Global Ag News For Dec 16.2025

TOP HEADLINES

Russian grain trader files lawsuit against Syria’s state grain company, documents show

Russian grain trader Pallada filed a lawsuit against Syria’s state grain company for 10.7 billion roubles ($135 million), Moscow Commercial Court documents showed on Tuesday.

The court’s database showed that Pallada filed a lawsuit against Syria’s General Organization for Trade, Storage and Grain Processing on December 10. The database had no other details.

Pallada was created in 2022, when major Russian grain traders faced Western sanctions over the military operation in Ukraine. It has quickly grown to become one of the major grain traders in the country.

This is the second lawsuit against Syrian state organisations filed by Pallada this year. The Russian trader filed a lawsuit against Syria’s central bank and a state grain company for 5.6 billion roubles ($71.52 million) on June 26.

The court on August 22 denied Pallada’s request to grant provisional measures such the seizure of the defendants’ property in Russia.

Russia, the world’s largest wheat exporter, was a major supplier of wheat to Syria during President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. Russian supplies were suspended since December 2024 over payment delays.  ($1 = 79.4955 roubles)

 

FUTURES & WEATHER

Wheat prices overnight are down 2 3/4 in SRW, down 1 3/4 in HRW, up 0 in HRS; Corn is down 1 1/4; Soybeans up 1 3/4; Soymeal up $2.60; Soyoil down 0.45.

For the week so far wheat prices are down 11 1/4 in SRW, down 7 3/4 in HRW, down 0 in HRS; Corn is down 2 1/4; Soybeans down 3 3/4; Soymeal up $3.60; Soyoil down 1.05.

For the month to date wheat prices are down 20 1/2 in SRW, down 17 1/4 in HRW, down 0 in HRS; Corn is down 9 1/4; Soybeans down 63; Soymeal down $15.00; Soyoil down 2.99.

Year-To-Date nearby futures are down 6.1% in SRW, down 8.8% in HRW, down 4.5% in HRS; Corn is down 4.4%; Soybeans up 7.5%; Soymeal down 0.7%; Soyoil up 23.2%.

Chinese Ag futures (JAN 26) Soybeans down 40 yuan; Soymeal up 1; Soyoil down 46; Palm oil down 66; Corn down 14 — Malaysian Palm is down 50.

Malaysian palm oil prices overnight were down 50 ringgit (-1.25%) at 3958.

There were changes in registrations (-6 Corn). Registration total: 34 SRW Wheat contracts; 120 Oats; 41 Corn; 1,131 Soybeans; 810 Soyoil; 184 Soymeal; 33 HRW Wheat.

Preliminary changes in futures Open Interest as of December 15 were: SRW Wheat up 13,980 contracts, HRW Wheat up 2,121, Corn up 8,625, Soybeans down 15,485, Soymeal down 5,133, Soyoil up 464.

 

HEAVY RAINS IN CENTRAL BRAZIL MAY BECOME A CHALLENGE FOR CROPS IN LATE DECEMBER

What to Watch:

• Rains in Central West Brazil should favor soybeans and early corn, but continued rainfall may cause excess moisture or local flooding by late December
• Dryness could become a concern for the southern areas of the Argentinian Pampas and Brazil

 

Brazil – Rio Grande do Sul and Parana: Scattered showers Monday, north Tuesday. Mostly dry Wednesday-Friday. Temperatures near normal Monday, near to below normal Tuesday-Thursday, near to above normal Friday.

Brazil – Mato Grosso, MGDS and southern Goias: Isolated to scattered showers through Friday. Temperatures near normal through Friday.

Argentina – Cordoba, Santa Fe, Northern Buenos Aires: Mostly dry through Thursday. Scattered showers Friday. Temperatures below normal Monday-Tuesday, near to above normal Wednesday-Friday.

Argentina – La Pampa, Southern Buenos Aires: Mostly dry Monday-Tuesday. Isolated showers Wednesday. Mostly dry Thursday. Scattered showers Friday. Temperatures below normal Monday-Tuesday, near to above normal Wednesday-Friday.

 

The player sheet for 12/15 had funds: net sellers of 3,500 contracts of SRW wheat, sellers of 4,500 corn, sellers of 3,000 soybeans, buyers of 500 soymeal, and sellers of 2,000 soyoil.

TENDERS

• SOYBEAN, CORN SALES: The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed private sales of 136,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans for shipment to China in the 2025/26 marketing year. The agency also confirmed 150,320 tons in U.S. corn sales for 2025/26 shipment to undisclosed destinations.
• RICE PURCHASE: Bangladesh’s government has approved the purchase of 50,000 metric tons of rice in an international tender which closed on December 9, officials said on Monday.
• RICE TENDER UPDATE: The lowest price offered in a tender from Bangladesh’s state grains buyer to purchase 50,000 metric tons of rice which closed on Monday was estimated at $355.77 a metric ton CIF liner out for rice expected to be sourced from India.

PENDING TENDERS

• RICE TENDER: South Korea’s state-backed Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp issued an international tender to purchase an estimated 58,244 metric tons of rice to be mainly sourced from China.
• WHEAT TENDER: Jordan’s state grain buyer issued an international tender to buy up to 120,000 metric tons of milling wheat, which can be sourced from optional origins.
• FEED BARLEY TENDER: Jordan’s state grains buyer issued an international tender to purchase up to 120,000 metric tons of animal feed barley.

 

 

 

TODAY

US Inspected 1.583m Tons of Corn for Export, 796k of Soybeans

In week ending Dec. 11, according to the USDA’s weekly inspections report.

• Soybeans: 796k tons vs 1,025k the previous wk, 1,696k a yr ago
• Wheat: 488k tons vs 396k the previous wk, 302k a yr ago
• Corn: 1,583k tons vs 1,741k the previous wk, 1,153k a yr ago

 

US Corn, Soybean, Wheat Inspections by Country: Dec. 11

Following is a summary of USDA inspections for week ending Dec. 11 of corn, soybeans and wheat for export, from the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, known as GIPSA.

• Soybeans for China-bound shipments made up 202k tons of the 796k total inspected
• Mexico was the top destination for corn inspections, Philippines led in wheat

 

US Sold 2.32M Tons of Soybeans Week of Nov. 20; 1.84M of Corn

USDA releases net export sales report on website for week ending Nov. 20.

• Soybean sales rose to 2,321k tons vs 696k in previous week
• All wheat sales fell to 369k tons vs 850k in previous week
• Corn sales fell to 1,843k tons vs 2,380k in previous week

 

US Export Sales of Soy, Corn and Wheat for Week Ending Nov. 20

The following  shows US export sales of soybeans, corn and wheat by biggest net buyers for week ending Nov. 20, according to data on the USDA’s website.

• Top buyer of soybeans: China with 2.14m tons
• Top buyer of corn: Japan with 686k tons

 

US Export Sales of Pork and Beef for Week Ending Nov. 20

The following shows US export sales of pork and beef product by biggest net buyers for week ending Nov. 20, according to data on the USDA’s website.

• Mexico bought 25.5k tons of the 56.8k tons of pork sold in the week
• Japan led in beef purchases

 

NOPA November US soybean crush dips to 216.041 million bushels

The U.S. soybean crush slowed by more than expected in November after hitting an all-time high the previous month, according to a monthly National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) report released on Monday.

NOPA members, which account for around 99% of all soybeans processed in the United States, crushed 216.041 million bushels of soybeans last month, down 5.1% from the record 227.647 million bushels crushed in October.

But the crush was up 11.8% from the same month a year ago and the largest-ever November crush. It was also the second-largest crush for any month on record.

Soy processing capacity in the United States has grown in recent years as crushers built new plants and expanded existing ones amid soaring demand for vegetable oil to produce biofuels.

The crush last month had been expected at 220.285 million bushels, according to the average of estimates from eight analysts surveyed by Reuters. Estimates ranged from 213.000 million to 224.332 million bushels, with a median of 220.850 million bushels.

Soyoil stocks held by NOPA members as of November 30 rose to a seven-month high of 1.513 billion pounds, up 15.9% from 1.305 billion pounds at the end of October and up 39.6% from the 1.084 billion pounds in stocks a year earlier.

Stocks, on average, were expected to rise to 1.408 billion pounds, according to estimates from five analysts. Estimates ranged from 1.320 billion to 1.508 billion pounds, with a median of 1.400 billion pounds.

 

Egypt Cut Wheat Imports by 17% in 2025 Due to Local Buying

Egypt’s wheat imports in 2025 decreased by 17% compared to the previous year due to an increase in local wheat purchases, Supply Minister Sherif Farouk tells Bloomberg in an interview.

• Local wheat purchases came in at 4m tons in 2025
• Government was able to cut its foreign wheat import bill in the 2025 season by between $230m-$250m
• Wheat stocks sufficient for 6 months

 

Brazil Soybean Planting 97% Done as of Dec. 11: AgRural

Planting of the 2025/26 season covers 97% of the estimated area, consulting firm AgRural says in an emailed report.

• With seeding for the 2025/26 summer corn crop completed in Brazil’s Center-South, farmers are now watching for weather conditions to develop production

 

China’s Sinograin sells 63% of soybeans in second December auction

China’s state stockpiler Sinograin on Tuesday sold around 323,000 metric tons of imported soybeans, or 62.9% of the total volume offered, according to two traders.

The average transaction price for the soybeans from the 2022-2024 crops was 3,852 yuan ($547) per metric ton, with deliveries scheduled from late December through April, the sources said.

 

France forecasts rise in wheat and rapeseed areas next year

France’s farm ministry expects the area planted with winter soft wheat, the country’s main cereal crop, for next year’s harvest to reach 4.56 million hectares, up 2.3% from 2025 though slightly below the five-year average, it said on Tuesday.

In its first sowing projections for 2026, the ministry also estimated that the area devoted to winter rapeseed, France’s main oilseed variety, will rise 6.4% to 1.34 million hectares, a three-year high.

Analysts have anticipated an increase in rapeseed planting in France and across Europe given higher prices than for cereals.

Favourable autumn weather had also raised expectations that the wheat area would hold steady, despite falling prices.

The ministry projected the 2026 winter barley area at 1.23 million hectares, up 3.1% on the year but 2.2% below the 2021-2025 average.

For durum wheat, used in pasta, the area sown with winter crop was projected at 199,000 hectares, up slightly from a 30-year low of 197,000 hectares this year.

Wheat and rapeseed are almost exclusively winter crops in France, whereas barley production includes a large amount of spring crop.

Winter crops were in better condition than a year ago, the ministry said, echoing strong ratings for cereal crops reported by farm office FranceAgriMer.

For the 2025 harvest, the ministry increased its estimate of grain maize production, including crops grown for seeds, to 13.60 million metric tons from 13.40 million projected last month. The estimate was nonetheless 8.4% below last year’s bumper crop.

For sugar beet, 2025 output was now pegged at 35.55 million tons, compared with 33.75 million forecast in November and approaching the 36 million tons forecast by growers group CGB.

The ministry’s new sugar beet estimate was 9.1% up from last year, with improved yields offsetting a decline in area.

 

France says cattle disease under control as farm protests continue

France said on Monday the lumpy skin disease affecting cattle is under control in the country even as farmers continue a second week of protests against the government’s handling of the virus by blocking highways with tractors and dumping manure.

Lumpy skin disease is a virus spread by insects that affects cattle and buffalo, causing blisters and reducing milk production. While not harmful to humans, it often results in trade restrictions and severe economic losses.

French rules require the entire herd be culled when an outbreak is detected, a measure some unions consider excessive and cruel.

“Today, we no longer have a single case of lumpy skin disease in France, so the situation is under control,” French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard told BFM TV.

“So we must remain hopeful that we can defeat this disease, and we can do it,” she added.

Genevard was traveling to Haute-Garonne in southwestern France to launch a campaign to vaccinate an additional one million cattle in affected regions, on top of the one million already inoculated.

By December 14, 113 outbreaks of lumpy skin disease had been detected and 3,300 cattle had been slaughtered in France this year, accounting for 0.02% of the French herd, the ministry said.

Genevard, backed by the country’s largest farm union FNSEA, says the policy of total stamping out is indispensable.

If unchecked, the disease could wipe out 1.5 million cattle or 10% of the French herd, she told Le Parisien.

 

China to Impose Up To 19.8% Duty on Some EU Pork >From Dec. 17

China will impose anti-dumping duties of up to 19.8% on certain pork and pig by-products from the European Union starting Dec. 17 for five years, according to a statement by the Ministry of Commerce.

• Tariffs on imported EU pork range from 4.9% to 19.8%, the ministry says in a separate statement
• China says dumping of EU pork has caused substantial damages to the country’s domestic industry

 

 

 

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