Russian wheat export prices fall on weaker rouble

MOSCOW, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Russian wheat export prices fell for the second consecutive week due to a weaker rouble currency against the dollar and softer demand, analysts said on Monday.
Black Sea prices for Russian wheat with 12.5 percent protein content for December delivery were $191.5 a tonne free on board (FOB) at the end of last week, down $0.5 from a week earlier, agriculture consultancy IKAR said.
The rouble weakened by 0.2 percent against the dollar last week, pressured by debt repayments which increase the demand for the foreign currency.
SovEcon, another Moscow-based consultancy, said maize (corn) prices were unchanged at $166 a tonne, while barley prices rose $3 to $195 per tonne due to strong demand.
"The barley production in the main exporting countries - Ukraine, Australia and the European Union - is expected to be lower than a year ago. Russia is an exception to this case, the output here is expected to rise significantly," SovEcon said.
It sees Russia's 2017 barley production rising by 2.7 million tonnes to 20.7 million tonnes.
"However, Russia's export of this cereal is limited by the lack of export capacity in ports, which are mainly focused on wheat now," SovEcon added.
Russia's grain exports are expected to hit a record 45 million tonnes in the 2017/18 marketing year, which started on July 1, but limited infrastructure has put a brake on further expansion, analysts have said.
By Nov. 8, Russia had exported 17.5 million tonnes of grain since the start of the season, up 25 percent year-on-year. Wheat exports were up 20 percent at 13.5 million tonnes.
Russia, one of the world's largest wheat exporters, is expected to produce a record grain crop this year. It has already harvested 137.2 million tonnes of grain before drying and cleaning. Its farmers have also sown winter grains for next year's crop on 97 percent of the planned area.
Domestic prices for third and fourth-class wheat were up by 50 roubles at 8,300 roubles ($139.9) and 7,475 roubles a tonne respectively in the European part of Russia on an ex-works basis, SovEcon said. Ex-works supply does not include delivery costs.
Russian sunflower seed prices were down 125 roubles at 17,050 roubles a tonne last week, SovEcon said. Domestic sunflower oil prices and FOB export oil prices remained at 44,000 roubles per tonne and $755 a tonne, respectively.
IKAR's white sugar price index for southern Russia rose $9.3 to $396.6 a tonne as of Nov. 10.

Russian wheat export prices flat as exports stay at record high

MOSCOW, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Russian wheat export prices were largely flat last week as the country continued to export record grain volumes, analysts said on Monday.
Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer and the biggest buyer of Russian wheat, bought 230,000 tonnes of Russian wheat in a state tender last week.
Black Sea prices for Russian wheat with 12.5 percent protein content and for November delivery were at $192.5 a tonne on a free-on-board basis at the end of last week, up slightly from $192 a week earlier, agriculture consultancy IKAR said.
SovEcon, another Moscow-based consultancy, said wheat and barley prices remained at $192.5 per tonne and $189.5 per tonne, respectively. Maize (corn) prices were up at $164-166 per tonne from $161-163 in early October.
Geneva-based grain trading firm Grainbow filed a case in an Egyptian administrative court against Egypt's state grain buyer GASC in relation to a Russian wheat sale, sources close to the matter told Reuters last week.Risks for Russian wheat supplies to Egypt may rise slightly due to the Grainbow case, SovEcon said. Only suppliers of French and Romanian wheat have been experiencing issues with Egyptian quarantine inspections in recent months, while Russian wheat has had no problem with Egyptian regulation since March.
As of Oct. 18, Russia had exported 14.447 million tonnes of grain since the start of the 2017/18 marketing season on July 1, up 22.3 percent from a year earlier. Wheat exports were up 15.7 percent at 11.202 million tonnes.
Russia, one of the world's largest wheat exporters, is expected to produce a record grain crop this year. As of Oct. 19, farmers had harvested 133 million tonnes of grain, before drying and cleaning, from 95 percent of the total area.
Its farmers have also sown winter grains for next year's crop on 93 percent of the planned area, or on 16.2 million hectares, compared with 15.8 million hectares by the same date a year ago, the Agriculture Ministry said.Most of the European part of Russia saw rains last week, which should improve the condition of winter grain sowings, SovEcon said.
Domestic prices for third- and fourth-class wheat were flat at 8,175 roubles and 7,400 roubles a tonne, respectively, in the European part of Russia on an ex-works basis, according to SovEcon. Ex-works supply does not include delivery costs.
Russian sunflower seed prices continue to fall as the new crop hits the market. They were down 425 roubles at 16,600 roubles per tonne last week, SovEcon said.
IKAR's white sugar price index for southern Russia fell $6 to $408 a tonne as of Oct. 20.

Russian wheat export