Feed sector concerns will play a major part in next month’s AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds’ Grain Market Outlook Conference, including a detailed look at the “fragile” state of global maize stocks and the sector’s exposure to changing weather patterns.
“We can’t really expect to see a continued trend of good weather across the world,” said AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds’ lead analyst, Jack Watts, giving a “key points” preview of the outlook event.
“Weather will happen and will impact prices; we just don’t know when,” he continued, adding that, despite current price levels for global feed grains, it was important to note that maize stocks, for example, remained “quite fragile” relative to demand. As such, it wouldn’t take a massive issue for global maize prices to change in the future.
The outlook conference, which takes place in London on October 14, will also examine the anticipated opening up of the Chinese barley market to UK exports, the impact of Russia’s wheat export tax on the functioning of global wheat trade and the view that the current TTIP trade talks between the EU and US could prove to be a real “game-changer” with potential implications for EU/US food and raw material trade.
In addition to Mr Watt (pictured above), who will give an overview presentation of the 2015/16 grain market outlook, conference speakers are:
- Julian McGill – LMC International’s senior economist, – 2015/16 oilseeds market outlook
- Hamish Smith – Capital Economics’ commodities economist, – global macroeconomic outlook and implications for agricultural commodities
- Dominic Watkins – DWF’s head of food group – TTIP, the good, the bad and the ugly