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The following GAIN reports were released on April 24, 2024. _______In marketing year (MY) 2024/25, Canada’s total production of principal grains (wheat, durum, oats, barley, corn) is forecast to increase by 4.9 percent to 61.4 million metric tons (MMT) over the previous year on an additional 1.7 MMT of wheat production. In MY 2023/24, FAS/Ottawa is forecasting a 55 percent increase in corn imports over the previous year, on strong demand for animal feed due to the impacts of drought in the Prairie Provinces. Though high, forecasted imports are just over half of the level imported during the drought that occurred in MY 2021/22. Food manufacturers, as of March, are paying the lowest price for wheat since April 2021, owing to a steady price decline that began in 2022. In contrast, consumers are paying 23 percent more for flour than they were in April 2021. The 2024 crop season in Morocco is progressing under difficult conditions. Dry and hot weather during January and February has driven production to record lows, especially in the southern parts of Morocco. Post forecasts MY2024/25 production at 1.55 MMT for common wheat, 0.75 MMT for durum wheat, and 0.65 MMT for barley. Low production for MY 2024/25 is expected to result in higher import demand of 7.5 MMT total wheat and 1.5 MMT barley.
For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/. |
The following GAIN reports were released on April 23, 2024.
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Denmark: Markets for Wood Chips in Northwestern Europe
EU imports of fuel wood totaled $1.8 billion in 2023. The two main categories of fuel wood imported by the EU are wood pellets and wood chips. This report focuses on the bioenergy market for wood chips in Northwestern Europe, which is increasingly seeking to import from outside the EU. North America is regarded as a natural region to source woody biomass from. Currently imports of wood chips from the United States are restricted for phytosanitary reasons. According to EU regulations, pine wood chips need to be heat treated and fumigated.
Egypt: Grain and Feed Annual
FAS/Cairo (Post) forecasts Egypt’s wheat imports in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 to increase by 2 percent from the previous marketing year, due to population growth and the availability of more foreign currency in Egyptian banks. As a result of increasing access to foreign currency, raising interest rates and reducing inflation, the Government of Egypt (GOE) hopes that the Egyptian market will soon stabilize, and inflation will reduce. Egypt’s corn production in MY 2024/25 is forecast to increase in response to high prices, while rice production is forecast to decrease, as planted area is expected to decrease.
Kenya: Sugar Annual
Kenya’s sugar production is expected to increase 40 percent in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 to 750,000 metric tons (MT) due to an increase in area harvested after the expiration of a ban on sugarcane harvesting issued by Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA). Post anticipates sugar imports will decline 30 percent to 455,000 MT in MY 2024/25 as increased domestic production accounts for more of Kenya’s sugar supply.
Turkiye: Sugar Annual
In MY 2024/25, the sugar beet area harvested is expected to slightly expand year-to-year as farmers switch to growing more beets in hopes of capturing higher returns compared to sunflowers and corn. In parallel with this expansion in area, sugar production is forecast to grow to nearly 3.2 million metric tons (MMT). While the government has not yet announced the beet sugar production quota for MY 2024/25, the amount is expected to be close to last year’s amount of about 3.0 MMT. Any amount produced in excess of the quota will either be exported or used in a food or beverage product for export.
For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.
