Agriculture

• Friday, February 10th 2012 - 04:15 UTC

  Brazil anticipates a 3% contraction in the 2011/12 crop because of severe drought

  

  The 2012 Brazilian grains and oilseed is expected to be below the 2011 record because of the intense drought in the months of December and January, particularly to the south of the country where soybeans and rice suffered most reported the Geography and Statistics Institute, IBGE.

• Tuesday, January 31st 2012 - 05:04 UTC

  Shallow canals and low water levels obstruct Argentina’s main grains terminal

  

  The grounding of two bulk carriers one in the Parana River and a second in the Martin Garcia access canal are evidence of the frail fluvial communications system between the River Plate and the Atlantic, reports the press from the port of Rosario, Argentina’s second largest city and among the world’s main grain export terminals.

• Saturday, January 28th 2012 - 07:13 UTC

  Drought in Argentina and Brazil cuts significantly corn crops’ volumes

  

  Corn advanced heading for the biggest weekly gain in five as concerns that a renewed heat wave in Argentina and south Brazil may damage crops boosted demand for US grain. Soybeans were little changed.

• Friday, January 27th 2012 - 11:01 UTC

  Argentina promises soft credits for farmers to help address drought consequences

  

  The Argentine government agreed with the main farmers’ organizations to grant credits equivalent to 530 million dollars to help combat the drought that affects a large portion of the country and is extensive to neighbouring countries of the Southern Cone.

• Wednesday, January 25th 2012 - 19:37 UTC

  FAO underlines importance of agriculture to address world’s environmental challenge

  

  Agriculture is part of the solution to the world's environmental challenge and must play a key role at next June's Rio summit on sustainable development, the Brazilian head of the UN food agency said this week.

• Wednesday, January 18th 2012 - 05:12 UTC

  Drought emergency in central Argentina and Paraguay but no sufficient rains on sight

  

  Argentine corn and soy farms will suffer from hot weather and scant rains for the rest of this week, forecasters said on Tuesday, increasing worries that crop losses will eat into global supplies.

• Monday, January 16th 2012 - 02:45 UTC

  Argentine government and farmers clash over drought emergency support

  

  As extreme drought conditions punish Argentina’s crops throughout the country farmers’ organizations are at loggerheads with the government of President Cristina Fernandez, which is refusing to increase the emergency fund for such situations and to alleviate the tax burden.

• Friday, January 13th 2012 - 21:02 UTC

  Trade of illegal pesticides booming in Europe under control of organized crime

  

  The trade of illegal and counterfeit pesticides is proliferating in Europe reports Europol. The exceptional ‘low risk – high profit’ margin, combined with the lack of harmonisation in legislation and implementation, make this a fast growing area of organised crime.

• Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 21:52 UTC

  FAO Food prices index in spite of mild drop, reached highest average in 2011

  

  Food prices fell in December 2011 with the FAO Food Price Index dropping 2.4%, or five points from November, FAO said on Thursday. At its new level of 211 points, the Index was 11.3% (27 points) below its peak in February 2011.

• Wednesday, January 11th 2012 - 06:38 UTC

  Brazil targets record harvest of 160.3 million tons of grains and oilseeds in 2012

  

  The Brazilian government lowered 0.1% its estimate for the 2012 harvest that should reach 160.3 million tons, considered a record volume. Overall this year’s harvest should be 0.3% above the 159.9 million tons of 2011, according to data from the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Office, IBGE.