Agriculture

• Wednesday, March 10th 2010 - 05:46 UTC

  Brazil expects second best crop this year with 145.1 million tons

  

  Brazil will harvest a grain crop of 145.1 million tons this year, a volume very close to the record 145.8 million tons of 2008, said the government’s statistics office, IBGE on the basis of February field data.

• Tuesday, March 9th 2010 - 07:32 UTC

  Brazil/US WTO cotton retaliatory dispute takes off

  

  Brazil announced Monday it would levy a total of 591 million US dollars in retaliatory tariffs on US goods under a ruling against US cotton subsidies granted by a World Trade Organization last year. However Brazil also sent a conciliatory message.

• Tuesday, March 9th 2010 - 07:27 UTC

  FAO calls on politicians not to confuse bio-technology with “transgenic”

  

  The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization called for greater global support and funds to be invested in biotechnology research and regretted that so many politicians “do not understand that biotechnology is far more that Genetically Modified Organisms, OGM”.

• Monday, March 1st 2010 - 05:19 UTC

  “Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb” granted protected designation of origin

  

  UK growers of a particular type of rhubarb have hailed the decision to award it special status as “fantastic news for British food”. Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb, which is only grown in the 'Rhubarb Triangle' between Bradford, Wakefield and Leeds, joins products likes champagne and Parma Ham in having its name legally protected.

• Monday, February 22nd 2010 - 19:44 UTC

  Too much rainfall threatening Argentina’s record soybean crop

  

  Argentina’s record soybean crop may yield less than expected as continued downpours threaten to cause beans to rot and fungal diseases to spread, according to a Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange official quoted on Monday.

• Friday, February 19th 2010 - 21:06 UTC

  Abundant rainfall anticipate bumper soybean crops in Brazil and Argentina

  

  Brazil and Argentina, the biggest soybean producers after the US, may harvest as much as a combined 120 million metric tons of the oilseed this year as rain boosts yields, Cargill Inc.’s Jose Luiz Glaser said.

• Wednesday, February 17th 2010 - 23:59 UTC

  Paraguay beef exports in January total 54.8 million US dollars

  

  Chile, Russia, Vietnam and Israel were the main clients for Paraguayan beef and meat products during the month of January totalling 54.8 million US dollars, up 85% over the same month a year ago according to the latest data from the Livestock Health and Quality Service, Senacsa.

• Wednesday, February 17th 2010 - 02:46 UTC

  NZ dairy group in Uruguay reports improved results

  

  NZ Farming Systems Uruguay has reported improved results on the back of better rainfall, growth in its farms, cost cutting and better milk prices.

• Friday, February 12th 2010 - 03:56 UTC

  Abundant rainfall anticipates a record soy bean crop for Argentina

  

  Plentiful rains are anticipating excellent summer crops in Argentina both for maize and soy beans according to the Buenos Aires Cereals Stock market and the US Department of Agriculture, USDA, estimates.

• Thursday, February 11th 2010 - 03:25 UTC

  Mrs. Kirchner and farmers clash over soaring meat prices

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner admitted that “meat prices have risen dramatically” (30 to 40%) but immediately blamed the “farming sector” and its obsession “to be more profitable” as the main reason behind the price escalade.