Russian wheat prices up on stronger rouble, tighter quality control

MOSCOW: Russian wheat export prices rose at the end of last week due to strengthening in the rouble currency and risks related to tougher quality controls at ports, analysts said on Monday.

Russia's food safety watchdog beefed up quality controls on grain exports after complaints from major buyers about falling crop standards, it said on Friday, adding that tighter checks were not aimed at limiting exports.

Black Sea prices for Russian wheat with 12.5 percent protein content were at $217 a tonne free on board (FOB) at the end of last week, up $2 on the week, IKAR agriculture consultancy said in a note.

SovEcon, another Moscow-based consultancy, quoted FOB wheat at $218 a tonne. Barley was flat at $232 a tonne.

By Sept. 13 Russia had exported 12.1 million tonnes of grain since the start of the 2018/19 season on July 1. That was up 33 percent from the same period the previous year and included 10.2 million tonnes of wheat.

Domestic prices for third-class wheat were up 125 roubles at  11,025 roubles ($162) a tonne at the end of last week in the European part of Russia on an ex-works basis, SovEcon said. Ex-works supply does not include delivery costs.

Prices for the new crop of sunflower seeds are being set at 19,475 roubles a tonne, SovEcon said. Domestic prices for sunflower oil were up 325 roubles at 47,500 roubles a tonne, while export prices fell $10 to $680 a tonne.

IKAR's white sugar price index for southern Russia was at $466 a tonne as of Sept. 14, up $63 from a week earlier.