The United Nations (UN) has named retired vice admiral Abdullah Abdul Samad Dashti of Kuwait as its new Black Sea grain initiative coordinator, World Grain reported.

Leading charterers say they will refuse to use a new regulatory contract clause within a new shipping regulation to combat global warming, Freight Waves writes.

US shippers of grain, food and other products expect logistics to improve this year, following legislative action that averted a nationwide strike by railway workers and the easing of some COVID-induced restrictions, World Grain wrote.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has extended its suspension on derivatives trading of seven commodities for another year, the Indian Express wrote.

An increase in renewable diesel production over the next five years is expected to boost demand for canola, the Alberta Farmer Express reports the Canadian Oilseeds Processors Association as saying.

Poor weather conditions have led to delays in grain and oilseed harvesting in Russia, according to an update by the country’s agriculture ministry reported by AgriCensus.

Ukrainian officials have claimed that Russia is deliberately stalling the inspection of ships that had left Ukraine as part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the Kyiv Independent reported.

China’s imports of Argentine soyabeans increased by 17.8% in November compared to the same month the previous year following the South American country’s introduction of its Export Increase Programme, known as the ‘soy dollar’ policy, according to data from China’s General Administration of Customs (CGAC) reported by AgriCensus.

Global agribusiness giant Bunge is planning to invest around US$550M in a new soyabean protein concentrate (SPC) plant in Morristown, Indiana, USA.

Total soyabean exports in the USA – including soyabeans, soyabean meal and soyabean oil – earned a record US$40.42bn in the 2021/22 marketing year, Feed&Grain reported.

The European Palm Oil Alliance (EPOA) – a business initiative set up by palm oil refiners and producers – has announced that it will be dissolved from 1 January after a decade of promoting sustainable palm oil.

A record canola crop is expected in Australia in 2022/23, according to forecasts by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES), reported by Alberta Farmer Express.

Tropical oil freight rates reached record heights in 2022 with limited evidence to indicate which direction they will trend in 2023, according to Riverside Tanker Chartering, UK.