ABARES Confirms Record for Barley; Canola, Wheat Lift
Australia’s ABARES crop report confirms a record barley harvest of 16.33 million tonnes, surpassing the previous high of 14.65 Mt set in 2020‑21. Wheat production is revised upward to 35.99 Mt, making it the third‑largest crop after the 2022‑23 peak, while canola reaches 7.68 Mt, the second‑largest on record. Total winter‑crop planted area expands to a national record 25.2 million hectares, driven by gains in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. Western Australia’s winter‑crop output jumps 17 % to 26.9 Mt, establishing a new state benchmark.
Middle East Conflict Sparks Slew of Shipping Charges
Shipping lines are imposing emergency surcharges and rerouting cargo due to heightened security risks in the Middle East, especially around the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. CMA CGM, HapagLloyd and Maersk have announced fees up to US$4,000 per container...
GRDC Update: Growth Seen in Asian Feedgrain Demand
Grains Australia CEO Richard Simonaitis told the GRDC Perth Update that bio‑fuel policies are reshaping Australian grain exports, with EU canola demand driving Western Australia’s highest‑value market. At the same time, feedgrain demand in Southeast Asia is accelerating faster than...
Bangladesh’s Food Grain Imports Surge
Bangladesh’s food‑grain imports surged 42 percent in the first half of the 2025‑26 marketing year, reaching 4.2 million tonnes, driven primarily by a sharp rise in wheat purchases. Private‑sector wheat imports jumped 31 percent while government imports fell, and rice imports exploded 380 percent,...
Last Week’s Trades Point to Firmer Markets: CGX
Clear Grain Exchange (CGX) reported a more balanced grain demand last week, with wheat and barley each accounting for 34% of trades, a sharp shift from wheat‑dominated activity the week before. Canola represented 15% of transactions while pulses and other...
Daily Market Wire 23 February 2026
Wheat futures posted a three‑session rally as compressed spreads triggered massive short covering after the VSR observation period ended. Export commitments now cover 92 % of the USDA’s annual target, while Russian strikes have reduced Ukrainian Black Sea export capacity by...
GrainCorp Confident of Global Grain Market Rebalance
GrainCorp CEO Robert Spurway told shareholders that global wheat oversupply of 18 million tonnes is driving low prices and tighter margins for grain handlers. Growers are holding back grain, reducing market availability, but the company expects inventories to rebalance eventually, though...
GRDC Update: Pulses a ‘Slow Burn’ as WA Seeks Wider Rotation
At the GRDC’s 2026 Perth Update, a pulse panel highlighted the modest share of pulses in Western Australia’s record 27 million‑tonne harvest—just 1 % compared with 4.4 Mt of canola. Researchers and growers argued that improved soil liming, longer‑term rotation planning, and newer...
Ongoing War Stifles Ukraine’s Grain Exports
Ukraine’s grain exports have slumped dramatically as Russian shelling intensifies attacks on Black Sea ports and energy infrastructure, cutting monthly shipments from 3.6 Mt to 2.5 Mt. Year‑to‑date volumes are 28.5% lower and export value down 18%, eroding billions of foreign‑currency earnings...
Non-Tariff Measures Costing Industry Billions: GA
Grains Australia’s new report quantifies non‑tariff measures (NTMs) as a 20.4% tariff‑equivalent on Australian grain exports, costing the sector about $4.6 billion in forgone revenue each year. The analysis, built on ABARES research and ANU‑led econometric modelling, is the most detailed...
WA Grain Feeds Into Aurizon’s Record HY26 Bulk Earnings
Aurizon announced record bulk earnings for the half ending 31 December, driven primarily by a surge in Western Australian grain volumes. Bulk EBITDA reached $117 million, a 39 percent increase year‑on‑year, while total bulk rail volumes rose 4 percent to 28.4 Mt. The company also...
Australia Exports 2.29Mt Wheat in Dec in New-Crop Surge
Australia’s wheat exports jumped to 2,288,487 tonnes in December 2025, more than double November’s volume and slightly above the 2.13 Mt shipped a year earlier. The surge reflects the arrival of new‑crop wheat from southern ports, marking the start of the...
Daily Market Wire 16 February 2026
US headline CPI rose 0.2% month‑over‑month, bringing annual inflation down to 2.4% year‑over‑year and bolstering expectations of further Federal Reserve rate cuts. Wheat futures slipped in Chicago, Kansas and European markets as record spread volumes forced an inverted curve, even...
GIWA Estimate for Record Crop Settles on 27.35Mt
The Grain Industry Association of Western Australia (GIWA) announced a record 2025‑26 harvest of 27.35 million tonnes, surpassing its December forecast of 26.55 Mt. Yield gains were driven by adequate July‑August rainfall, mild grain‑fill temperatures, and a 6.8% expansion of total crop...
Scale of Australia’s Dec Chickpea, Lentil Exports Surprises
Australian legume exporters posted a dramatic December surge, shipping 588,122 tonnes of chickpeas and 410,805 tonnes of lentils, up 57% and more than double respectively from November. India dominated demand, taking 63% of chickpeas and 39% of lentils, while Bangladesh and Pakistan...