Global Ag News For Aug 13.2025

TOP HEADLINES

Zambia’s Cabinet Approves Export of 500,000 Tons of Corn

The Zambia Cabinet approved the export of 501,621 tons of surplus corn, or the equivalent quantity of corn meal, to various destinations in southern Africa, according to a statement.

  • The country produced 3.7 million tons of corn in the 2024-25 farming season

 

FUTURES & WEATHER

Wheat prices overnight are down 2 1/4 in SRW, down 3 1/2 in HRW, up 1 1/2 in HRS; Corn is up 1/2; Soybeans up 6 3/4; Soymeal up $0.60; Soyoil up 0.16.

For the week so far wheat prices are down 11 3/4 in SRW, down 10 3/4 in HRW, down 3/4 in HRS; Corn is down 10 3/4; Soybeans up 52; Soymeal up $7.30; Soyoil up 0.77.

For the month to date wheat prices are down 20 1/2 in SRW, down 18 1/4 in HRW, down 4 3/4 in HRS; Corn is down 18 3/4; Soybeans up 50 1/4; Soymeal up $16.50; Soyoil down 1.44.

Year-To-Date nearby futures are down 8.8% in SRW, down 9.4% in HRW, down 3.1% in HRS; Corn is down 19.0%; Soybeans up 1.5%; Soymeal down 9.5%; Soyoil up 34.0%.

Chinese Ag futures (SEP 25) Soybeans up 54 yuan; Soymeal up 71; Soyoil up 110; Palm oil up 102; Corn up 14 — Malaysian Palm is up 33.

Malaysian palm oil prices overnight were up 33 ringgit (+0.75%) at 4435.

There were changes in registrations (-44 Soymeal). Registration total: 34 SRW Wheat contracts; 4 Oats; 0 Corn; 590 Soybeans; 746 Soyoil; 1,621 Soymeal; 419 HRW Wheat.

Preliminary changes in futures Open Interest as of August 12 were: SRW Wheat up 4,096 contracts, HRW Wheat down 2,726, Corn down 824, Soybeans down 2,351, Soymeal down 2,602, Soyoil down 2,212.

 

DAILY WEATHER HEADLINES: 13 Aug 2025

  • NORTH AMERICA: Heat risks are anticipated across much of the U.S. this week, with below-normal rainfall expected in most regions except the Midwest and Southeast
  • SOUTH AMERICA: Heavy rains anticipated across Argentina’s Pampas region, while Brazil is expected to experience below-average rainfall and increased heat risks this week
  • EUROPE: Heat risks continue across Europe this week, accompanied by dry spells
  • ASIA: South and Southeast Asia are experiencing cooler-than-normal temperatures, with wet spells likely across both regions this week

 

Heavy rainfall poses risk to corn and soybean crops in key U.S. regions

What to Watch:

  • Heat risks in most of the U.S during the 10-day outlook
  • Wet spells in the North Plains and Midwest

 

Northern Plains: An additional front will move in Wednesday night and bring sporadic showers into the weekend as it stalls. The front should completely move out early next week. The rain is favorable for filling corn and soybeans, but could continue to negatively impact wheat quality and harvest.

Central/Southern Plains: Sporadic showers may develop throughout the rest of the week before the next front moves into northern areas this weekend. Temperatures will be rising ahead of this front and could be stressful to some areas that are still on the drier side. The front will push through next week, bringing showers and a relief in temperature.

Midwest: A slow-moving front continues through the region Wednesday, bringing some areas of heavy rain. Flooding has been an issue in several areas from northern Missouri into southern Wisconsin over the last couple of days. Another front will move into northwestern areas later this week and stall a couple of days before moving eastward next week. Most areas should get chances for at least moderate rainfall over the next week to 10 days, helping with filling corn and soybeans. However, areas of flooding could cause issues and some areas that get missed this week could see stress from rising temperatures ahead of of next week’s front.

Delta/Lower Mississippi: Showers should increase this week as a front slowly sags through the region and largely stalls, continuing showers into next week. Dry spots are popping up in the region and the rainfall will be important to finish out the crop. The tropics are also starting to become more alive and will need to be watched, though no immediate impacts are forecast for at least the next week.

Canadian Prairies: Areas of heavy rain over the last week have been favorable for later-developing crops, but have been a negative factor for maturing and early harvest in other areas. Those across the north and east have seen beneficial rainfall to reduce drought and could make for another cutting of hay as we see more rainfall chances coming through this week and weekend in two more waves of showers. It should also help to battle the wildfires across the north.

Black Sea: Though some showers are moving through northeastern areas, it continues to be very dry for much of the region. More reports of drought stress continue to pop up on social media as harvest continues for wheat and corn continues to fill. Good weather has come in short bursts this season, with stress due to heat and dryness more common than not.

 

The player sheet for 8/12 had funds: net sellers of 5,000 contracts of SRW wheat, sellers of 27,000 corn, sellers of 16,500 soybeans, buyers of 5,000 soymeal, and buyers of 2,500 soyoil.

TENDERS

  • CORN SALES: The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed private sales of 315,488 metric tons of U.S. corn to Mexico, including 20,830 tons for delivery in the 2024/25 marketing year that began on September 1, 2024, and the remaining 294,658 tons for delivery in 2025/26.
  • CORN PURCHASE: South Korea’s Major Feedmill Group (MFG) purchased about 65,000 metric tons of animal feed corn in an international tender seeking up to 70,000 tons sourced only from the United States, South America or South Africa
  • CORN TENDER: The lowest price offer in the tender from South Korea’s Feed Leaders Committee (FLC) on Wednesday to buy up to 69,000 metric tons of animal feed corn was estimated to be $227.84 a metric ton cost and freight included (c&f). Negotiations continue with lower prices still being sought and no purchase has yet been reported.
  • WHEAT TENDER PASSED: Jordan’s state grain buyer made no purchase in an international tender to buy 120,000 metric tons of milling wheat which closed on Tuesday.
  • WHEAT TENDER: A group of South Korean flour mills issued an international tender to purchase about 50,000 metric tons of milling wheat to be sourced from the United States only.

PENDING TENDERS

  • WHEAT TENDER: Jordan’s state grain buyer has issued an international tender to buy up to 120,000 metric tons of milling wheat, which can be sourced from optional origins. A new announcement had been expected by traders after Jordan made no purchase in its previous tender for 120,000 tons of wheat on Tuesday.
  • RICE TENDER: South Korea’s state-backed Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp issued international tenders to purchase an estimated 45,200 metric tons of rice to be sourced from Vietnam and Thailand
  • BARLEY TENDER: Jordan’s state grains buyer issued an international tender to purchase up to 120,000 metric tons of animal feed barley.

 

 

 

 

TODAY

ETHANOL: US Weekly Production Survey Before EIA Report

Output and stockpile projections for the week ending Aug. 8 are based on five analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

  • Production seen slightly higher than last week at 1.084m b/d
  • Stockpile avg est. 23.722m bbl vs 23.756m a week ago

 

US losing out on China soybean sales as Brazil fills key supply period

  • Chinese crushers buy Brazilian beans amid US-China trade war
  • Chicago soybean futures near 5-year lows amid trade uncertainty
  • US soybeans around $40/ton cheaper than Brazilian for October shipment

SINGAPORE/BEIJING, Aug 13 (Reuters) – U.S. soybean exporters risk missing out on billions of dollars worth of sales to China this year as trade talks drag on and buyers in the top oilseed importer lock in cargoes from Brazil for shipment during the key U.S. marketing season, according to traders.

Chinese importers have finished booking soybean cargoes for September, taking around 8 million metric tons, all from South America, three traders told Reuters.

For October, Chinese buyers have secured about 4 million tons – half of their expected requirement – also from South America, the traders said.

“China’s heavy Q3 soybean purchases suggest the industry has built up inventories ahead of potential Q4 supply risks,” said Wang Wenshen, an analyst at Sublime China Information.

Last year, Chinese oilseed importers bought around 7 million tons from the U.S. for shipments during the two months.

The risk of a prolonged absence of Chinese purchases for the U.S. crop year starting in September amid unresolved trade tensions could add pressure on Chicago futures Sv1 trading not far from five-year lows, traders said.

Typically, most Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans are shipped between September and January, before Brazilian supplies take over after South America’s harvest.

Chinese buyers are expected to complete this year’s October bookings by early next month, said a trader at an international firm in Singapore.

China has been cutting its dependence on U.S. agricultural products since the trade war under President Donald Trump’s first term.

Last year, China imported roughly 105 million metric tons of soybeans. Of that, 22.13 million tons came from the U.S., worth $12 billion.

 

SovEcon Raises Russia Wheat Forecast on Better Acreage, Yields

Russia’s wheat production is expected to reach 85.2m tons in the 2025-26 season, up from 83.6m tons forecast in July, according to agriculture consultancy SovEcon.

  • New data shows planted wheat area at 26.9 million hectares, higher than SovEcon’s earlier estimate of 26.6m hectares
  • Wheat crop forecast for the Central region has been raised by 1.2m tons to 21.5m tons, reflecting both expanded acreage and improving yields
  • The estimate for the South has been raised slightly to 31.1m tons
  • “While the improving Russian wheat crop outlook is a bearish factor for the global market, it’s important to remember that the South — the No. 1 growing and exporting region — is harvesting a historically low crop this year, which came as a surprise to many”: SovEcon’s Andrey Sizov

 

Brazil Corn Exports Seen Reaching 7.97 Million Tons In August – Anec

  • BRAZIL SOY EXPORTS SEEN REACHING 8.8 MILLION TNS IN AUGUST VERSUS 8.15 MILLION TNS IN THE PREVIOUS WEEK – ANEC
  • BRAZIL SOYMEAL EXPORTS SEEN REACHING 2.27 MILLION TNS IN AUGUST VERSUS 1.74 MILLION TNS IN THE PREVIOUS WEEK – ANEC
  • BRAZIL CORN EXPORTS SEEN REACHING 7.97 MILLION TNS IN AUGUST VERSUS 7.58 MILLION TNS IN THE PREVIOUS WEEK – ANEC

 

EU Soft-Wheat Exports Fall 56% Y/y in Season Through Aug. 10

The EU’s soft-wheat exports in the season that began July 1 totaled about 1.43m tons as of Aug. 10, compared with 3.28m tons over a similar period a year earlier, the European Commission said on its website.

  • Leading destinations include Saudi Arabia (137k tons), Nigeria (129k tons) and Algeria (94k tons)
  • Barley exports were about 1.1m tons, down 4% y/y
  • Corn imports total 986k tons, down 66% y/y
  • NOTE: Click here for figures on oilseed trade
  • NOTE: Export data are incomplete for France since the start of 2024 and for Bulgaria and Ireland since the start of the 2023-24 season, commission says

 

Malaysia Raises Crude Palm Oil Export Tax to 10% for September

The gazetted price for crude palm oil was set at 4,053.43 ringgit a ton, which incurs the maximum export tax of 10%, according to a circular from the customs department posted on the Malaysian Palm Oil Board’s website.

  • Tax rate was raised from 9% in August
  • NOTE: The export-duty structure starts at 3%, when FOB prices for CPO are in a range of 2,250-2,400 ringgit/ton, to a maximum rate of 10%, which occurs when prices are above 4,050 ringgit/ton

 

Ukraine 2025 sunseed crop seen at about 14 million tons, corn at 28 million, farm union says

Extreme drought in southern Ukraine and parts of the east and centre has sharply reduced sunflower crop estimates for 2025 to no more than 14 million metric tons from previous estimates of 16 million tons, producers’ union UAC said on Wednesday.

UAC, however, said that the weather was unlikely to affect the corn harvest, which could reach 28 million tons. Ukraine harvested 26 million tons of corn in 2024.

 

Managers May Get Louis Dreyfus’ Russian Assets: Kommersant

Senior managers of Louis Dreyfus’s Russian unit, Amalia Shedko and Alexey Tkachenko, have sued its local subsidiaries for unpaid wages and could end up controlling the remaining local assets of the grain trader valued around RUB 2b, Kommersant reports.

  • It was earlier planned to transfer Louis Dreyfus’s Russian assets — 12 grain elevators with around 2m tons of storage — to a different new owner: market participants pointed to Bio-Ton corporation as potential buyer; the deal, however, collapsed
  • On August 7, Louis Dreyfus’s Russian units, RusElKo and Louis Dreyfus Vostok, announced their intentions to liquidate

 

 

 

 

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