Corn: Market dynamics turn the wind in favor of local consumption

February 8, 2018 at 4:37 PM , Starry Night Ltd.
Play report as audio

SOFIA. Domestic demand for the crop on the rise. Price developments trace a slow, but ascending trend.

BULGARIA. Historically, the top importers of locally harvested corn are the countries of the EU while smaller quantities go to destinations outside the Union. Since the beginning of the marketing season, shipped volumes abroad have followed their ups’ and downs’ trajectories. Yet, it is local prices that have uncompromisingly kept the rise, although incremental, strong on a monthly basis. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, since the start of the season (1st of September 2017) till the end of last month, average monthly purchasing prices climbed from 0.132 EUR/kg EXW to 0.138 EUR/kg EXW Bulgaria.

Corn: strong domestic demand has been on the rise

By the end of last week, according to local authorities, remaining quantities of harvest 2017-18, which came to a little above 2.3 mmt, stood at 1,657,353 mt. An analysis of internal market developments will show a substantial increase in the domestic consumption of the grain by the food & industrial, as well as, by the livestock sectors – the rise is 20.13% in favor of the current year. Competitive prices on the local market, as well as, the prevailing dynamics on the wheat export’s front, contribute to local buyers to turn to corn. The already established dominant trend will most probably continue till the end of the season.

       Harvest 2017-18

(01.09.2017 - 02.02.2018)

          units in MT

Beginning availability

580,000

Aggregate output

2,315,387

Imports

7,621

Domestic consumption

555,000

   food & industrial usage

210,000

   Feed

345,000

Exports to the world

690,655

   to EU markets

   574,857

   to rest of the world

   115,798

Source: Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture

In the realm of prices

Although most recent price levels continue to preserve what they have persistently gained since the beginning of the marketing season, in comparison with those of last year, current prices of corn have been quite depressed. According to local authorities, in the first week of the month, weekly average purchasing prices of corn were 0.140 EUR/kg EXW Bulgaria. Yet, for the whole of February 2017, average monthly purchasing prices reached 0.152 EUR/kg EXW Bulgaria. No one is delusional that the price levels of last year could be reached!  

View related articles

Go to the News Overview
Organic Commodities
Nov 12, 2024
ASUNCIÓN. As yields dropped to shockingly low levels for chia seeds in South America, the new season started off with a shock for the market. Silver lining is that things may change in December.
Grains
Oct 31, 2024
DALIAN/KYIV. Smaller acreages are causing a significant drop in production in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the EU was able to increase its total imports by 12% thanks to increased shipments from Kazakhstan.
Grains
Oct 30, 2024
DALIAN/KYIV. The new crop is causing prices to fall in China. In Ukraine, the average yield per hectare of the 2024 millet crop has fallen by 18% compared to last year.
Grains
Oct 17, 2024
LIMA. Favourable weather conditions and larger acreages led to an increase in quinoa production in Peru this year. In some regions, the crop was 85-90% larger than last year.