Agriculture

• Thursday, March 15th 2012 - 00:40 UTC

  US-Canada and EU agree to end ‘beef war’; Brussels grants 48.000 tons quota

  

  European Parliament has backed a deal that will increase EU imports of beef from the US and Canada and help European food exporters. A row over growth hormones used on North American cattle ranches led to a trade war lasting more than 20 years.

• Wednesday, March 14th 2012 - 23:52 UTC

  Brazilian vessel looses half 5.000 cattle on board and has no port to dock

  

  An animal welfare disaster resulting in the death of more than half the 5.000 cattle on board a Brazilian-owned live export ship bound for Egypt over the past fortnight has prompted renewed calls to ban the industry.

• Tuesday, March 13th 2012 - 07:07 UTC

  India confirms ban on cotton exports; China furious makes official complaint

  

  India will keep a controversial ban on its cotton exports for now after ministers failed to agree its fate at the weekend, even after top buyer China had criticised the move, which boosted global prices.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 05:33 UTC

  Argentina’s top climatologist forecasts 20/21 million tons or corn this season

  

  After back-to-back droughts, Argentine growers could have a record harvest of soybeans and corn next season as the La Niña weather phenomenon makes way for El Niño, one of the country's best-known forecasters anticipated.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 23:42 UTC

  Brazil 2011/12 soy and corn crops estimates slightly lower to 69.5m and 60.4m tons

  

  Brazil’s 2011/12 soybean and corn crops are forecasted to be slightly lower than the original February estimates according to the latest release from industry and market analyst.

• Wednesday, February 15th 2012 - 00:33 UTC

  Brazil and Paraguay soybean harvest forecast downgraded because of lack of rain

  

  Oil World cut its forecast for Brazil and Paraguay soybean production, extending the run of downgrades amid ideas that rains in the last two weeks has been insufficient to put a hold on crop losses.

• Tuesday, February 14th 2012 - 21:16 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez raps business, farmers and unions: Argentina is not Disneyland

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fenandez again full of stamina criticized farmers, business people and workers’ unions, and at the same time called on all sides involved to live in the real Argentina, “not fantasy land, because Argentina is not Disneyland”.

• Monday, February 13th 2012 - 21:25 UTC

  The Falklands “a fantastic corner of the world with much trade to be done”

  

  “Far beyond expectations; this is a fantastic corner of the world”, said Dr. Nicolas Negrin, Head of Mission for the Uruguayan delegation describing his impression of the Falkland Islands. The 19 member Uruguayan business delegation spent a week in the Falklands and left on Saturday with impressions considerably different to those they had arrived with.

• Monday, February 13th 2012 - 21:00 UTC

  FAO Food Price Index up 2% in January, first increase since July 2011

  

  The FAO Food Price Index rose by nearly two percent or four points from December to January, its first increase since July 2011. According to FAO prices of all the commodity groups in the index registered gains last month with oils increasing the most followed closely by cereals, sugar, dairy products and meat.

• Monday, February 13th 2012 - 20:50 UTC

  Agriculture methods accelerate erosion and global warming, says UN report

  

  Global warming will get worse as agricultural methods accelerate the rate of soil erosion, which depletes the amount of carbon the soil is able to store, a United Nations' Environment Programme report said on Monday.