# War and heat: Why are wheat prices soaring? | Agriculture News | Al Jazeera

> Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks on each other's Black Sea grain terminals, forcing shippers to delay or cancel cargoes during peak export season. Drought and heat are also cutting wheat output, including in South Africa's Swartland, and Chicago wheat hit a three-year high on Friday.

- Date: 2026-08-31 · published 2026-08-31T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: geopolitics · region Black Sea · magnitude high
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/17934-war-and-heat-why-are-wheat-prices-soaring-agriculture-news-al-jazeera
- Commodities: [Wheat (SRW)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WHEAT.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Wheat (HRW)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/KWHEAT.md)

## Why it matters

Lost Black Sea export capacity and weaker crops tighten global wheat supply, supporting higher wheat prices and feed-grain substitution costs for buyers.

## Read by commodity

- CORN: bullish ▲
- WHEAT: bullish ▲
- KWHEAT: bullish ▲

## Linked price moves

| Commodity | Date | Window | Change % | z-score | Why linked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WHEAT | 2026-08-31 | 1 | +3.6% | 3.7 | Escalating Black Sea terminal attacks and heat-driven output cuts drove Chicago wheat to three-year highs, the core supply shock. |

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WHEAT | 2026-09-03 | [Why wheat prices are surging](https://feedsoft.ai/events/12755-why-wheat-prices-are-surging.md) | +0.7% | -0.2% |
| WHEAT | 2022-05-31 | [Why fertiliser prices are soaring](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41723-why-fertiliser-prices-are-soaring.md) | -1.4% | -1.3% |
| WHEAT | 2026-08-31 | [Wheat: Black Sea risks are driving up wheat prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17937-wheat-black-sea-risks-are-driving-up-wheat-prices.md) | +2.2% | +6.1% |
| WHEAT | 2022-02-24 | [AgriMarketing.com - Wheat Prices Soar Following Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine](https://feedsoft.ai/events/42753-agrimarketing-com-wheat-prices-soar-following-russia-s-invasion-of-ukraine.md) | +6.8% | +25.3% |
| WHEAT | 2022-10-31 | [Turkey promises to keep grain moving despite Russian suspension \| Russia-Ukraine war News \| Al Jazeera](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14446-turkey-promises-to-keep-grain-moving-despite-russian-suspension-russia-ukraine.md) | -5.6% | +2.4% |
| CORN | 2022-05-31 | [Why fertiliser prices are soaring](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41723-why-fertiliser-prices-are-soaring.md) | -0.8% | -2.6% |
| CORN | 2022-10-31 | [Turkey promises to keep grain moving despite Russian suspension \| Russia-Ukraine war News \| Al Jazeera](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14446-turkey-promises-to-keep-grain-moving-despite-russian-suspension-russia-ukraine.md) | -2.2% | -3.8% |
| CORN | 2022-10-31 | [Wheat futures jump, hitting record high in Sydney, after Russia exits Black Sea deal - Grain Price News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/39157-wheat-futures-jump-hitting-record-high-in-sydney-after-russia-exits-black-sea.md) | -2.2% | -3.8% |

## Sources

- aljazeera.com: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/31/war-and-heat-why-are-wheat-prices-soaring

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.