Brazil Sugar’s ‘Sudden Death’ Arrives – Too Late To Lift Prices
The forecasted sudden plunge in Brazil’s sugar production seems to be occurring as sugar output in the country’s Center South region, which accounts for 90% of Brazil’s total sugar output, fell by 41% compared to the second half of October, and 39% when compared year on year. Total production from Center South for 2014/15 which began in
Read moreAustralia May Replace France as Top Exporter of Wine to China
The market share for French wines in China has been declining, and is predicted to continue to decline. Upon the elimination of Chinese tariffs on Australian wines that can range between 14% and 30%, Australia may overtake France and the biggest wine exporter to China within four to five years. In the first nine months of 2014, customs data sh
Read moreSubdued Response to Chinese Free Trade Agreement From Australian Grain Industry
The recent free trade agreement signed between Australia and China will eliminate a 3% tariff on barley and a 2% tariff on sorghum, millet, and buckwheat, however wheat, canola, cotton, rice, and oilseeds have broadly been excluded. Based on 2013 data, Australia ships 7 million tons of grain to China per year worth $2.1 billion. And given the
Read moreBrazil Coffee Crop ‘Better Than Initially Thought’
The coffee crop in Brazil, the world’s top producing country, and the crop from Colombia, the world’s third top producing country are surpassing previous expectations according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) foreign officials. Combined harvest output from the two countries will be 2 million bags above forecasts with Brazilian out
Read moreFarm Groups, Ag Tech Companies Agree on Data Privacy Standards
A consortium of farm groups and agricultural data technology companies have published agreed-upon privacy and security principals. The non-binding principals are meant to reassure farmers that the data they provide to data tech companies will not be misused or manipulated if it ends up in the hands of traders or land brokers, and are meant to
Read moreBird Flu Outbreak in Britain First in Six Years
The H5 strain of bird flu has been detected on the Nafferton Farm owned by Cherry Valley in East Yorkshire, England, where 6,000 ducks will now be culled. This is the first time in six years that bird flu has been discovered in the UK. It is believed that the birds were affected for up to a week before the virus was detected causing concerns t
Read moreFarmland Values Decreased with Falling Grain Prices
For the first time in five years farmland values declined in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter. After 19 consecutive quarters of growth, the latest report from the Seventh Federal District which assesses farmland values and credit conditions, estimated a 2% decrease in farmland values compared to the second quarter on falling
Read moreChocolate: Can Science Save The World’s Most Endangered Treat?
Because of drought, disease, soaring demand from emerging markets, and displacement of cocoa acreage by more profitable crops such as corn and rubber, global chocolate giants Mars Inc. and Barry Callebaut warn that demand will outpace supply by an additional 1 million tons per decade going into the future. Between 1993 and 2007 the price of co
Read moreDairy Prices Hit Five-Year Low on GlobalDairyTrade
International dairy industry hopes for a recovery have faltered after prices fell to a five-year low on GlobalDairyTrade - even as positive prices in the U.S. lift dairy margins to a record high. Prices on GlobalDairyTrade fell by 3.1% to their lowest since August, 2009 reflecting more than a 5% drop in values for both whole milk powder and
Read moreAlmond Milk Leads Growth in the Dairy Alternative Sector
Almond milk and coconut milk both saw sales increase by double digits last year according to Euromonitor International with almond milk sales increasing by 46% and coconut milk sales increasing by 35%. Globally, almond milk was used in 20% of new dairy alternatives, and in the U.S. it was used in approximately 50% of all dairy alternative drin
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