World Agrinews

U.S. 2009 soybean production is expected to reach a record high 3.32 billion bushels, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday raised its crop size and yield estimates. In its monthly crop production report, the USDA said the 2009 crop estimate is 2% above its October forecast and 12% above 2008’s level. Yields are also seen up from last month and last year, at 43.3 bushels per acre, which, if realized, would be the largest ever. The USDA raised yields by 0.9 bushels from October’s estimate, which itself would’ve been a record, and 3.6 bushels from last year.

World 2009-10 wheat production is revised up to 666.69 million metric tons, from the October estimate of 663.37 million tons, Germany-based analytical firm F.O. Licht said Monday. This is a 2.6% fall on the year. European Union 2009-10 wheat production was revised up 830,000 tons on the month to 138.48 million tons, said the firm.

The Government of the Russian Federation adopted the resolution dd. November 2, 2009, #881 “About temporally rates of import custom duties for rice and flour-groats rice by-products”, declared the governmental press-cutting service.

India may import a total of two million metric tons of rice over the next 12 months in phases to meet a possible shortfall after a drought. The imports will start only if a senior group of ministers approves the proposal, put forth by the food ministry, at a meeting scheduled Nov. 12, according to a food ministry document seen by Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday.