AgroFoodSummit: What Will Shape Global Agricultural Markets in the 2026/27 Season

This was reported by the summit organiser, the Ukrainian Pulses and Soybean Association (UPSA).

• One of the main uncertainties of the season will be the grain market. The world has sufficient grain supplies: global production in the 2026/27 marketing year is expected to reach one of the highest levels in history. However, high supply volumes no longer guarantee trade stability. Due to risks in the Black Sea, questions of grain origin, routes, logistics costs and suppliers’ ability to guarantee contract performance are coming to the forefront. These issues will form the basis of Panel I. «Grain Market 2026/27: Global Restructuring.» The focus will be on the future role of the Black Sea region, competition from North and South America, and the struggle among suppliers for the MENA and Asian markets.
• Competition for markets is also unfolding in the durum wheat and processed products segment. What will the situation on the durum wheat market look like, and how is the global flour milling industry changing? These issues will be discussed during Panel II. «Durum Wheat and Processing: Key Insights and Challenges.»
• The situation in the pulses market is different: in some countries, harvests are falling short of expectations, while others are becoming increasingly dependent on imports. India, China, Pakistan and Türkiye remain in the focus of international suppliers. The key question of Panel III. «Global Pulses Market: Supply and Demand» is where shortages may emerge in the 2026/27 season and which suppliers will be able to benefit from changes in global demand.
• The soybean discussion will be no less intriguing. China is returning to the centre of global demand, Brazil is changing the market’s price configuration, and sales of US soybeans are gaining momentum. A new balance between China, Brazil and the United States could affect trade flows far beyond these countries. During Panel IV. «Soybean Market 2026/27: Trends and Global Changes,» participants will discuss how global soybean trade is changing and where profits will be concentrated in the new market structure — in raw material production, trading or processing.
• Even more external factors are influencing the vegetable oil market. Its dynamics are becoming increasingly closely linked to energy markets: changes in oil prices affect vegetable oil prices and the economics of processing. Competition for India, China and the Middle East is intensifying. During Panel V. «Global Vegetable Oil Market Dynamics 2026/27,» experts will discuss which suppliers will be able to strengthen their positions in key sales markets.