Agriculture

• Wednesday, April 15th 2009 - 05:08 UTC

  Germany bans GM maize; “scientific and not political” decision

  

  Germany is to ban the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) maize - the only GM crop widely grown in Europe. The decision, announced on Tuesday by German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner, is a blow to the US biotech firm Monsanto, which markets the maize.

• Tuesday, April 14th 2009 - 11:51 UTC

  Argentina’s 2008/09 soy bean crop 16% below last year

  

  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) downgraded significantly Argentina’s 2008/09 soy bean crop estimates. Only a month ago the volume forecasted was 43 million tons, but the latest was brought down to 39 million tons.

• Monday, April 13th 2009 - 11:11 UTC

  The success of Brazilian farming and Argentina’s disarray

  

  If forecasts are confirmed the 70 million tons of the 2008/09 Argentine harvest would represent 2.9% of the world’s grain production when in previous crops it had reached 4.2%. Brazil in the meantime will have reached 5.5% of world production. Only a few years ago the difference was minimal with Brazil almost 4% and Argentina above 3%.

• Tuesday, April 7th 2009 - 07:20 UTC

  Argentine wheat farmers warn crop could fall below domestic demand

  

  Argentina farmland dedicated to wheat is forecasted to fall to a minimum, with a crop barely sufficient for the domestic market and no surplus to export to its main market Brazil, according to Santiago Cameron president of the country’s Wheat farmers association.

• Wednesday, April 1st 2009 - 11:42 UTC

  Argentina forecasted to export 10 million tons less of soy this year

  

  Argentina’s soybean crop is estimated to drop ten million tons this year with exports totalling 37 to 39 million, which means the country will receive 3.5 billion US dollars less and the administration of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will see revenues contract by 1.2 billion US dollars.

• Monday, March 30th 2009 - 20:04 UTC

  Uruguayan farmers showcase for new state of the art combines

  

  Farm equipment manufacturer Case IH chose Uruguay and its local distributor Corporación Global, for the Latinamerican launching of one of its largest and most state of the art combine, the Axial-Flow 8120.

• Saturday, March 21st 2009 - 11:28 UTC

  Argentine farmers back on the roads for a week

  

  Argentine farmers are back in the roads, this time for a whole seven-day strike beginning Saturday, the tenth such measure since the conflict erupted a year ago when the administration of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner increased export levies on grains and oilseeds.

• Friday, March 20th 2009 - 10:14 UTC

  Mrs. Kirchner corners farmers who take to the roads again

  

  In a further escalation of the conflict with farmers over taxes, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announced on Thursday that revenue from the levy on soy exports would be shared between the federal, provincial and city governments.

• Friday, March 13th 2009 - 12:50 UTC

  Protesting Argentine farmers prepare for another clash in Congress

  

  Argentine farmers are back on active protest after the latest frustrating meetings with government officials for the moderation or elimination of export taxes on grains and oilseeds and requests of aid for drought stricken areas.

• Thursday, March 12th 2009 - 07:59 UTC

  Falklands working for organic certification with Australian support

  

  Forty per cent of the 1.1 million hectares of agricultural land in the Falkland Islands is working toward organic certification with Australian certification company ACO, according to Biological Farmers of Australia.