RUSSIAN WHEAT EXPORT PRICES RISE

According to two main agriculture consultancies (SovEcon and Ikar), Russian wheat export prices rose for the second week in a row last week due to higher prices in Chicago and Paris.

Russian wheat with 12.5% protein loading from Black Sea ports for supply in April was between $247 and $248 a tonne free on board (FOB) at the end of last week, up from $1 to $3 from the previous week.

Barley export price, in contrast, was steady at $233 a tonne.

According to SovEcon, demand for Siberian wheat from Kazakhstan, which shares a free customs zone with Russia and is not subject to Moscow’s recently-raised grain export taxes, is up significantly.

Weather conditions remain favourable for the upcoming crop in Russia and Ukraine in general, although some farmers in Russia’s south are concerned about rains slowing down their spring grain sowing and complicating input of fertilisers.

Meantime, however, in Russia’s central regions – Tambov, Lipetsk, and Voronezh – some farmers report a high percentage of their winter wheat sowings being in bad condition after winter.

Probably , a large part of this area is will need to be replanted with spring wheat.

Below a summary of other Russian data provided by Sovecon and IKAR:

 Product:            Price at the end       Change from week
                        of last week:                earlier
 - Domestic 3rd      13,600 roubles/t                +50rbls
 class wheat,                ($178,8)  
 European part of                      
 Russia, excludes                      
 delivery                              
 (Sov. Ag.)                             
 - Sunflower seeds      53,100 rbls/t               -250rbls
 (Sov. Ag.)                             
 - Domestic            112,525 rbls/t               -825rbls
 sunflower oil                         
 (Sov. Ag.)                             
 - export                    $1,540/t                   +$45
 sunflower oil                         
 (Sov. Ag.)                                                  
   

 - export                    $1,525/t                   +$35
 sunflower oil
 (Rus. Ag.)  

  Domestic
- soybeans              48,800 rbls/t              +1000rbls    
 (Sov. Ag.)  
 
 - white sugar              $578.10/t                 -$9,50                                   
 (Rus. Ag.)                          
                          
($1 = 76.0440 roubles)

Source: Reuters