Beijing customs data indicates that Chinese soy imports from Brazil (now its largest supplier), reached its highest level in two years in May. China is the world’s largest importer of soy.
Argentine President Alberto Fernandez announced Monday evening a plan to seize crop trader Vicentin SAIC in a move that is anticipated will ring alarm bells in soy markets, among investors in the country and even the current foreign debt negotiations.
Brazil's May soybean exports jumped 45% on the year to reach 15.5 million tons, the second-highest monthly soy shipment ever, the latest foreign trade department data released on June first showed, with a hefty 74% of this volume bound for China.
In the first four months of this year, Brazilian agribusiness exports totaled US$31.40 billion, marking a 5.9% increase year-on-year. The growth of agribusiness exports resulted in an increase in volumes 11.1%, while the index price suffered a drop of 4.7%.
Soybean output for Argentina -- the world's third-largest soy producer and exporter -- is forecast to be at 52 million tons, down 4.6% on February estimates and 6% year on year, in 2019-20 crop year (November-October), on dry conditions in Córdoba and Santa Fe, a Buenos Aires Grains Exchange report said on Thursday.
Argentina’s main farm groups will hold a four-day sales strike this week, officials with local growers groups said on Thursday, to protest a tax hike that soy crushing companies warn will cripple investment in the key sector.
Intense rains in parts of Brazil have limited the advance of the soybean harvest over the past few days while also delaying exports of the oilseed, agribusiness consultancy Arc Mercosul said on Friday.
Argentina's soybean harvest for the 2019/20 season is forecast at 53.1 million tons, the Buenos Aires grains exchange said last week, an improvement from a prediction it made towards the end of last year.
Brazilian farmers have planted 3.1% of the estimated soybean area for the 2019/2020 crop, agribusiness consultancy AgRural said on Monday, blaming a lack of rain for the slowest start to the season in six years.
Chinese commodities trader COFCO said it expects a sharp drop in the number of soybeans it will source for export from Brazil this year due to an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in China that has hurt demand for animal feed.