World Agrinews

Romania and Poland are in talks with the European Commission over export tracing mechanisms for Ukrainian grains to ensure local farmers are not hurt by a flood of cheap imports, the Polish and Romanian prime ministers said on Tuesday.

Ukraine, one of the world's largest grain exporters, has seen its Black Sea ports blocked since Russia invaded more than a year ago and has been forced to find alternative shipping routes through European Union states Poland and Romania.

Argentina has confirmed its first case of bird flu in industrial poultry, its agriculture secretary said on Tuesday, causing it to suspend avian product exports and raising fears the disease could spread and hurt exports from the South American nation.

The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) averaged 131.2 points in January 2023, down 1.1 points (0.8 percent) from December, marking the 10th consecutive monthly decline. With this latest decline, the index has fallen 28.6 points (17.9 percent) from the peak it reached in March 2022. The drop in the index in January was driven by declines in the price indices of vegetable oils, dairy and sugar, while those of cereals and meat remained largely stable.

Romania and five other EU states want compensation for the damage they suffered due to the fact that cheap wheat from Ukraine, left on European territory, is affecting their own sales. They ask the European Commission for a quick solution and the export of Ukrainian wheat to its final destination, namely Africa.