It's #WorldPulsesDay! It makes sense why they get a special day, because #pulses offer incredible benefits: ▶️ Affordable source of protein and nutrients ▶️ Long shelf life & low waste, promoting #FoodSecurity ▶️ Climate adaptation, growing in arid & varied climates A true superfood! 🙏

COCERAL releases its 1st oilseeds #CropForecast for 2026 🌻 The EU27+UK #rapeseed crop is forecast at 21.8m t, exactly in line with the 2025 crop. Lower yields but higher plantings are projected to cancel out. Find out the full details (on rapeseed, sunflower, and soybeans) here: bit.ly/4emJlAw

🆕 COCERAL releases its 1st #CropForecast for 2026. The total #GrainCrop in the EU27+UK is seen at 296.7m t. This would be ⬇️ from the 306.6m t harvested in 2025, with yields expected to decrease from the exceptional levels seen in 2025. Find out why here: bit.ly/4emJlAw

This past month we've been taking a look at figures in four staple food crops: #wheat, #soybeans, #rice, and #corn. Trade in foodstuffs overall continues to grow, with a 10x increase since 1960, and much greater in some regions. #AgTrade is the engine that's allowed food systems to keep up!

#AgTrade and Europe: #corn ⬇️ Top 3 corn producers: 1. United States 2. China 3. Brazil Top 3 importers: 1. Mexico 2. European Union 3. Japan Top 3 exporters: 1. United States 2. Brazil 3. Argentina For corn, the EU is a major importer - bringing in about 20,000,000MT in 2024/2025. (stats: USDA)

🆕🚨 COCERAL raises alarming concerns from importers of #soybeans and soybean meal regarding the @ec.europa.eu’s recent proposal on the EU #Deforestation Regulation, which is bound to cause major disruptions to the soy supply chain. #EUDR Read in full: tinyurl.com/54ykecys

#AgTrade and Europe: #rice ⬇️ Top 3 rice producers: 1. India 2. China 3. Bangladesh Top 3 importers: 1. Philippines 2. Vietnam 3. Nigeria Top 3 exporters: 1. India 2. Vietnam 3. Thailand Rice trade is dominated by countries like India and China. The EU comes in at # 4 for importers. (stats: USDA)

#AgTrade & Europe: #Soybeans ⬇️ Top 3 producers: 1. Brazil 2. US 3. Argentina Top 3 importers: 1. China 2. EU 3. Argentina Top 3 exporters: 1. Brazil 2. US 3. Argentina The EU is primarily an importer of soybeans. We do export small amounts, ~0.4m tonnes compared to Brazil's 102mt. (stats: USDA)

It's #WorldFoodDay! We've been looking at the state of #AgTrade, with a focus on wheat, soybeans, rice, and corn. @fao.org reports that in 2024 between 638-720 million people faced hunger, highlighting the importance of international trade in foodstuffs. Food access is a right of all.

#AgTrade and Europe: #Wheat edition ⬇️ Top 3 wheat producers: 1. China 2. EU 3. India Top 3 importers: 1. Egypt 2. EU 3. Indonesia Top 3 exporters: 1. Russia 2. Canada 3. EU The EU, being top three in each, really highlights the importance of wheat trade for our food system. (stats: USDA)

🚢🚛 Did you know that 22% of all calories are projected to cross international borders over the next decade? (OECD/FAO) Trade systems, infrastructure, and capabilities of traders (like COCERAL members) must keep up, and need to be supported by multilateral cooperation and rules-based #AgTrade.

Since #grain markets are global, it is necessary to observe harvest news everywhere in the world. For example, the @fao.org forecast for this year’s global harvest is the highest ever, in part due to a record US corn crop (projected at 46m tons more than last year - International Grains Council).

COCERAL releases its 4th oilseeds #CropForecast for 2025 🌻 The EU-27+UK #rapeseed crop is estimated at 21.6m t, well above the 20.0m t forecast in June and the 17.9m t last year. Find out more (on rapeseed, sunflower, and soybeans) here ⬇️ bit.ly/4emJlAw

COCERAL releases its 4th #CropForecast for 2025 🆕 The total #GrainCrop in the EU27+UK is seen at 306.8m t. This would be up from the 279.1m t harvested in 2024 and significantly higher than the 300.7m t projected in June. Find out why here: bit.ly/4emJlAw

🌦️ Rain is good for crops, right? Well, mostly. Farmers have to fight both droughts and inopportune rain, since wet crops can lead to losses at threshing or fungal infections. Farmers & traders can mitigate with proper drying, handling, and storage, but with extra costs. It's a difficult balance!

It's feeling like #harvest season! 🍂 Of course, the #GrainHarvest in Europe is more like a wave: ➡ Different crop varieties ready throughout the growing season ⬆️ A geographical wave of harvests from south to north Factors such as sowing, crop variety, and weather impact dates as well. Happy fall!

We're hiring! 🎆 We're looking for a dedicated Office Manager / Executive Assistant to join the COCERAL-EUROMALT-UNISTOCK team. Find all the details in the link below ⬇️ We look forward to hearing from you. www.coceral.com/content.php?...

We've been taking a close look at the recent EU-US #TradeDeal and potential tariff spikes. From the perspective of grain traders, the overall takeaway is 'flawed, but positive', as it avoided import tariffs (and thus, major price increases) on key crops like #corn and #soybeans. 1/2 ⬇️

Understanding the EU-US #TradeDeal: soybeans and the EU crushing sector. Data from @fediol.bsky.social shows that EU crushing industries process about 13 million tonnes of imported #soybeans. Out of that, roughly 6 million tonnes are sourced in the US - almost half. 1/3 ⬇️

🤝 As you may know, the EU and US reached a #TradeDeal last weekend in an attempt to avoid tariff spikes. For COCERAL and our members, the key focus has been on the tariffs applied to EU imports of #corn and #soybeans in particular. 1/3 ⬇️

As we approach August, summer holiday spirit is tempered with thoughts on extreme weather and #ClimateChange ☀️ It's a critical factor for our members, from plant pests and diseases to impacts on infrastructure. Society needs to build resilience for safe and secure agricultural trade flows.

Trading reduces price volatility! Today's markets and worldwide logistical networks enable trading companies to quickly react to shocks (such as crop failures) by adjusting trade flows, filling gaps, and other mitigation efforts. Well-functioning global markets should not be taken for granted.

How important is #RiskManagement for grain trading houses? Absolutely critical, due to the large capital investments and slim profit margins involved. Hedging & futures markets are some of the ways that traders mitigate these risks, which, in turn reduces volatility and ultimately consumer prices.

COCERAL releases its 3rd oilseeds #CropForecast for 2025 🌻 The EU-27+UK #rapeseed crop is forecast to recover from 17.9m t last year to 20.0m t in 2025. Find out why (on rapeseed, sunflower, and soybeans) here: bit.ly/4emJlAw

COCERAL releases its 3rd #CropForecast for 2025 🆕 The total #GrainCrop in the EU27+UK is seen at 300.7m t. This would be up from the 279.6m t harvested in 2024 and the 296.1m t projected in March. Find out why here: bit.ly/4emJlAw

As a bulk commodity sector, these are the fundamentals of #GrainTrading: 1️⃣ Low margins (1-3%) 2️⃣ Huge volumes 3️⃣ Demand grows along with population 4️⃣ Supply based on harvests -> highly correlated with weather Whatever the current discussion is, the situation always follows these fundamental rules.

As part of the COCERAL AGM, we were thrilled to re-elect our President, VPs, and Treasurer. Congratulations to: President Ted Swinkels, Cefetra B.V. VP Giorgio Dalla Bona, Cereal Docks VP Oriol Serrahima, Cargill Treasurer Jean Paul Schepens, Schepens & Co We look forward to your leadership!

Lovely scenes from the COCERAL AGM Tuesday evening ⬇️ The event was a great chance to reconnect with friends and colleagues, plus featured constructive discussion from President Ted Swinkels and others on key topics facing the ag trading sector. Thank you to all for attending! 👏

Did you know how critical proper storage is to modern #FoodSystems? Harvest dates quickly show why ⬇️ Foodstuffs need to be kept stable, which requires careful management and investment into storage infrastructure. This type of work is a central part of what our members do!

Ag #trade not only feeds people, it also plays a key economic role. People throughout the ag #SupplyChain invest in storage, processing, road, rail, & port infrastructure. They create jobs and open world markets to both smallholders & big farmers, strengthening rural areas. #AgTrade = investment

Starting soon! 🚨🎇 We're kicking off shortly with our latest COCERAL webinar: "Trade in Agricultural Commodities - Powering the World's Food Systems". Join our high-level panel as they discuss how ag #trade is adapting to new developments and demands. Meeting link: www.coceralevents.com

🚨 SEE YOU SOON: COCERAL's deep dive webinar, "Trade in Agricultural Commodities - Powering the World's Food Systems", is coming this Thursday, 15 May. Don't miss out hearing the latest on how international #trade interacts with modern food systems. Register now: 👉 orborama.be/event/MTc0NT...

📅 8 days to go: join COCERAL's webinar, "Trade in Agri Commodities: Powering the World's Food Systems" on Thursday, 15 May. Register: orborama.be/event/MTc0NT... 🤔 Trade deals? 🤔 #SupplyChain issues? 🤔 Impacts on #FoodSecurity? Join up to find out what exactly these issues mean for food systems.

🚨 COMING SOON! COCERAL's next deep dive webinar, "Trade in Agricultural Commodities - Powering the World's Food Systems" is set for Thursday 15 May: Join the discussion: 👉 coceralevents.com What is the true role ag traders play in light of current issues in #InternationalTrade? Find out here.

Excellent discussion today at the COCERAL / @fediol.bsky.social / FEFAC / UNISTOCK annual meeting on #Salmonella risk management in feed. Salmonella is one of the few such hazards with rules not harmonised at the EU level, which creates challenges in #SupplyChains.

It's hard to overstate the importance of maritime transport 🚢 EU-27 external trade is dominated ⬇️ by maritime transport, and the demand for such transport is growing. It's certainly true for our sector, where shipping is the most efficient mode to transport agri raw materials and goods.

Coming Monday: the 83rd @imohq.bsky.social Marine Environment Protection Committee (#MEPC83). Global problems need global solutions. The EU agri-trade sector operates on an international scene, and is affected by uneven ambitions and rules on #sustainable maritime transport. 1/2

COCERAL releases its second oilseeds #CropForecast for 2025 🌻 The EU-27+UK #rapeseed crop is forecast to recover from 18.0m t last year to 20.0m t, but is still marginally down from the 20.3m t expected in December. Find out why here: bit.ly/4emJlAw

COCERAL releases its 2nd #CropForecast for 2025 🆕 The total #GrainCrop in the EU27+UK is seen at 296.1m t. This would be up from the 278.2m t harvested in 2024, but slightly down from the 297.8m t projected in December. Find out why here: bit.ly/4emJlAw

Yesterday marked three years of the Russian invasion of #Ukraine. As the war drags on, we express our sympathies and solidarity with everyone suffering in Ukraine due to this senseless invasion. We hope that the outcome of the EU-Ukraine summit solidifies trade relations between the two regions.

Happy #WorldPulsesDay! It's a tasty reminder every year of the power of pulses 😋 They are a good crop for #sustainability and play a key role in #FoodSecurity - affordable, some can be grown in arid climates, and a long shelf life. A true superfood!

Blue skies ahead! 🌞 COCERAL is the EU association for trade in cereals, oilseeds, pulses, animal feed, and other foods and agri products. Looking forward to discussing and building a community around important topics like #sustainability, #FoodSecurity and affordability.