Brazil – May beef exports jump 25%

Brazilian beef exports for May soared 25% year on year in volume terms to rise above 155,000t. This brings Brazilian beef exports for the first five months of 2020 close to 625,000t, which is almost 10% ahead of the same period last year.

US – farmers make planting progress

US farmers are making good progress on 2020 plantings of maize (corn) and soya beans. US maize plantings are 93% complete as of this week, while 75% of the 2020 US soya bean crop has now been planted. The winter wheat harvest is just under way in the lower US states.

EU – wheat production forecast lowered

The European Commission has lowered its forecast for wheat production across Europe this season by over 4m tonnes to a new forecast of 121.5m tonnes. The lower forecast is due to the dry spring conditions. Europe produced 131m tonnes of wheat last year.

China – pork and soya trade halted

Chinese authorities have instructed all semi-state agri food companies to halt imports of US pork and soya beans due to rising trade tensions between Beijing and Washington. Shipments of up to 20,000t of US pork were cancelled as a result.