The long courtship of the U.S. rice industry and China is finally set to bear fruit, according to a report from the U.S. Rice Producers Association (USRPA). The USDA and several agencies under its umbrella have yet to comment on the report. After years of back-and-forth negotiations – largely based on phytosanitary protocols – Chinese… Read more »
Expect another “monstrous” pulse export program during the first half of 2015-16, say industry analysts. “It’s going to be huge,” said Chuck Penner, analyst with LeftField Commodity Research. Exports are on pace with last year’s record-setting program and he doesn’t see any let up for pea or lentil demand in the near future. “That has… Read more »
Australian farmers’ contribution to the nation’s wealth through export earnings is increasing at a time when other commodities are on the wane, demonstrating just how vital farming is to the future of the nation Agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce says the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures show a 7 per cent increase in the… Read more »
SHANGHAI: PRIME Minister Tony Abbott may believe coal is “good for humanity”, but China is taking the opposite view. Official figures released on Tuesday showed the volume of coal imports fell 31.3 per cent over the first eight months of the year, as China’s overall trade for August declined more than expected. China’s decline in… Read more »
A $70 million agricultural park will be built in Adelaide to supply Chinese shops with food and wine after an agreement between South Australian and Chinese governments. The industrial food park in Adelaide’s north will produce hundreds of containers of food and wine for China’s Shandong province, SA exporter Tony Royal says. “China’s expanding middle… Read more »
Earlier this month Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott sounded a warning on the impact to Australia’s economy if the recently signed China-Australia Free Trade Agreement were to fail. In a statement, Abbott said: “If Bill Shorten and the Labor Party try to reject the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement they will be sabotaging our economic future… Read more »
In the past decade from 2001-2011, the agriculture sector had an average contribution equivalent to 10.6 per cent of Fiji’s total GDP. This, according to the Fiji 2020 Agriculture Sector Policy Agenda report, meant the sector had actively employed about two-thirds of the labor force. In the 1990s, the contribution of agriculture was about 16… Read more »
Australia’s free trade deals with Japan and Korea have been in force for half a year, but agricultural exports are already up. Beef, grapes, wine and mangoes have shown the biggest rises in the first six months of 2015. The reports, from industry and government sources, come as Labor is under pressure to clarify its… Read more »
Tasmanian food and beverage producers are forging new trading relationships with China. Business talks are underway, despite Australia’s domestic political impasse on the China Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA). A number of the island’s agribusiness leaders are in China, and Tasmania’s Premier and State Growth Ministers will lead a trade and investment mission in China… Read more »
ALMONDS have emerged as Australia’s most valuable horticultural export for 2014-15, with annual export sales of $422 million, an increase of 14 per cent on the previous year. That’s according to the Almond Board of Australia which has just released its Almond Insights report. Sales for the first six months were up 54pc but a… Read more »
Australia’s largest organisation representing fruit growers has called on the government to finalize the free trade agreement (FTA) with China as soon as possible, amid what it sees as ‘wavering commitment’ to the deal. Voice of Horticulture (VOH) said support for the FTA was crucial for growth in horticulture, especially for job growth in Australia…. Read more »
According to the official advanced estimate, imports were practically unchanged in July from June (0.2% mom), meaning that they remained at a high level, and were up by around 4.5% yoy. That said, all of this gain, and more, can be explained by the exchange rate, which in trade-weighted terms was down 13.5% yoy in… Read more »
LONDON, ENGLAND — At 1.9 billion tonnes, the forecast for world total grains (wheat and coarse grains) production is increased by 18 million tonnes month-over-month, but is still down by 1% compared to last year’s record, according to the International Grains Council’s (IGC) Aug. 27 Market Report. While much of this month’s upgrade is tied… Read more »
A falling Australian dollar is good news for farmers. The value of farm exports are estimated to increase by nearly half a billion dollars for every one US cent fall in the currency. That’s the analysis of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences prepared for its annual conference in Canberra. The… Read more »
The horticulture sector can expect gradually increasing returns over the medium term, with the gross value of horticultural production growing from a projected $9.5 billion in 2014-15, to $9.8 billion by 2019-20, in today’s money. The sector will be buoyed by the weaker Australian currency and increasing opportunities in Asia, as free trade agreements with… Read more »
AUSTRALIAN grain and oilseed production is forecast to rise over the next five years to reach 42.6 million tonnes by the end of the decade, but there are no spectacular price rises on the horizon. That’s the view of the national commodity forecaster, ABARES (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences), which was… Read more »
The almond industry says this year’s harvest is still on track to be Australia’s biggest crop ever. Harvest has started in the major growing areas of Sunraysia, Riverland and Riverina this week and will continue until April, depending on weather conditions. The world’s demand for almonds is growing each year, especially from countries like India… Read more »
CARROTS could be key to beating cancer, according to scientists. They contain powerful cancer-busting chemicals, experts at Newcastle University have found. The natural compounds, known as polyacetylenes, protect the plant from attack by pests and diseases. They occur only in vegetables of the carrot family and a few other closely related species such as ginseng…. Read more »
