Agriculture

• Monday, March 27th 2017 - 07:45 UTC

  Brazilian meats' scandal: China, Egypt, Chile limit imports ban to the 21 processing plants involved

  

  Brazil won a major victory as it battles to restore credibility amid a tainted meat scandal, with China, Egypt and Chile lifting their bans on its products. The three countries, which had totally closed their markets to Brazilian meat at the start of last week, said they would open them to all but the 21 Brazilian processing plants under investigation.

• Thursday, March 23rd 2017 - 12:09 UTC

  Brazilean adulterated meat situation “no obstacle for EU/Mercosur trade talks”

  

  The adulterated meat situation in Brazil is no obstacle for the current trade negotiations between the European Union and Mercosur, said Eidta Hrdá, Managing Director for the Americas from the European External Action Service, currently in Buenos Aires.

• Thursday, March 23rd 2017 - 11:59 UTC

  Irish farmers' lobby wants beef out of Mercosur/EU trade talks

  

  First vice-president of the European Union Parliament Irish lawmaker Mairead McGuinness has asked EU Commissioners for agriculture and trade for clarity on allegations that Brazil has sold meat that is unfit for consumption.

• Wednesday, March 22nd 2017 - 12:09 UTC

  Argentine farmers confident they can increase sales 28% to UK in the short term

  

  Argentina has the potential to increase food sales to the UK by 28% in the short term, from the current US$ 830 million to US$ 1.060bn, according to the president of the powerful farmers' organization, Argentine Rural Society, Luis Miguel Etchevehere, currently in London with a business mission sponsored by the Argentine foreign ministry, the Argentine-British Chamber of Commerce and the embassy in London.

• Tuesday, March 21st 2017 - 10:15 UTC

  China, EU, Korea, Chile suspend beef and poultry imports from Brazil

  

  The fallout from Brazil's rotten meat scandal accelerated Monday when China, a huge market, suspended imports and the European Union and South Korea demanded a partial ban. Another ban on Brazilian meat imposed by Chile sparked fears of a trade spat between the two South American partners.

• Monday, March 20th 2017 - 08:12 UTC

  Brazil desperate to minimize extent of “Weak Flesh”, exposing bribes and poor controls in meat industry

  

  Brazil's President Michel Temer has sought to reassure foreign trade partners that the corruption scandal engulfing the country's meat industry does not mean its products are unsafe. Meeting ambassadors from Europe, the United States and China to share a barbeque, Temer said his government remained confident about the quality of Brazilian meat.

• Thursday, March 9th 2017 - 11:32 UTC

  Brazil's fertilizer market picks up strongly as sowing area expands

  

  Brazil's fertilizer market, having recovered to set a fresh all-time high last year, will expand further in 2017, Fertilizantes Heringer said, as it unveiled a jump in corn nutrient volumes, but a fallback in sales to coffee growers.

• Friday, February 17th 2017 - 10:25 UTC

  Mexico looking at Argentina and Brazil as an alternative for US corn

  

  Mexican politicians are saber rattling against the US agriculture sector, and it looks like Argentina is ready to fill the gap. In effect Mexico's agriculture minister said on Thursday he will lead a business delegation to Argentina and Brazil to explore buying yellow corn, part of a drive to lessen Mexico's U.S. dependence given uncertainty over President Donald Trump's trade policies.

• Thursday, February 16th 2017 - 16:30 UTC

  Brazil forecasts record soy and corn harvests, on good climate conditions

  

  Conab, the Brazilian crop supply agency lifted its forecast for the second-season corn crop by some 2.5m tons, citing good weather. Conab forecast the Brazilian safrinha crop, which is sown after soybeans are harvested, up 44% year-on-year, to 58.59m tons. This compares to the 56.10m tons Cobab forecast in January.

• Thursday, February 16th 2017 - 12:40 UTC

  US producer prices in January record highest gain in four years

  

  U.S. producer prices recorded their largest gain in more than four years in January amid increases in the cost of energy products, but a strong dollar continued to keep underlying inflation at the factory gate tame.