WSJ / western media now reporting exactly what I’d said yesterday - this is a shutdown of the shipping arteries that carry global food and fertilizer supplies.

Now western media can blame Putin for food shortages. Sure, it’s not the Grand Solar Minimum, or insane C19 policies, etc..

This doesn't need to become nuclear -- it is enough to be a cover story for why there is no food.

___

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine throttled exports from one of the world’s largest grain suppliers after the country’s ports went quiet and traders halted operations. 

At stake is the 13% of global corn exports and the 12% of wheat that flow from Ukraine. In threatening those flows Moscow risks disrupting supplies to China while setting off a scramble among customers in fragile Middle Eastern economies at a time when food inflation is already high. 

An ocean vessel chartered by one of the world’s largest food suppliers, Cargill Inc., was hit by a projectile off the coast of Ukraine in the Black Sea on Thursday. Minnesota-based Cargill, which operates an export terminal in Ukraine, said the ship is seaworthy and no one was injured.

… If the situation on the ground escalates to a position where farmers can’t apply pesticides or fertilizers to their wheat, which will start in March, that could reduce the yield by up to a third, presuming they can harvest in July, Mr. Lee said.

#Ukraine #Wheat #Corn #Shipping #SupplyChain

https://www.wsj.com/articles/russias-ukraine-invasion-chokes-food-exports-from-global-breadbasket-11645798059

EU is 3rd biggest consumer of corn, and imports majority (70%!) from Ukraine annually.

Honest question, as ports are being closed to Russia: where are they going to get their food this year? Given Brazil’s weather struggles, and Bayer declaring force majeur in US, it’s just not possible.

This isn’t just “sanctions” — we are watching a mass suicide ritual. Sorry to be blunt. I just don’t understand how people don’t see this, but I guess they are busy pouring out bottles of vodka.

Suddenly the deagle population predictions of massive losses across western countries, while Russia/China stay flat, make absolute sense…

#eu #ukraine #corn

Moldova bans export of grains to ensure domestic supply.

The global food crisis is escalating quickly. This is the nation state equivalent of “grab what you can now” — of course China has been doing that for years now.

#FoodShortages #Moldova #wheat #corn

Ukraine is about 3 weeks out from planting this season’s crop — and seeds are not showing up. Forget the early analyses about “25% hit to yield” - this is devolving to a completely catastrophic blow to food production. In the area that supplied 40% of worlds grain.

#ukraine #corn #FoodShortage

The window for planting is closing in #Ukraine.

#wheat #corn #FoodShortages

South America crops in poor condition, yields trending down.

Failures in nearly all breadbaskets as we enter a worldwide food crisis.

#Brazil #Argentina #corn #soybeans

China's corn planting facing delays as lockdowns leave farmers stuck in cities

Planting of corn in one of China’s major producing areas could be delayed as many of the region’s millions of farmers struggle to return home from temporary city jobs because of strict coronavirus lockdowns.

Any delay to planting could hit output in the world’s No. 2 corn producer, where corn prices are already hovering at record levels, and government support for soybeans also threatens to reduce growing of the grain.

China’s northeastern provinces, its bread basket, have endured weeks of restrictions on movement, with the toughest measures in Jilin province where COVID-19 cases soared in early March.
With the critical time for sowing grain fast approaching, some farmers remain stuck and are getting increasingly worried, despite recent government pledges to tackle the issue.

“I need to tend my land immediately, but I can’t go back. I am so anxious,” a farmer surnamed Wang told Reuters on Tuesday from Changchun, the capital of Jilin.

The problem highlights the challenge for China in balancing its strict zero-COVID policy with its high priority on food security.
Fertiliser supplies to the region have also been disrupted by the transport curbs, and farmers are already facing record prices of the crop nutrient as well as diesel and other costs.

#china #corn

https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-china-farming-idINL3N2WA256

I’m hearing from many Iowa corn farmers - heart of our corn belt - and the prognosis is not good.

Recall the analyses I’d shared about USA needing a bumper crop for the world to avoid global shortage. A bumper crop is NOT happening for a number of reasons...

#us #corn #GlobalCooling #GrandSolarMinimum #WeatherWarfare

Planting delays around the US: Wisconsin

Freeze warnings in southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois might delay planting for farmers, gardeners

“Planting corn seeds won’t begin until May, but the cold weather might push it back if this weather continues,” said Jordan Schuler, the regional crops educator with UW Extension. Schuler’s region includes Rock and Jefferson counties in Wisconsin.

“I was told that the soil temperature is around 48 degrees, and farmers like it to be around 50 to 55 degrees,” Cain said. “The seeds won’t germinate until the soil gets warm enough.”

#Corn #USA

https://www.gazettextra.com/news/agriculture/freeze-warnings-in-southern-wisconsin-northern-illinois-might-delay-planting-for-farmers-gardeners/article_ffa6d689-e8ce-559e-b635-ed76ca650524.html

Planting delays around the US: Iowa

Iowa’s spring planting season continues to be delayed, now falling well behind recent years and the five-year average after several rounds of heavy rain and severe weather prevented many from getting into the fields over the warmer weekend.

Average 4-inch soil temperatures remain below the 50-degree target to begin planting corn in Northern Iowa, and while southern and southeast Iowa have finally warmed up, planting is only just getting underway.

Monday’s crop progress report from the USDA didn’t even put a percentage on amount of acres planted through April 24th. For comparison, in 2021, 20 percent of Iowa’s corn crop was already in the ground at this point, with 27 percent in the ground in North Central Iowa, where soil temperatures and growing degree days are well short of targets. Even more starkly, even last year’s 20 percent progress still fell a day behind the 5-year average.

Now, as the calendar is set to turn to May, more rain in the forecast could continue to frustrate farmers, even in areas where ground temperatures have finally hit acceptable levels. Showers and storms on Saturday could bring another soaking rain with widespread totals potentially at an inch or more, with even more rain and storms possible in the long term, arriving Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

#USA #corn

https://who13.com/news/heavy-rain-keeping-farmers-out-of-fields-over-warmer-weekend/

The storm this week may prove to have been as damaging as the last Derecho - grain bins destoyed, on farm storage lost. Irrigators broken — and there are NO replacement parts available = lost acreage.

Had a lot of reports of damage and certainly some compelling images floating on Twitter - will wait to draw conclusions but at this point any damage to our crop is significant:

“The storm could compound struggles as farmers face delayed planting, soaring input costs and pressure to increase production amid record-high food prices and fears of shortages”

#us #corn

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/dust-storm-hurricane-force-winds-tear-destructive-path-across-us-upper-midwest-2022-05-13/

US corn is being BAKED right now, much of it is tasseling, meaning yield will be impacted quite severely.

In other words, Andrey should already be worried about corn.

And about the culling of cattle herds happening now in Texas drought.

Grow your garden folks. Things are getting rough, and accelerating quickly.

#us #corn

<60% of U.S. Corn Crop in Good Condition - worst crop in decade

And remember a lot of what IS growing was pre-sold to China last year!

This current rating ties with 2019 for the week's worst corn condition rating since 2012.

Hope you are planting a fall crop in your garden … @iaf_garden

#corn #usa

https://www.agweb.com/news/crops/crop-production/less-60-us-corn-crop-good-or-excellent-condition

"I'm Shocked": US Crop Tour Reveals Drought-Stricken Cornfields

With Europen crops damaged by summerlong heatwaves and Argentina hit by drought, an underwhelming size of North America's crops could result in shortfalls globally next year.

Corn futures in Chicago rose to a six-week high on Tuesday as crop tours show much of the Western crop belt is plagued with drought conditions, especially in parts of Nebraska and South Dakota where plants aren't producing ears of grain

#us #corn #FoodPrices

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/im-shocked-us-crop-tour-reveals-drought-stricken-cornfields

France to reap worst corn harvest in decades

French farmers are harvesting their smallest corn crop in more than three decades, following the worst drought in at least 500 years that has hit the continent.

The smaller crops in France, which is one of Europe’s agricultural heavyweights, could drive soaring food prices even higher. Fields in Germany and Romania, other key EU producers, have also suffered from drought.

(Cue the media blaming climate change and calls for zero carbon)

#eu #france #corn #wheat

https://www.rt.com/business/562729-france-bad-corn-harvest/