Of late, the primary wheat market driver has been the delayed US corn planting. Earlier this week, the trade patiently waited for two sets of data about the situation to help gain a steer on the next likely wheat price movements. The first of these data sets came on Monday evening in the form of the latest weekly US crop report. It put the drilled ...

Much of the grass in Herefordshire, where I am based, suffered during the difficult weather conditions of 2018 and consequently producers should focus on optimising nutrition to restore both quality and yield potential to former levels, with K and S being essential in this process. This season NKS fertilisers containing potash and sulphur alongside...

Disastrous planting conditions in the US continue to hamper progress. As of Monday, the reports were of 69% planted compared to the 96% average. It is difficult to quantify total crop losses until the final drilling dates and these vary in each state, however, there is already talk of 8 million acres of Prevented Planting insurance already claimed....

Globally, wheat prices have continued to rise on the back of the US corn planting pace. Currently the single market driver, corn planting progress is now at a record low following adverse wet weather. Crops planted at this late stage lose yield potential, with some at risk of not being planted at all. Last night, the United States Department of Agr...

Remote sensing in agriculture is nothing new. However, with drones gaining more publicity over the last few years, some would argue it has felt somewhat revolutionary all over again. Rather than new sensors, what actually came along were new platforms and all too often it is only these that get the attention. We're all made aware when the latest se...

Tomorrow marks the last trading day for May London futures and, over the last few weeks, we've seen a large volume of futures tendered right the way from Edinburgh to Kent. As such, the added weight of physical grain has pushed prices around £10 lower since the start of the month. Consumers are well aware of this and are therefore in no rush to cov...

It has been somewhat of a harrowing year for the OSR crop, with wide spread establishment issues followed by flea beetle larval damage leading to a number of crops unfortunately being ripped up.The remaining crops have gone on to endure some late frosts during flowering but, thanks to recent rainfall and warm weather, the good crops are now coming ...

It isn't news to emphasise that one of our key current challenges is the well publicised yield plateau. Whenever the next thumping crop yield is announced we all want to know how it was grown and then, when we do know, we sit back and assume we could never achieve it. Often the soil type was better than ours or the nitrogen rate was extraordinarily...

The USDA's first stab at 2019/20 world wheat and corn balance sheets last Friday indicated a boost of supplies and extended the recent weak price trend. Early this week, French and London wheat futures hit new contract lows as markets reacted to the USDA forecasts for record world wheat and corn crops next season; put at 777 million tonnes and 1,17...

UK feed wheat markets remain under pressure after Friday's sharp £3.80 futures sell-off. May LIFFE hasn't traded since then and open volume sitting on the exchange is around 60,000t, which could add further pressure to old crop prices if tendered. Consumer demand is understandably quiet as markets have a decidedly bearish feel to them and, for any ...

While many of us enjoyed the Easter weekend weather, both winter and spring crops were looking very thirsty as the British Isles broke temperature records. However, with rain now in the forecast and the weather pattern changing both here and in much of Western Europe, wheat futures markets started the working week with a bump lower. Concerns that t...

The USDA published their April World Supply and Demand report yesterday and, as expected, it held bearish data – particularly for corn. World wheat production was put marginally lower at 732.87 million tonnes but falls in consumption saw year end stocks increase by five million to 275.61 million tonnes. This is just six million tonnes down on the y...

The UK market continues to be in a state of confusion regarding our wheat crop size, and Brexit. As we enter the final quarter of the cropping year, there is no clarity on the UK wheat crop size. Estimates vary, from DEFRA projecting an area equating to a 13.95 million tonne crop, to the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) survey suggesting a 100,000 hectar...

Global markets are increasingly focused on weather patterns and the size of the US fund short for fresh direction. Widespread flooding and below average temperatures in the US plains and Midwest remains a flag for growing crops, while warmer forecasted weather could compound the problem as snow-melt will add to ground moisture levels. Conversely, s...

Lodging is described by Berry, 1998 as "The permanent displacement of plant stems from the vertical" which "occurs on average once every four years in UK wheat crops, when it reduces the yield and bread-making quality of grain." Fischer and Stapper, 1987 also report that "Lodging can reduce yields from 7 – 35%, with the greatest yield reductions oc...

​Yet again a season has seemingly come at us with a fresh set of challenges. Personally, I don't think I've ever seen a 'normal' year and averages cover a lot of variability. However, we do have a challenge with this season's oilseed rape (OSR) crops and working out what to do. Autumn and winter have been both unseasonably dry and unseasonably warm...

World wheat markets continued to move lower at the beginning of the week, extending the trend we have seen since the beginning of 2019. Speculative funds took their short positions to over 120,000 contracts in US wheat futures markets, leaving them technically very oversold and due a bounce. The funds seem driven by the poor US wheat export pace an...

​As if the adult population of cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) wasn't problematic enough last autumn when large areas of oilseed rape were written off, crops are now struggling again as they come out of winter. CSFB larvae are present in high numbers on both heavily grazed crops and even those which appeared to grow away from the pest last year. It...

​Wheat For the first time in a while, futures markets closed yesterday slightly firmer in the UK, EU and USA despite nothing fundamentally bullish to fuel the support. In the USA, widespread freezing conditions and snow continue to cause logistical issues for the transportation of grains which has increased nearby delivered prices. However, crops u...

Friday's USDA report threw us no real surprises in terms of global supply and demand. As a result, the market's focus returned to cash wheat prices around the world. It feels as though the pace of Russian export business is beginning to dwindle, with origins such as the USA, Ukraine and even France beginning compete. This may go some way to making ...