MercoPress http://en.mercopress.com/ South Atlantic News Agency en Copyright 2013, MercoPress. http://en.mercopress.com/web/img/en/mercopress-logo.gif MercoPress http://en.mercopress.com/ <![CDATA[Argentine ports strike stalls oilseed and grains exports at peak harvest time]]> Tens of ships lined up along the Parana and River Place waiting to load Argentine longshoremen on strike at the peak of summer harvests exports have scores of grains ships delayed in and around due to a three-day-old conflict that threatens to bog down shipments at a time of heightened world demand for South American soy and corn, according to industry sources.

]]> Thu, 23 May 2013 02:10:00 GMT <![CDATA[Brazil opens ports to private investment hoping to ease bottlenecks strangling exports growth]]> Tens of vessels waiting to berth and load while kilometers of trucks are delayed from delivering their cargoes Brazil’s Congress approved legislation that opens up state-owned ports to private investment and lifts restrictions on the building of private ports in a bid to eliminate serious bottlenecks strangling the country’s export growth. The Brazilian Association of Infrastructure and Basic Industries praised the approval of the bill and anticipate investment of 25bn dollars.

]]> Mon, 20 May 2013 22:22:00 GMT <![CDATA[Argentina, Brazil and the US form alliance of corn producers: Maizall]]> USGC President Tom Sleight: “we can speak with a more united voice as producers to the rest of the world” Corn groups from the US, Argentina and Brazil signed a memorandum of understanding this week to form an international alliance of corn producers, collectively called MAIZALL.

]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 03:01:00 GMT <![CDATA[Monsanto wins leading soybean seed replicating case to the relief of biotechnology industry]]> Indiana farmer Bowman used harvested soybeans containing the Monsanto technology to plant his crops. In a decision that drew sighs of relief from the biotechnology industry, the US Supreme Court ruled that an Indiana farmer violated agribusiness company Monsanto Co’s patent for a type of soybean. The court agreed unanimously with Monsanto that Vernon Bowman, 75, had performed an end-run around the law when he used the company’s patented soybean seeds without seeking a licence.

]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 18:32:00 GMT <![CDATA[FAO suggests farming and feeding on insects can address global food insecurity]]> Dr. Eva Muller, insects are not harmful to eat; they are nutritious and even a delicacy While insects can be slimy, cringe-inducing creatures, often squashed on sight by humans, a new book released by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) says beetles, wasps and caterpillars are also an unexplored nutrition source that can help address global food insecurity.

]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 05:43:00 GMT <![CDATA[Global food prices increased for third month running in April pushed by dairy costs]]> Dairy production has been affected by long spells of hot weather in Australia and New Zealand Global food prices rose in April for a third straight month as surging dairy costs kept upward pressure on the FAO index, but cereal output is expected to be strong this year. Food prices spiked during the summer of 2012 as the United States was hit by a severe drought and dry weather plagued other producers. After falling at the start of 2013, prices have been rising again in the past three months

]]> Sat, 11 May 2013 05:36:00 GMT <![CDATA[Argentine fruit and vegetable exports beginning to rebound; Q1 sales reach 477m dollars]]> A significant increase in the harvest of apples and pears helped the overall average The production and sale of Argentine fruits and vegetables is beginning to rebound after a year in which the sector's problems continued to deepen; loss of competitiveness due to rising costs and lower demand, especially overseas because of the global economic crisis.

]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 05:51:00 GMT <![CDATA[Argentine farmers expected to plant more wheat this coming season]]> An estimated 3.9 million hectares (up form 3.6m) will be planted with wheat, says the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange Argentina will plant more wheat this season than last year because of farmer-friendly adjustments to the government’s export policy and the bad luck that growers had last season with alternative crops such as barley, a key grain exchange said.

]]> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:35:00 GMT <![CDATA[Dairy produce push FAO food price index one percent higher in March]]> The dairy price surge is caused by hot, dry weather in Oceania, which has led to milk production falling off steeply The FAO Food Price Index (FPI) crept higher by one percent in March compared with a month before, driven mainly by an 11% increase in dairy. Dairy products carry a 17% weight among the various commodity prices included in the calculation of the overall FPI.

]]> Fri, 12 Apr 2013 06:19:00 GMT <![CDATA[Brazil exporters anticipate May/June port chaos with soy, sugar and corn crops coincide]]> Logistics costs and operational inefficiency are distancing Brazil from globalization, warned de Castro The logistics chaos in the Brazilian port of Santos (one of the busiest of the country) in mid March with the first shipments of a record soy crop will become even worse in May and June, according to the Jose Augusto de Castro, president of the Brazilian Association of Foreign Trade, AEB.

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