Articles by Bill Tomson

Russia has once again cleared the way for grain to move out of the Black Sea. Now, United Nations officials are working to ensure that Russian fertilizer can be exported as well.

The inspection of grain ships entering and leaving the Black Sea is set to resume Thursday now that Russia has resumed participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and that is allowing the United Nations to focus on preventing the Nov. 19 expiration of the agreement.

The inspections of ships hauling grain out of Odesa ports will stop today as United Nations officials scramble to try to convince Russia to resume participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative. A UN spokesman said Tuesday the stop to inspections was planned to last just one day.

The Russian government says it will continue to allow grain shipments out of the Black Sea. All inspections of grain ships were due to stop on Wednesday because of uncertainty about Russia's plans.

Criticism is piling up on the Federal Maritime Commission’s attempt to define exactly what a reasonable reason is for ocean carrier companies to refuse to haul U.S. farm commodity exports to their destinations overseas.

Questions have continued to swirl around the future of an agreement that allowed Ukraine to supply global food markets out of its Black Sea ports.

After another union voted not to ratify a contract with rail carriers last week, more than 300 local, state and national trade associations urged the Biden administration to work to avert a strike during the nation’s holiday season.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Friday dismissed a dire forecast of Mexico slashing corn imports from the U.S. because of a scheduled Mexican ban on genetically modified corn. 

Drought continues to spread across the country this fall, and it’s starting to raise concerns about winter wheat crops.

Executives with oilseed giant Bunge say the growing global demand for biofuels will continue to support the soybean sector for some time.