Argentine oilseed workers are expected to continue the strike actions that are currently hitting activity at most of the country’s crushing capacity until at least next week after last-ditch salary talks with the sector’s chambers failed, Daniel Yofra, the secretary-general of crushers’ union FTCIOD has told Agricensus.
China has temporarily suspended meat imports from two Brazilian companies, Brazil's agriculture ministry said late on Friday.
Argentine grains inspectors and oilseeds workers extended on Friday a wage strike as stalling contract negotiations threaten to interrupt exports from one of the world's main grain producers.
Two beef producers from Brazil and one from Argentina have had their exports to China suspended for one week after packaging of their products tested positive for traces of COVID-19, customs said. China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) made the announcement.
Brazil's corn production forecast for 2020-21 has been cut to 102.6 million mt from 104.9 million mt projected in November, Brazil's national agricultural agency, Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento (Conab), said in its latest forecast.
Brazil's meat producers increased output for world markets this year and will again boost production next year, even though they face continued challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's meat lobby ABPA said.
Argentine grains inspectors and oilseeds workers started a new wage strike on Wednesday, organizers said in a joint statement, as stalling contract negotiations threatened to interrupt exports from one of the world's main bread baskets.
Brazil soybean imports during November reached 122,000 tons, 20 times more than in November 2019 (6,000 tons). Purchases cost US$ 49.2 million, compared to the US$ 1.9 million spent a year earlier, as the average value of the ton purchased increased from US $328.8 to US$ 402.4, according to the Brazilian Foreign Trade Secretariat, SECEX.
United States president-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack for agriculture secretary, Axios reported on Tuesday. Vilsack, who led the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under former President Barack Obama, could not immediately be reached. His spokeswoman, Regina Black, declined to comment as an official announcement hasn't been made.
Brazilian farmers have sold 56.5% of their beans in advance through December 4, Safras & Mercado, an agribusiness consultancy, said in a statement last Friday. Considering Brazil is poised to collect 133.517 million tons of the oilseeds this season, the volume of pre-sold soy amounts to an estimated 75.403 million tons, Safras said.