Wheat is one of the most important staple crops globally, serving as a key source of food for human consumption and animal feed. Its prices are closely monitored due to their impact on food security, inflation, and global trade flows. Wheat futures are traded on major exchanges, including the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), Euronext, Kansas City Board of Trade (KCBT), and the Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX). Standard contracts typically represent 5,000 bushels. On the supply side, China, India, Russia, the United States, France, Australia, and Canada are among the largest producers globally. Russia is the leading exporter, followed by the United States, Canada, France, Ukraine, Australia, and Argentina. Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia and Ukraine together accounted for a significant share of global wheat exports. Wheat prices displayed on Trading Economics are based on over-the-counter (OTC) and contract for difference (CFD) financial instruments and are intended to provide a general market reference only. These prices do not represent official benchmark prices. The data is supplied by a third party and, while efforts are made to ensure its reliability, Trading Economics does not verify the data and makes no representations or warranties.
Wheat futures fell to around $5.80 per bushel in mid-June, returning to their lowest level since April 10, as the potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz could improve the availability of key agricultural inputs. The tentative US–Iran peace agreement included the reopening of the strategic waterway, with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirming the deal and officials from both sides expected to meet in Switzerland to formalise it. Greater availability of key agricultural inputs in wheat production, such as fertilisers and fuels, allows farmers to produce more efficiently, increasing supply and prompting downward pressure on prices. Meanwhile, the USDA recently cut its winter wheat outlook by 2% from a month earlier, citing drought conditions across the Plains that pushed hard red winter wheat output to its lowest level since 1957. Crop conditions have also weakened further, with just 25% rated good-to-excellent, the lowest level for this time of year on record.
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