Agriculture

• Wednesday, May 30th 2018 - 08:29 UTC

  New Zealand to cull 150.000 cows to eradicate outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis

  

  New Zealand, which produces three percent of the world’s milk, announced this week its plan to cull about 150,000 cows to eradicate the disease Mycoplasma bovis. The largest mass animal slaughter in the country’s history will cost some US$ 612 million. If successful, it would be the first time an infected country has eliminated the disease-causing bacteria.

• Monday, May 28th 2018 - 08:09 UTC

  Farmers' concerns on post-Brexit labour contracting reach PM's May desk

  

  The UK food and farming industry wants assurances from the government that it will still be able to recruit enough staff from the EU after Brexit. The demand came as part of a manifesto drawn up by more than 100 organizations across the industry and sent to the PM. It urges the government to publish a white paper setting out its immigration plans “as a matter of priority”.

• Monday, May 28th 2018 - 06:46 UTC

  Brazilian government yields to demands of truckers week-long strike

  

  Brazil's President Michel Temer announced late on Sunday new measures to reduce operating costs for truckers in a bid to end a week-long protest that has severely hampered the flow of food, fuel and key exports in Latin America's largest economy.

• Friday, May 25th 2018 - 09:06 UTC

  Relief in Brazil after recovering free of FMD with vaccination OIE status

  

  The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) declared Brazil free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) with vaccination on Thursday, opening new export prospects for the world’s largest beef exporter. The OIE already considered most of Brazil to be free of foot-and-mouth with vaccination. The declaration, which the government had been expecting since the start of the year, extends certification to the whole country.

• Friday, May 25th 2018 - 08:56 UTC

  Brazil agriculture fears consequences of a US/China trade understanding

  

  The trade dispute between the United States and China has benefited Brazil so far but could prove harmful long term as higher grain prices will make the country’s exports less competitive, Brazil’s farm minister said. Brazil is the world's leading poultry exporter.

• Thursday, May 24th 2018 - 07:32 UTC

  China expected to import record volumes of US oil and soy, to help ease trade tensions with the US

  

  China will import record volumes of U.S. oil and is likely to ship more U.S. soy after Beijing signaled to state-run refiners and grains purchasers they should buy more to help ease tensions between the two top economies, trade sources said on Wednesday.

• Thursday, May 24th 2018 - 07:20 UTC

  Brazil lowers diesel prices 10%, but truckers' strike continues threatening grain exports

  

  Petrobras on Wednesday temporarily cut diesel prices by 10% in order to help the Brazilian government and truck drivers resolve a protest crippling highways.

• Tuesday, May 22nd 2018 - 07:36 UTC

  Trucks loaded with soybeans block main highways in Brazil to protest fuel prices

  

  Brazil lorry drivers blocked major roadways around the capital of the country's largest grain state to protest increases in domestic fuel prices, affecting highways in 18 states, the federal highway police said on Monday.

• Wednesday, May 16th 2018 - 17:10 UTC

  Plan to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fatty acids from global food supply

  

  The World Health Organization (WHO) has released REPLACE, a step-by-step guide for the elimination of industrially-produced trans-fatty acids from the global food supply. Eliminating trans fats is key to protecting health and saving lives: WHO estimates that every year, trans fat intake leads to more than 500,000 deaths of people from cardiovascular disease.

• Saturday, May 12th 2018 - 08:45 UTC

  Brazil becomes world's largest producer of soybeans for the first time

  

  Brazil will surpass the United States as the largest producer of soybeans this year, taking over the top ranking for the first time in history, oilseeds crusher group Abiove said on Friday. The U.S. is expected to harvest 116.48 million tons of soybeans later on in 2018, falling short of Brazil’s estimated collection of 117 million tons for its crop year that is just drawing to a close, Abiove said, citing United States Department of Agriculture figures released on Thursday.