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The sugar consumption conundrum
There has been much discussion recently regarding what appears to be a surge in sugar consumption in Asia, particularly in China and Indonesia, accompanied by a corresponding surge in raw imports....
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It isn’t only corn: Brazilian sugar cane ethanol worries about changes in RFS
Much of the rhetoric surrounding the US Renewable Fuel Standard centers around the notion of home-grown fuels enhancing American energy security and independence. That puts Leticia Phillips in a bit of...
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Guest post: Falling energy prices send sweet signal to food producers
Guest blogger Jonathan Kingsman is the founder of Kingsman SA, which is now a unit of Platts, and he remains a Platts consultant. The monthly Food Price Index of the UN Food and Agriculture...
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More of Brazil’s sugar scooped up for ethanol, but sweet spot elusive
When you’re sitting on a shed load of sugarcane, it’s nice to know you have options. For Brazil, as the powerhouse of global sugar production, that choice falls into two broad areas — make sugar, or...
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Don’t lose your head over bad times — the oil markets will sort everything out
Back in the day six weeks ago, I used to tell this joke when I was explaining how Platts was sending me on the road for the rest of the year to get the pulse of the oil markets. I hate to travel, and I...
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Against the grain: Agriculture grapples with price pressures
The gathering storm swirling around commodity markets augers of troubled times ahead. For agriculture, beset by the common concerns of currency fears, counterparty risk, an increased regulatory...
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In Babylon, sugar refinery gives hope at the darkest of times
Claudiu Covrig reflects upon his invitation to see the new Etihad sugar refinery in the ancient heart of civilization, and contemplates what it means for the battered and troubled land, and the wider...
View ArticleSugar deficit bulls loom large in Big Apple
The dust has settled on another New York Sugar Week. This annual gathering of the movers and shakers of the sugar world is the latest stop in a packed conference calendar, which begins in Dubai at the...
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Bullish at the top: How long can the sugar rush last?
The market is never as bullish as at its tops, nor as bearish as at its bottoms. The first part of this trading adage is particularly pertinent to the state of play in the sugar market. On Friday,...
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How commodities have performed under US presidents since 1970
To wrap up our series examining commodity prices and US presidential elections, we turned to Jodie Gunzberg, head of commodities and real assets at S&P Dow Jones Indices. Her recent analysis of...
View ArticleContainer Shipping: What next for the smaller TEU fleet?
The world is becoming an ever smaller place and the ability to conduct business with the most competitive companies globally is paramount for survival. The emphasis on customer needs now provides...
View ArticleContainer Shipping: What next for the smaller TEU fleet? (Part 2)
The smaller TEU vessels have struggled to find a logical home since the Panama Canal expansion as logistics companies are utilizing the neo-Panamax gauge for economies of scale. This leaves the...
View ArticleCheaper or greener: Colombia eyes US ethanol with trepidation
The availability of cheap ethanol has become a contentious issue in the United States. While American drivers may see the benefits of supplies from the most efficient ethanol producer on earth, meaning...
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Energy and commodities highlights: Metals and EVs, Africa’s downstream boom,...
Metals are playing a starring role in the transition towards renewables and electric vehicles, and the past week saw plenty of activity in the sector. There were also positive indicators pointing to...
View ArticleSqueezed global sugar market looks to holy grails and black swans
The global sugar industry is grappling with slowing growth in consumption coupled with oversupply, which have pushed prices down to unsustainable levels. In such a challenging environment, it’s...
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UK sugar beet farmers grapple with uncertainties
UK sugar beet growers have had to face the challenges of an unresolved Brexit process, the weather, and a ban on neonicotinoid pesticides in the run-up to the official October 1 start of the 2019-20...
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Why is sugar bucking the coronavirus trend?
The commodity complex has been on the slide on concerns about oil demand destruction caused the coronavirus outbreak in China, but sugar has bucked the trend. The sugar price has been supported by...
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As lockdown alters food and fuel demand, is it ‘mayday’ for European sugar...
At the start of 2020 European sugar producers could have been forgiven for thinking the worst was behind them. After falling to historic lows in 2018, European sugar prices were on an upward trend,...
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The reshaping of Sub-Saharan African sugar trade flows
Fierce competition for the 1 million metric tons raw value Central African sugar market is altering trade flows within Sub-Saharan Africa. The countries involved are landlocked sugar-deficit countries...
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