As the winter wheat harvest neared its completion last week, industry eyes turned to the nascent spring wheat harvest, which was expected to kick off in earnest in mid- to late August.

Future wheat farmers might ditch their rolling fields for indoor facilities filled with bright lights, multi-storied structures and automated airflow. 

We now have further evidence that the good rains that the Western Cape received over the past couple of months will have a meaningful contribution to South Africa’s 2020/21 winter crop production.

The Western Cape, which is a major producer of South Africa’s winter crops – wheat, barley and canola – has had favourable rainfall over the past couple of months and the crop in the province is in good shape.

Growing crops in winter may become possible. Thanks to a discovery by the University of Amsterdam, crops can also grow well at lower temperatures.

South Africa’s 2019/20 winter crops marketing year ended this past week. The key data point most analysts observe are wheat imports, as the country imports about 51% of its annual wheat consumption.

Zambia’s grain production has increased notably in the recent past, specifically maize, soybeans, and wheat.

Potentially marking the dawn of a new era in wheat quality, Grain Craft LLC is expanding a pilot program in Kansas and throughout the Southwestern United States allowing bakers to replace high-priced spring wheat with high-quality, segregated, preferred varieties of hard red winter wheat.

Welcome to the eighty-second (82nd) issue of the Trade Probe publication produced under the Markets and Economic Research Centre (MERC) of the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC).

 The high-frequency data about South Africa’s 2020/21 summer and winter crop season continue to paint a positive outlook. First, the summer crop growing areas are at early stages of planting.

Russia sells more wheat than any other country in the world. At the same time, its domestic grain consumption is growing, too.

This year's bumper wheat harvest will give SA's grain farmers a financial boost - but they will need another season before they find their financial footing.

Wheat prices have been firm around the world with strong demand, notably because of the feed needs of the EU and China, coming up against concerns over unfavorable weather for production.

It was just over a 100 years that the sun slowly began rising on a new technology that was destined to transform US agriculture.

Wheat futures’ summer of impressive gains tied to global supply concerns received yet another bounce in an August surprise. Market analysts interviewed by Milling & Baking News, a sister publication of World Grain, laid out paths by which futures could now dip lower into the fourth quarter and perhaps shoot higher in the early months of 2022.

One of the data points I have been looking forward to this week is the first production estimate of South Africa’s winter crops – wheat, barley, canola and oats. Since the 2021/22 season started, the Western Cape, which is the region that grows more than two-thirds of these winter crops, has received favourable rainfall.

Wheat growers sit in an advantageous position when it comes to sustainable agricultural practices, said Chandler Goule, chief executive officer, National Association of Wheat Growers.

 Italian pasta makers are fearful of a substantial supply squeeze in the coming months after this summer's durum wheat price shock, as the market runs out of ways to offset a dire harvest in top exporter Canada.

Wheat is not only sown into Russia’s rich, black soil, but also woven into the cultural fabric of the agricultural powerhouse that straddles Eastern Europe and Western Asia.