Corn prices jumped to a five-week high and soybeans rose as gasoline costs climbed, enhancing the appeal of fuels refined from grain and oilseeds. Wheat rebounded as speculators unwound bets that futures will fall.
Mexico, the sixth-largest producer of sugar in the world, lowered its forecast for production of the sweetener to 4.5 million metric tons because of heavy rain during the harvest, said Agriculture Minister Francisco Mayorga.
Two Brazilian sugar and ethanol producers yesterday agreed to merge to create what they hope will be the country's biggest biofuels company. The agreement, to create a group with total investments of R$7.3bn ($4bn) by 2012, follows a $12bn deal this month between Royal Dutch Shell and Cosan of Brazil.
It provides further evidence of the appeal of Brazil's ethanol market and of confidence that foreign markets for Brazilian ethanol will open up.
ETH Bioenergy, a large ethanol producer in Brazil, announced Thursday that it was acquiring its debt-laden rival Brenco for an undisclosed price. The move follows similar joint ventures and mergers announced in the ethanol industry over the last few months as companies pair up to share the high capital costs needed to meet ambitious expansion goals.
As the country prepares for a better sugarcane harvest next season, increasing possibility of more sugar production, industry and experts have demanded de- controlling the sector --one of the few sectors un- touched by liberalisation.
Rain in January and February in Queensland and northern New South Wales has improved the yield potential for summer crops, but overall area planted and production is forecast to be lower than last season, commented Paul Morris, ABARE’s deputy executive director on releasing the latest Australian crop report.
Corn jumped to a four-week high and soybeans rose for a fourth straight session after farmers curbed sales following a price slump earlier this year, tightening supplies for export and for producing animal feed and fuel.
Russia has imposed temporary restrictions on meat and dairy imports from several U.S., Brazilian, Finnish and Czech companies starting from Friday, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports on its Web site, citing the country’s agricultural regulator.
Ukraine’s grain export in January-June, the second half on the 2009-10 marketing year, is likely to total 6 million metric tons, the Ukraine Agrarian Confederation said Friday.
Florida growers may have lost as much as $458 million in crops to a January cold snap, according to a state spokesman.