World Sugar Production
May 12, 2016
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1) Brazil
Brazil alone accounts for almost 25% of the world's sugar, producing a whopping 721 million metric tons in 2013. Brazilian auto fleets are fully equipped to run on ethanol, so there is great domestic demand for the alternative fuel. In addition to being the world’s largest producer of sugar, Brazil is second in ethanol production only to the United States. Since the mid-1990s, the volume of sugarcane harvested and processed in Brazil has almost tripled to meet rising demand for sugarcane ethanol and bioelectricity. With no drop in food production over that time, Brazil has proven its viability as an effective and efficient ethanol powerhouse.
2) India
A major player in the worldwide sugar trade, India produced 361 million metric tons in 2013. India’s sugar production rose 11.5% during the 2014-2015 season on bumper cane production. This increase in production led to an extensive surplus in Indian sugar with mills struggling to pay fair wages to workers. India’s increasing exports of sugar flooded the market and drove worldwide prices down.
3) China
While Chinese sugar production has steadily dropped, the domestic demand has dramatically increased, leading China to be the world’s largest importer of white sugar. There has been a large gap between domestic prices held high by the Chinese government to support farmers and falling international sugar prices. As of 2015, China allowed 1.94 million tons of sugar imports annually at a tariff of 15% as part of its commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Imports outside of this quota incurred a 50% duty, yet were still consistently cheaper than domestic Chinese sugar.
4) Thailand
Due to its proximity, no country has benefited more from China’s inflated domestic prices than Thailand. By greatly expanding its production, Thailand has become the world’s second-largest sugar exporter. With low freight and production costs and little domestic demand, there is plenty to go around. The Thai government has gone so far as to halt policies to support rice farmers, instead urging them to produce more sugar.
5) Pakistan
Pakistan is the largest producer of sugar in the Middle East and after cotton, sugar is the country’s second-most important cash crop. In 2009, the nation suffered from a severe sugar crisis due to drought, which led to Pakistanis waiting in long lines to get rationed sugar for their families. Always among the countries with the largest amounts of land dedicated to sugar production, Pakistan has traditionally lagged behind other sugar-producing nations in terms of yield. Improvements in harvesting and production, along with better weather, have helped the nation improve efficiency.
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10 Countries With Largest Soybean Production
June 8, 2016
Soybeans have been cultivated in Asian civilizations for thousands of years, and are one of the most important food crops globally today. These legumes can be classified as legumes, oil-seeds, vegetables, or even fuel sources, depending upon how they are used. Soybeans are also one of the few plants that have a full array of amino acids in their protein compositions to be considered "complete" proteins, on par with meats, milk products, and eggs. Commercially important products commonly made from soybeans include protein powders, textured vegetable protein, soybean vegetable oil, edamame, dry beans, sprouts, livestock feed, gluten-free flour, natto, tempeh, tofu, soy milk, soy cheese and curds, and much more. Though originating in Asia, 7 of the top 10 producers today are found in the New World. Soy products have also been shown to be beneficial in reducing the risk of certain disease, including heart disease and certain cancers. On the other hand, many individuals live with an allergy to this important legume.
10. Uruguay (3.2 million metric tons)
Soy plantations occupy over 60 percent of Uruguay’s arable farmland, and annual soybean production has been on the rise in recent years. During the 2012-2013 growing season, the country produced 2.76 million tons of soybean, and in the 2013-2014 season that production rose to 3.2 million, according to the country’s Ministry of Agriculture. The soya bean’s exports in 2013 earned the country $1.89 Billion USD, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) data. Increases in production have been attributed to farmers' adopting of certified soybean seeds better suited to grow within the country’s ecological environs. Initially, Uruguayan farmers had planted seeds that had been bred for other regions, according to the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Almost 100 percent of the seeds used commercially today are also bred using modern biotechnology, producing genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).
9. Bolivia (3.3 million metric tons)
The soybean is the most treasured crop in Bolivia, and it is largely produced in the Santa Cruz region. According to the USDA, it accounts for 3 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, and employs 45,000 workers directly, while generating 65,000 more jobs indirectly. There are about 14,000 soybean producers in Bolivia. Depending on the agronomic practices applied and the soil and weather conditions, yields per hectare may range between 1.8 and 2.3 metric tons. In 2014, according to FAOSTAT, the country produced 3.2 million metric tons of soybeans. But, in 2015, according to the USDA, Bolivian soya production had dropped to 3.1 million metric tons. This was due to a drought which affected 12 percent of the 1 million hectares in the production region. In 2013, soybean was the number 3 export for Bolivia, earning the country $620 million USD, according to MIT data.
8. Ukraine (3.9 million metric tons)
The Ukraine is the largest producer of soybeans in Europe, and the 8th largest in the world. Half of the soybeans produced in the Ukraine are exported. Annual production has steadily been on the rise in recent years. During the 2014-2015 season, the country produced 3.9 million metric tons, an increase from the 2013-2014 season, when production was 2.774 million metric tons, according to Commodity Basis. Soybean plantations in the Ukraine have also increased in recent years, due to a rise in export demands fort the oil-seed. In the year 2000, Ukrainian soybeans were cultivated on 65,000 hectares, but by 2015 that figure had reached about 2.1 million hectares, according to the Ukraine Soybean Congress.
7. Canada (6.0 million metric tons)
In Canada, annual soybean exports alone garner the nation over $1 billion USD, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. In recent years, annual production has been on a steadily increasing trend. In 2014, over 6 million tons were harvested, which was itself an increase of 12.9 percent from 2013 totals according to Statistics Canada. In the same period, land for soya production had increased to 5.5 million hectares. 70 percent of soybeans produced in Canada are grown in the Quebec and Ontario provinces, and almost two thirds of them are exported, either raw or processed, to Japan, the Netherlands, Southeast Asia, the U.S, Europe, and the Middle East, collectively, according to Soy Canada.
6. Paraguay (10.0 million metric tons)
Paraguay, accounts for 3 percent of worldwide soybean production according to a 2016 Commodity Basis report. In recent seasons, soybean production has increased as more land is allocated for its cultivation in Paraguay. According to the USDA, in the past two decades land dedicated to soybean cultivation has increased steadily at an average rate of 6 percent annually. Currently there are over 3.1 million hectares of Paraguayan land where soy production is carried out. The USDA projects that, over the next 5 to 10 years, land for soybean production there will further grow to 4 million hectares. Soybeans from Paraguay are exported to the EU, Russia, Egypt, Turkey, Mexico, and Brazil, often first passing through Uruguay and Argentina. In 2013, according to MIT data, soybeans were the country’s top export, bringing in $2.41 billion USD.
5. India (10.5 million metric tons)
India is Asia’s second largest producer of soybeans, and it accounts for 3.95 percent of global production according to Statista. From the 2004-05 season to the 2012-13 season, there has been a compound annual growth rate of 9.6 percent for soybean production in the country, according to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Annual production for the 3 seasons up to 2014-15 had ranged from 9.5 to 12.2 million metric tons annually. In India, the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh account for 89 percent of the country’s total production, according to FICCI. Most of the rest is produced in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Gujarat. In 2013, soybean meal exports alone earned the country $2.7 billion USD. To keep up with increased demand, the country has embarked on efforts to raise soybean yields by introducing new technologies for cultivation.
4. China (12.2 million metric tons)
China accounts for 4 percent of soybean production in the world, according to Commodity Basis. Much of the country’s Soybeans are grown in the northern Heilongjiang Province, near the Russian border. According to the province’s Agriculture Commission, there are over 235 million hectares used as soybean farmland in the province. Still, China has to import large amounts of soybeans to meet the domestic demand. China accounts for 60 percent of worldwide soybean imports, according to Commodity Basis, making it the largest importer of soybeans, followed by the collective members of the European Union. Much of the prices in the world market for soybean are dictated by China’s demand. For the last six planting seasons up to 2014-15, annual production has ranged between 12.2 to over 15.08 million metric tons there, according to the USDA.
3. Argentina (53.4 million metric tons)
Argentina has farmlands of over 20.3 million hectares dedicated to growing soybeans. Buenos Aires, Cordoba, and Santa Fe are the states where soybeans are grown in largest quantity according to Commodity Basis. The country accounts for 18 percent of the world’s soybean production. Though Argentina exports only 7 percent of global raw soybean exports, it’s the biggest exporter of soybean oil and meal. In 2013, soybean meal was Argentina’s single largest export commodity, earning the country $10.7 billion, according to MIT data. In the four most recent soybean seasons in Argentina up to 2014-15, annual production has been in the range of 40.1 to 56 million metric tons, according to the USDA.
2. Brazil (86.8 million metric tons)
As the second largest producer of soybeans worldwide, Brazil accounts for 30 percent of the global production of the crop. The country has over 29 million hectares of land available and used for farming soybean. In the 4 most recent growing seasons up to 2014-15, soybean production has been on a steady rise, according to USDA. Annual production quantities in that time span have ranged from 66.5 to 94.5 million metric tons. In 2013, soybean exports earned the country $23 billion USD according to MIT data. Soybeans grown in Brazil have higher protein levels than those grown in many other parts of the world, and thereby fetch higher prices in international markets, according to Commodity Basis. The country also produces a large quantity of non-genetically modified (non-GMO) soybeans, which are also pricier than genetically modified ones.
1. USA (108.0 million metric tons)
In the US, soybeans are the dominant oil seed, and account for 90 percent of the nation’s oil seed production, according to USDA. That is an agricultural commodity class that also includes canola/rapeseed, sunflower, and flax seeds, as all of these are produced into vegetable oils. The US accounts for 34 percent of the world’s soybean production. At 42 percent market share, it’s also the largest exporter of raw soybeans according to Commodity Basis. There are around 34.4 million hectares devoted for the planting of soybeans in the US. Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are the states with the largest soybean plantations in average size. Meanwhile, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, and Nebraska were the states producing the largest soybean yields. Unlike other soybean producing countries, prices in the US are more significantly determined by increased bio-diesel demand, where the soy oil is used to fuel combustion engines. Annual production of soybeans in the three seasons leading up to 2014-15 has ranged between 82.8 and 108 million metric tons. Planting of soybeans in much of the US starts in May or early June, and harvesting commences in late September to October.
COMMODITIES FROM BRAZIL
About us
MR 18 is a firm of independent consultants working in the intermediation of physical sales in the agribusiness. A company that is updated with the latest trends and state-of-the-art technology to meet the needs of the globalized market.
Partners
Sugar - We work with a group of three power plants with the capacity to supply up to 1.2 million MT per month, IC 45 to 600-1200.
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Argus Asian Petroleum Coke 2017 is an annual platform for manufacturers, trade personnel, key consumers, policy makers and everyone else in related industries to gather for two days of stimulating topical discussions and persistent networking.
This year the conference aims to determine the growth of domestic production and refineries in India and the implications on global exporters as key subjects. Will India remain the chief petroleum coke market in 2017? Opportunities are set up for networking among participants at the event and for companies looking to showcase innovative products and solutions among the petroleum coke mix.
Petroleum Coke Overview
Petroleum coke (petcoke) is one of many valued consumer products produced during the oil refining process. Crude oil is processed into gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, lubricating oils and waxes, leaving some residual crude that usually undergoes additional processing. The crude residue may be further refined by a process known as coking to produce transportation fuels as well as petcoke, which has a variety of uses as an alternative, cost-effective fuel. Coking is not a new technology. The first modern coker in the U.S. was installed in the 1930s. Currently, petcoke is produced at more than 140 refineries around the world.
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Uses of Petroleum Coke
Petroleum coke is typically used as a source of energy, or as a source of carbon for industrial applications. Fuel grade petcoke represents nearly 80 percent of worldwide production and is a source of fuel for cement kilns and electric power plants. Calcined petcoke has the highest carbon purity and is used to manufacture energy, as well as in the aluminum, graphite electrode, steel, titanium dioxide and other carbon consuming industries.
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Health and Environmental Impacts of Petroleum Coke
According tothe Congressional Research Service (CRS), “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not classify petcoke as a hazardous waste. EPA has surveyed the potential human health and environmental impacts of petcoke through its High Production Volume (HPV) Challenge Program and found the material to be highly stable and non-reactive at ambient environmental conditions. Most toxicity analyses of petcoke find it has a low potential to cause adverse effects on aquatic or terrestrial environments as well as a low health hazard potential in humans, with no observed carcinogenic, reproductive, or developmental effects.”
AFPM
World’s Largest Iron-Ore Project Hailed as Brazil Recovery Sign
Vale SA is betting on the world’s biggest iron-ore project as a way to become more competitive with its largest rivals. For Brazil, the $14 billion S11D mine is a rare bright spot amid the country’s longest recession on record.
“This is a confident affirmation that yes, Brazil will return to growth,” Minister of Mines & Energy Fernando Coelho Filho said Saturday at a ceremony opening the complex in Para state in northern Brazil.
Superlatives define Vale’s effort. S11D is one of the largest private investments undertaken in Brazil, which is mired in a slump that has sent unemployment soaring, shrunk exports and cut factory output. That made the ribbon-cutting event a potent symbol, with President Michel Temer scheduled to be the featured speaker until bad weather kept him from reaching the site in the Amazon rain forest.
Temer, who succeeded the impeached Dilma Rousseff, is leading Brazil’s sputtering turnaround effort. This week he outlined a number of measures aimed at boosting productivity and investment, including reductions in red tape, simplifying taxation and streamlining import and export procedures.
For Vale, the world’s top iron-ore producer, developing the mine in Brazil’s underdeveloped north is central to its long-term strategy. The company began working on the project more than a decade ago. At full capacity, the mine will be able to produce 90 million tons a year at a cost of about $7 a ton, or 41 percent less than Vale’s average expense now. The mine has a life expectancy of 30 years.
Stepping up production at the mine will help Vale reduce dependence on its higher-cost operations in southern Brazil. When at full capacity, S11D will account for about a quarter of Vale’s total output. The first shipments are scheduled for mid-January.
Vale’s ore now has to travel several thousand miles farther to reach China, the largest consumer of the steel-making ingredient, compared with production from the second and third largest producers, Rio Tinto Plc and BHP Billiton Ltd. Reducing cost is crucial to Vale’s efforts to compensate for its geographical disadvantage.
Bloomberg Markets
At the end of 2015, the manganese outlook for 2016 wasn’t very hopeful due to its significant price drop.
The steelmaking metal surprised producers in the industry in 2016 when manganese ore reached $9 per dmtu after its price tanked to multi-year lows just a year prior.
While the manganese ore price dropped slightly in the first week of 2016, Metal Bulletin notes it “never returned to those lows,” and instead continued on its upward trend to March. While the price fluctuated for much of the year, later on they reached levels where miners could afford other transporting and shipping options.
That said, Metal Bulletin suggested the price rally ended in December, but some were of the view it was a price “correction, not a crash.”
In terms of the manganese alloy market, the publication notes that for the first 10 months of the year, its price didn’t react–not until late October.
Indeed, the manganese price appeared to stabilize late in 2016, which bodes well for a prosperous 2017.
Investing News
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Raw Material Commodities in Brazil
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Brazil has become a major player in commodities during the last couple decades. The country is a major producer of coffee, soybeans, corn, sugar, and orange juice. The rapid increase in agricultural production in recent decades from Brazil has been a positive for the world as it likely prevented massive shortages in global food inventories.
Brazil has received massive investment in their agricultural sector in recent years.
Large hedge funds have invested in agricultural land, and valuations have increased substantially. The Brazilian government has tried to prevent foreigners from investing in their land. However, China has also made investments in the nation. China is the world's largest consumer of commodities as it is the country in the world with the biggest population.
Investment in the Brazilian agricultural sector has helped to bring the country into the twenty-first century and now there is widespread use of modern farm equipment from companies like John Deere and other leading manufacturers. Brazilian production has become more efficient in recent years, and the nation has increased production volume of many agricultural commodities. Brazil competes with other countries in the world export market for many commodities.
Coffee
Brazil is the world leader when it comes to coffee production. They are the largest producer in the world of high-quality Arabica beans.
Vietnam is the world's biggest producer of Robusta beans. Colombia is the second largest producer of Arabica beans, but they are a distant second to Brazil.
The path of least resistance for the price of coffee often depends on Brazil. Coffee is a very volatile commodity, and traders understand that Brazilian production dictates market direction.
Each year, the coffee-growing regions in Brazil worry about threats of a freeze. On average, every five years a freeze in Brazil causes problems with the coffee crop. Adverse weather conditions will cause the price of coffee to soar.
Brazilian coffee has an odd growing cycle. The nation switches between on and off years. In an “on” year there is ample and full production, during these years the Brazilians tend to replenish stockpiles. The "off" years frequently experience a drop in production of 10 to 20 percent.
Grains
Soybeans are the primary focus of Brazilian agriculture. Brazil has become competitive in production with the U.S., the world's number one producer of beans. Almost all of the soybeans produced in the U.S. are the genetically modified soybeans. Brazil has been more reluctant to use this variety.
Corn is also a major crop in Brazil, but the U.S. dominates world corn production. Brazilian farmers have become efficient, but problems in Brazilian infrastructure have limited the ability of the country to achieve its potential. Brazil does not have the transportation and logistical system necessary to compete with the Untied States. Strikes and logistical problems are persistent problems Brazil faces.
Orange Juice
Most people think of Florida when it comes to orange juice. Florida was the world’s leader in orange juice production, but Brazil has taken over the lead in recent years. The Brazilian climate and fertile arable soil of the nation provides an enormous potential for growth when it comes to many agricultural commodities in the South American country.
Sugar
Brazil is the world's leading producer of sugar. A vast majority of Brazil's sugar production becomes sugar-based ethanol via processing within the nation. Ethanol filling stations in Brazil are as common as gas stations.
The growth in commodities in Brazil should continue as the nation has a long way to go to reach its potential.
Massive investment in agriculture in recent years should continue to reap rewards. A modernization of their infrastructure would help tremendously. Brazil is one of the top commodity producers in the world, but a modernization of infrastructure will increase their position as one of the world's major suppliers of food and raw materials.
Brazil Moves Commodity Prices
As one of the largest commodity producers in the world, the Brazilian economy depends on revenues from raw materials produced in the nation. Therefore, the Brazilian currency, the real, often moves higher and lower as a result of strong or weak commodity prices. Commodity currencies are like a basket of commodity prices, and some people invest in the currency of Brazil or other major commodity producers like Canada, Australia or Russia when they are bullish on commodity prices. In a similar way, when bearish on commodity prices, some investors and traders go short these commodity currencies.
Brazil is a nation rich in minerals, nonferrous and ferrous metals, energy and agricultural commodities as a result of the country’s geography and climate. In fact, Brazil is the world’s largest producer of many commodities, and it is also a major consumer because it is one of the most populous nations in South America. If you are trading or investing in commodity markets, pay attention to developments in Brazil as they could affect prices all over the world. Political and economic developments in Brazil can cause the prices of commodities to move.
The Balance
