Agriculture

• Tuesday, December 29th 2015 - 21:54 UTC

  Environmental groups blame massive deforestation for floods in Mercosur members

  

  Deforestation is one of the main causes of the floods in South America that have left at least 160,000 people, 25,000 of them in Argentina alone, homeless, environmental groups said.

• Monday, December 28th 2015 - 08:38 UTC

  Argentine central bank building reserves: much depends on farmers and bankers

  

  This short week and the month of January will test if the Argentine administration of president Mauricio Macri can continue to build up Central Bank reserves following on the decision to end the dollar clamp, let the foreign exchange float, together with the prospect of loans and hoarded grain sales.

• Monday, December 28th 2015 - 07:31 UTC

  Argentina issues US$ 5bn in bonds to pay importers; some restrictions persist

  

  The Argentine government will issue bonds worth US$5 billion to be auctioned this week to pay back debt from imports during the previous Cristina Fernandez administration, according to a resolution published by the current government.

• Monday, December 21st 2015 - 07:37 UTC

  Groundbreaking WTO agreement on elimination of agriculture export subsidies

  

  World Trade Organization, or WTO, reached a groundbreaking accord in Kenya on Saturday which obliges developed countries to eliminate subsidies for their agricultural exports as requested by the least developed nations to protect their farmers.

• Saturday, December 19th 2015 - 04:41 UTC

  China's demand for infant milk makes NZ company shares surge 140% in one year

  

  Shares in New Zealand dairy firm - The a2 Milk Company (A2) - were up more than 30% in Sydney on Friday after the firm raised its full-year earnings forecast on demand for its infant formula in China and Australia. It is the second time since November the company has raised its guidance.A2 said group revenue could reach US$ 212 million for the period, up from US$180.

• Thursday, December 17th 2015 - 06:50 UTC

  Argentina lifts foreign currency controls and let's Peso float, as of Thursday

  

  Argentina announced on Wednesday it was lifting currency controls and would allow the peso to float when markets open on Thursday, setting the stage for a devaluation, following pledges by new president Mauricio Macri for reforms to spur economic growth.

• Tuesday, December 15th 2015 - 08:36 UTC

  Brazil in recession, but farming is booming with the 29% fall of the Real

  

  Financial and political turmoil that have Brazil on the brink of a depression is also contributing to one of the best years ever for domestic farmers. Economic stress and a weak currency has facilitated export revenue for everything from soybeans to beef to coffee.

• Tuesday, December 15th 2015 - 08:18 UTC

  Macri slashes agriculture export duties; farmers promise 30% larger crop next year

  

  Argentina's business friendly president Mauricio Macri, announced on Monday large tax cuts on agricultural exports and emphasizing that “the camp was essential to get Argentina back on its feet”. Macri, who took office Thursday, had promised to slash the steep taxes on agricultural exports, which triggered major protests by producers against former president Cristina Fernandez administration.

• Monday, December 14th 2015 - 08:17 UTC

  Brazil's harvest for 2016 estimated at 209.3 million tons, slight drop from 2015

  

  Brazil's harvest in 2016 will reach 209.3 million tons, which is 0.5% less than in 2015 according to the estimates from the Brazilian stats institute, IBGE. The fall is related to less crops of oilseeds, cereals and legumes in the centre west of the vast country, which is also the main farming area, as well as in the north.

• Tuesday, December 8th 2015 - 00:27 UTC

  Major food commodity prices down 18% over a year ago, says FAO index

  

  Major food commodity prices fell in November, reversing about half their rise in the previous month, as the cost of internationally-traded staples, except for sugar, fell across the board. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 156.7 points in November, down 1.6 percent from its revised October average, and 18% below its value a year earlier.