The Morning Vibe And RIP Dierdre

20/01/15 -- There's not a lot to get your teeth into first thing this morning, the US overnight markets are waking up after yesterday's holiday, and are generally a little bit lower.

Jordan are tendering for 100 TMT each of wheat and barley for Jun/Jul delivery.

Kazakhstan say that their Jan 1 grain stocks were 13.15 MMT, including 11 MMT of wheat.

The Russian Deputy PM has said that the government could introduce "more radical measures" than the recently unveiled export duty to curb foreign sales, should the current moves prove to be insufficient.

Traders report that obtaining the necessary phytosanitary certificates to export Russian wheat is still a slow and labourious process, slowing exports just as shippers try to step these up ahead of the introduction of the Feb 1 export duty.

The Russian Ministry have finalised their estimates for the 2014 grain harvest at 103.8 MMT, up from 92.4 MMT a year ago. That includes 59 MMT of wheat. 20 MMT of barley and more than 11 MMT of corn.

Ukraine said that the winter grain planted area there was 8 million hectares, including 6.8 million ha of wheat and 1.1 million ha of barley. They've also planted a little under 900,000 ha of winter OSR.

Emergence is 97% and winter crop conditions in Ukraine remain at 18% weak/thinned.

Japan are in the market for 142,500 MT of wheat of US, Canadian and Australian origin in their regular weekly tender. The results are due Thursday.

Pakistan said that they could export up to 3 MMT of their own surplus wheat stocks this year. If the rats haven't had them first that is.

The Rosario Grain Exchange have lowered their forecast for the Argentine soybean crop by 0.5 MMT to 54.5 MMT, on the back of a lower planted area. Most of the crop is in good to very good condition, they say.

And finally, some good news for my pet tortoise who's been waiting ages for a neck transplant. Anne Kirkbride died last night.

Come on, 60 years old, my arse. She's been in Corrie longer than that.