Wheat buyers brace for higher costs as Russia-Ukraine war drags on

Wheat is moved from a storage facility to a truck at a farm in Zhytomyr Region, Ukraine, on Aug. 7. | REUTERS

Sep 23, 2026

SINGAPORE/DUBAI – Global wheat buyers holding out to replenish dwindling stocks face painfully higher costs when they return to the market in the coming weeks, with world prices soaring as the Russia-Ukraine war shows no signs of abating.

Top wheat importers in Asia, the Middle East and Africa that were counting on the Black Sea region for wheat have been finding it hard to secure supplies, as attacks on vessels and port infrastructure have brought cargo movements to a near standstill since July.

The constraints have triggered a rally in prices, with benchmark Chicago futures climbing 40% from June lows to a three-and-a-half-year high and physical prices from alternative exporters surging, threatening a fresh bout of food inflation for some of the world’s most vulnerable consumers.

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