IKAR: Russian wheat prices down with weaker rouble

MOSCOW, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Russian wheat export prices fell last week as the rouble weakened against the dollar, taking a hit from fears related to a stand-off between Moscow and the West over Ukraine, analysts said on Monday.

The West fears Russia may invade its neighbour. Russia denies planning an attack, but says it could take unspecified military action if a list of demands are not met.

Russian stocks fell and wheat prices in Chicago rose last week amid these tensions.

Russian wheat with 12.5% protein content loading from Black Sea ports for supply in February stood at $326 a tonne free on board (FOB), down $2 from the previous week, the IKAR agriculture consultancy said.

Sovecon, another consultancy, pegged wheat down $1 at $331 per tonne, with barley stable at $295 a tonne.

Russian wheat exports are down by 40% since the start of the 2021/22 marketing season on July 1 owing to a smaller crop and an export tax that had been set at $95.8 per tonne for Jan. 26 to Feb. 1.

The weather remains favourable for the 2022 crop, with healthy precipitation in the majority of winter wheat-producing regions last week, Sovecon said.

It kept its forecast for Russia's 2022 grain crop unchanged at 81.3 million tonnes, up from 75.9 million tonnes in 2021.

 Product:               Price at the end     Change from week
                           of last week:              earlier
 - Domestic 3rd class             14,975            -100 rbls
 wheat, European part  roubles/t($190.9)  
 of Russia, excludes                      
 delivery (Sovecon)                       
 - Sunflower seeds         36,200 rbls/t            +825 rbls
 (Sovecon)                                
 - Domestic sunflower      86,500 rbls/t            +500 rbls
 oil (Sovecon)                            
 - Export sunflower             $1,375/t                 +$25
 oil (Sovecon)                            
 - Export sunflower             $1,355/t                 +$10
 oil (IKAR)                               
 - Soybeans (Sovecon)      43,900 rbls/t            +200 rbls
 - White sugar,                 $652.8/t               -$16.4
 Russia's south                           
 (IKAR)                                   
 ($1 = 78.4260 roubles)