What's New

The USDA today released its latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Report . The report continues to see reduced global production estimates for wheat, maize, and soybean. Global rice production, on the other hand, is expected to reach a near-record 464.2 million tons. The changes seen in this month's report are relatively small and were anticipated based on recent price trends.

FAO has released its Food Price Index for August, citing stabilizing world food prices. The Food Price Index has remained steady since July at 213 points. The report points out that while this level is high, it is still 25 points below the peak seen in February 2011.

International grain prices spiked sharply in July and have since stabilized at higher levels, according to the latest FEWS Food Price Watch. The August report reflects deteriorating weather conditions in several key exporting countries. The US drought has had a severe impact on both maize and soybean prices, while earlier South American crop losses have put further upward pressure on soybean prices.

The latest issue of the FAO Monthly News Report has been released. The report covers ongoing trends in grain prices and policies, including the impacts of the US drought and potential export restrictions in Russia.

The FAO Monthly News Report on Grains series provides a collection of news articles from international media and news sources on issues relating to the international grain economy. These reports also include statistics and upcoming events.

World Water Week 2012 opened today with the announcement of a new framework to address issues of water scarcity and food insecurity. Spearheaded by the FAO, Coping with Water Scarcity: An Action Framework for Agriculture and Food Security aims to improve global water management practices, particularly when it comes to agriculture.