billion less to the country's economy.
Several Asian countries have suspended the import of Canadian beef, following a case of mad cow disease. China, South Korea, and the Philippines have temporarily halted imports of Canadian beef where an “atypical” case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease, was reported.
Brazil managed a US$ 61,01 billion surplus in its trade balance in 2021, which is 21% higher than the US$ 50 billion of 2020 and the best performance since current stats were officially recorded beginning 1989.
Argentina has recorded a 4.8% decline in meat consumption per inhabitant despite caps on exports imposed by the administration of President Alberto Fernández, which allegedly sought to prioritize the domestic market.
Paraguay's Agriculture Ministry has announced between 6 and 7 million tons of soybeans were to be harvested this season against the original projections of 10 million due to the unprecedented weather conditions.