RUSSIA BEGINS GRAIN SHIPMENTS TO AFRICA
Reuters reported Russia has started free shipments of grain totaling up to 200,000 tonnes to six African countries. Agriculture minister Dmitry Patrushev said that ships headed for Burkina Faso and Somalia had already left Russian ports and that additional shipments to Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Mali, and the Central African Republic would soon follow.
Putin had promised the free grain during a summit with African leaders in July after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Putin said the agreement was not getting grain to the most urgently needed countries. Last year, Russia exported around 60 million tonnes of grain.
(Link: WorldGrain)
EGYPT’S WHEAT STOCKS PROJECTED AT 20-YEAR LOW
Egypt’s wheat ending stocks in marketing year 2023-24 are forecast to drop to their lowest level in 20 years as the country grapples with a smaller crop, increased demand, and a shift in trade flows due to Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network report.
The year-on-year decline in wheat production is due to the area harvested decreasing to 1.35 million hectares compared to 1.45 million in 2022-23, the FAS said. “The decrease in area is driven by increased area of Egyptian clover and sugar beets.” Consumption is seen rising in 2023-24 by 50,000 tonnes to 20.6 million. Egyptian wheat imports are projected to increase by 7% to 12 million tonnes in the 2023-24 marketing year, the report said. The largest exporters of wheat to Egypt in 2022-23 were Russia (8.1 million tonnes) and the European Union (1.8 million tonnes), according to the FAS. Egypt in 2023-24 is estimated to receive far less wheat from Ukraine (856,377 tonnes) than usual due to the war.
(Link: WorldGrain)
