
Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have advanced a robust agenda aimed at achieving the eradication of hunger in the region, during a major FAO meeting which concluded on Friday in Chile.

Weather conditions in various countries and political tensions in the Black Sea region have made food markets more volatile, FAO reports in the new Food Outlook. In its first major forecast for 2014, FAO puts cereal production at 2 458 million tons (including milled rice), down some 2.4% from the 2013 record, though global output is still expected to be the second largest ever.

Uruguay's dairy industry has overtaken Argentina as the main supplier of milk to Brazil, according to Globo Rural, a Brazilian site which specializes in farming news. Brazil's imports were globally 60% Argentine milk and the rest, 40% from Uruguay, but now Uruguay has moved to over 50%, meaning Argentina is losing ground in Latam largest economy and leading Mercosur partner, Anibal Schaller manager of the Milk Industry Center, admitted to Globo Rural.

NZ Farming Systems Uruguay, the dairy unit of Singapore-based Olam International in Uruguay, has sold some 7,771 hectares of farm land in Uruguay to local interests for about 53.7 million dollars in gross cash proceeds. The transactions would free up cash “for redeployment into more value-accretive projects,” Olam said in a statement.

Because of adverse climate conditions Brazil’s Arabica coffee prices have recently surged 94%, to 2.144 dollars for half a kilogram ($2.30) on the New York futures market.

Brazil is investigating a potential case of atypical mad cow disease, the agriculture ministry said on Thursday, just over a year after several countries banned Brazilian beef imports when a similar case of the disease was confirmed.

Brazilian soy crushing association Abiove said on Tuesday the nation would export 43 million tons of soybeans from this season's nearly harvested crop, down from its forecast of 44 million tons a month earlier due to weaker Chinese demand.

Chinese buyers may default on a further 1.2 million tons of soybeans worth about 900 million dollars being shipped from the United States and South America, to avoid incurring huge losses in a depressed local market, the country’s top soy buyer said.

Next 17 April is “World Malbec Day” and for the fourth running year Argentina Wines will be promoting the image of the varietal in over sixty events in 55 different cities in 44 countries. This year the event will be supported by the pleasure of good music with the purpose of attracting young consumers, 25 to 35 year old.

From farming to forestry and fisheries, agriculture greenhouse emissions have nearly doubled over the past 50 years and may increase by another 30% by 2050, according to new estimates from the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).