Agriculture

• Friday, October 30th 2020 - 18:06 UTC

  Drought impacts on Argentine corn planting and overall production and exports

  

  Corn production in Argentina is likely to drop to 48 million tons in 2020-21 from 50 million tons in 2019-20, the US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service in Buenos Aires said in a report released on Thursday.

• Wednesday, October 28th 2020 - 09:10 UTC

  China in nine months imported 3,9 million tons of pork and 1,57 million tons of beef

  

  Chinese imports of meat and offal totaled 830,000 tons in September, 63% higher than the volume recorded for the same month last year, based on information from Beijing's customs office.

• Wednesday, October 28th 2020 - 09:00 UTC

  China takes 51,4% more soybeans from Brazil than in September last year

  

  China imported 51,4% more Brazilian soy during September, than in the same month a year ago according to a release from the Chinese Customs on 25 October. Brazil exported 7.25 million tons of oilseed to China in September compared to 4.79 million tons in the same period in 2019, according to the agency.

• Monday, October 19th 2020 - 08:27 UTC

  Brazil expects a 2020/21 record harvest with an estimated 268,7 million tons

  

  Brazil expects its 2020-2021 grain harvest to beat the record set by the newly completed season by 4.2%, according to an initial forecast released by the state-owned National Supply Company (Conab).

• Saturday, October 17th 2020 - 09:00 UTC

  World's largest meatpacker, Brazil's J&F, pleads guilty in US court on corruption charges

  

  The owner of the world’s largest meatpacker pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court this week to paying nearly US$ 180 million in bribes to top Brazilian officials in exchange for state-backed financing used to go on a buying spree in the U.S.

• Saturday, October 17th 2020 - 08:48 UTC

  Brazil considering temporarily zero tariffs on corn and soybean imports outside Mercosur

  

  The Brazilian government is set to discuss a proposal that would temporarily eliminate tariffs on corn and soy imports from countries outside the Mercosur trade bloc, as recently happened with rice, a staple of the Brazilian diet.

• Friday, October 16th 2020 - 09:20 UTC

  Switzerland bans the export of five toxic chemicals, including paraquat

  

  Starting from next year, Switzerland will not allow the export of five hazardous plant protection products already banned in the European country. The Swiss government approved the amendment to the law on chemical substances this week as part of measures to reduce risks associated with toxic chemicals. It added that the move is intended to help protect health and the environment in importing countries, particularly in the developing world.

• Friday, October 16th 2020 - 08:56 UTC

  Brazilian exports of animal protein booming, with China the leading client

  

  Brazilian exports of chicken, pork, and beef continue to be in high demand in 2020, according to data from the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) and the Brazilian Meat Packers Association (ABRAFRIGO). In September, however, while exports of beef and pork registered a positive performance in relation to the same month of 2019, chicken exports fell 2.3%.

• Wednesday, October 14th 2020 - 09:07 UTC

  China claims it found residues of Covid-19 in Brazilian beef packaging

  

  Two months after China said it found residues of Covid-19 in a batch of chicken wings imported from Brazil, Beijing authorities repeated the announcement, but this time in relation to Brazilian beef. Apparently, traces of Covid-19 were detected in beef packaging during an inspection carried out at the Port of Dalian, one of the largest in the country.

• Monday, October 12th 2020 - 09:15 UTC

  Argentina approves growing GM drought resistant wheat; needs OK from its principal market, Brazil

  

  Argentina has become the first country to approve the growth and consumption of genetically modified wheat, the country's agriculture ministry announced. The ministry's scientific commission said in a statement released in Buenos Aires that it had approved a drought-resistant variety of wheat in the world's fourth-largest exporter of the crop.