Agriculture
Unbiased, robust pricing and market intelligence
for the agricultural industry
Overview
Access reliable cash pricing, analysis, and S&D forecasts to support your business needs, whether you are a producer, trader, broker or end-user, focusing on wheat, corn or soybeans or looking at feedstock for biofuels.
Argus has been bringing transparency to international commodity markets for more than 50 years, and brings the same expertise to the conventional and organic agriculture markets, as well as the meat and livestock market.
Latest agriculture news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global agriculture industry.
US-Iran conflict disrupts Australian beef trade
US-Iran conflict disrupts Australian beef trade
Dalby, 3 March (Argus) — Escalating conflict in the Middle East is increasing freight risks and adding cost uncertainty for exports of Australian chilled and frozen beef, as air and container lines divert away from the region, according to trade sources and industry advisories. The duration of the conflict will dictate the scale of disruption, Australian exporters said. Chilled beef transported by air can typically remain in refrigerated storage at distribution centres for more than a week before alternative arrangements are required. Meanwhile, frozen beef in containers can be held for longer periods. But the final destination of any product already in transit will depend on shipping lines' willingness to unload at Middle Eastern ports. Some Australian processors have received returned consignments from regional distribution centres as a temporary measure while logistics providers assess the evolving situation. The Middle East is a long-standing market for halal-certified chilled and frozen beef from Australia, which supplies retail, hospitality and food service sectors in the region. Saudi Arabia remained the largest destination for frozen beef, at about 13,300t in 2025, slightly below levels a year earlier, following a 53pc increase in 2024. Beef shipments to the UAE reached 14,375t carcass weight in 2025, up by 35pc on the year after a 17pc rise in 2024. Dubai is the core regional hub for premium chilled Australian grainfed beef, exporters said. This is supported by strong tourism flows and high-end retail demand. Australia's position has been supported by the Australia–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which was signed in November 2024. Tariffs on Australian red meat were removed under the agreement. Broader economic effects from the conflict, including oil price movements, inflation pressure and potential currency volatility, could influence medium-term protein purchasing patterns, market analysts said. Meanwhile, competition from Brazil remains a key risk, with South American suppliers expanding shipments into Gulf markets, Australian exporters said. Recent geopolitical developments in the Middle East were creating "complexities for Australian meat exporters with product in transit", Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) chief executive Tim Ryan said. The closure of key shipping lanes and airspace adds to the uncertainty, he said. The situation was dynamic and likely to have "flow on effects to global logistics", he added. "Australian meat exporters are managing the situation to the best of their ability," Ryan said, noting the industry's established record of adapting during challenging conditions. By Amy Phillips Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US-Iran conflict slows agricultural flows into Gulf
US-Iran conflict slows agricultural flows into Gulf
London, 2 March (Argus) — Dry bulk carriers with agricultural goods have held off transiting the strait of Hormuz since the escalation of US-Iran conflict over the weekend, with some shippers exploring the option to discharge ahead of the transit. The 82,188dwt Locarno , loaded with Argentinian barley, was scheduled to arrive at Bandar Imam Khomeini on 4 March, but has slowed significantly and held offshore just before reaching the strait on 1 March, according to shiptracking data from Kpler. Similarly, the 77,834dwt New Horizon with a corn cargo from Ukraine has also stopped moving since 25 February. Flows into other countries in the Mideast Gulf have also slowed. The 77,079dwt Kypros Sky , having loaded a wheat cargo from Port Lincoln in Australia, diverted on the afternoon of 1 March offshore south India, Kpler data show. The vessel was scheduled to arrive at Umm Qasr port in Iraq on 8 March. Some shippers are considering options to unload their cargoes in Oman and seek other land routes in the region to avoid the transit via the strait of Hormuz, according to market participants. But it remains uncertain how viable the option is for deliveries to countries like Kuwait or Iraq. Immediate disruption to short-term deliveries may be capped for Saudi Arabia, at least based on its recent wheat tenders. State importer GFSA is not scheduled to receive wheat deliveries to Dammam port in the Gulf until the second half of April , according to its recent tenders. Its wheat cargoes via tenders would arrive in Jeddah and Yanbu in the Red Sea in March. Smaller importers in the region, on the other hand, are poised to see a total halt of agricultural imports in the short term. Kuwait has maintained its import pace for wheat, corn and barley so far this marketing year, compared with a year earlier, with only a slight drop in wheat receipts. The country has only imported 200,789t of wheat in July 2025–January 2026, down from 269,926t a year earlier, according to customs data. Some cargoes destined for the Mideast Gulf have also continued their journeys when they remain far from the strait. The 81,838 dwt Astrea , loaded with a wheat cargo from Port Giles in Australia, is still midway through the Indian Ocean and is scheduled to arrive at Umm Qasr port on 10 March. The 60,200dwt Genius Sw , carrying Argentinian corn, also continued its transit around the Cape of Good Hope. The vessel is still scheduled to arrive at Fujairah on 20 March, according to its AIS signal update today. By Xiaoyi Deng Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Refiners warn EPA against late fuel waivers: Update
Refiners warn EPA against late fuel waivers: Update
Updates with comments from EPA New York, 26 February (Argus) — A group of US oil refiners that warned against a costly shift to a boutique fuel blend in the midcontinent want President Donald Trump's administration to let the states transition as planned this summer to avoid market turmoil. The Midwestern bloc was supposed to move last year to the lower-volatility summertime fuel, which would allow retailers to keep selling both typical 10pc ethanol gasoline (E10) and blends with up to 15pc ethanol (E15). But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) punted the shift just days before summer driving season, frustrating fuel makers and distributors that had already invested millions to move to the boutique blend. "Fuel suppliers should not be put in the same situation again this year", the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) told EPA on Wednesday, according to a letter shared with Argus . The risk of changing rules remains. While seven states are still set to transition, Ohio backed out last month. Midwestern governors that previously saw the fuel shift as a way to help out corn farmers and pressure oil refiners to lobby for simpler federal E15 rules are now staring down the possibility of higher pump prices in an election year. Any other states that want to cancel the fuel change should have to make a request to do so immediately, according to the refiner group, and at the very least before pipelines start requiring the special blend by 1 April. EPA has not given states any deadline to request changes to their summer fuel market rules. EPA justified emergency waivers last summer aborting the midcontinent fuel change and allowing E15 gasoline across the country by warning of "extreme and unusual fuel supply circumstances caused by global conflicts". But AFPM warned EPA that such a move this year would be on shakier legal footing, pointing to data showing ample gasoline stocks across the US. The refiners' advocacy comes as a council of Republicans in the US House of Representatives has missed multiple deadlines for reaching agreement on biofuel policy reforms. Earlier drafts circulated by the task force floated allowing year-round E15 sales nationwide and stopping the Midwestern states' transition. The Clean Air Act exempts E10 from summertime smog rules that would otherwise prevent its sale but does not extend the same treatment to E15, despite a similar volatility profile. The midcontinent states as a workaround won EPA approval to opt out of the special treatment for E10, effectively putting E10 and E15 on equal footing by requiring lower-volatility blendstocks for both. The consequence is more complicated logistics for refiners, which may have to cut production of butane, which raises volatility, or invest in infrastructure to store and transport excess supplies. The states approved to move to the lower-volatility gasoline this summer are Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Kansas has signaled it could join them in the future, although EPA said it was already too late for any new states to join the Midwestern bloc this summer. "The Trump EPA will continue to work with states to reduce unnecessary costs and uncertainty and ensure that gas prices — which are down thanks to President Trump — remain affordable for all Americans through the summer", EPA said. By Cole Martin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US refiners warn EPA against late fuel waivers
US refiners warn EPA against late fuel waivers
New York, 26 February (Argus) — A group of US oil refiners that warned against a costly shift to a boutique fuel blend in the midcontinent want President Donald Trump's administration to let the states transition as planned this summer to avoid market turmoil. The Midwestern bloc was supposed to move last year to the lower-volatility summertime fuel, which would allow retailers to keep selling both typical 10pc ethanol gasoline (E10) and blends with up to 15pc ethanol (E15). But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) punted the shift just days before summer driving season, frustrating fuel makers and distributors that had already invested millions to move to the boutique blend. "Fuel suppliers should not be put in the same situation again this year", the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) told EPA on Wednesday, according to a letter shared with Argus . The risk of changing rules remains. While seven states are still set to transition, Ohio backed out last month. Midwestern governors that previously saw the fuel shift as a way to help out corn farmers and pressure oil refiners to lobby for simpler federal E15 rules are now staring down the possibility of higher pump prices in an election year. Any other states that want to cancel the fuel change should have to make a request to do so immediately, according to the refiner group, and at the very least before pipelines start requiring the special blend by 1 April. EPA justified emergency waivers last summer aborting the midcontinent fuel change and allowing E15 gasoline across the country by warning of "extreme and unusual fuel supply circumstances caused by global conflicts". But AFPM warned EPA that such a move this year would be on shakier legal footing, pointing to data showing ample gasoline stocks across the US. The refiners' advocacy comes as a council of Republicans in the US House of Representatives has missed multiple deadlines for reaching agreement on biofuel policy reforms. Earlier drafts circulated by the task force floated allowing year-round E15 sales nationwide and stopping the Midwestern states' transition. The Clean Air Act exempts E10 from summertime smog rules that would otherwise prevent its sale but does not extend the same treatment to E15, despite a similar volatility profile. The midcontinent states as a workaround won EPA approval to opt out of the special treatment for E10, effectively putting E10 and E15 on equal footing by requiring lower-volatility blendstocks for both. The consequence is more complicated logistics for refiners, which may have to cut production of butane, which raises volatility, or invest in infrastructure to store and transport excess supplies. The states approved to move to the lower-volatility gasoline this summer are Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Kansas has signaled it could join them in the future. By Cole Martin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Spotlight content
Browse the latest thought leadership produced by our global team of experts.
Webinars
Market outlook: What's next for agricultural biofuels feedstocks?
On-demand webinar - 20/10/25Grains market update & outlook and Black Sea Wheat Futures overview
On-demand webinar - 25/06/25Harnessing AI in Commodity Markets
On-demand webinar - 10/04/25Black Sea grain market update and outlook
Explore our agriculture services
Argus Agriculture Newsletter
Each issue delivers a great blend of news, insights, price assessments and prompts you to the latest podcasts, webinars, insight papers.
Sign up hereKey price assessments
Argus prices are recognised by the market as trusted and reliable indicators of the real market value. Explore some of our most widely used and relevant price assessments.
Related events
No Results Found