Economy

• Friday, August 22nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Insufficient calves and forage threaten Uruguay beef industry

  

  Uruguay which has been breaking beef export records for the last few years is facing growing difficulties in keeping the necessary calves' production level, while the large farmlands dedicated to agriculture keep expanding and forage sowing has been delayed because of lack of sufficient rains.

• Thursday, August 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina: drought has killed 700.000 cattle and delayed sowing

  

  A severe drought in central north Argentine provinces has caused the death of 700.00 livestock, hampered milk production and delayed sowing wheat and sunflower in other regions of the country, according to farmers' organisations leaders.

• Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Private sector says Argentina's budget must increase 19%

  

  The Argentine government will have to increase in 19% its budget for 2008 and in 16% its income in order to balance public spending, as the estimations with which it was calculated “were surpassed” by inflation.

• Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  BoE split three ways over August interest rate setting

  Bank of England policymakers were split three ways for the second meeting in a row at their interest rate-setting meeting earlier this month. Minutes of the meeting showed seven members of the Bank's nine-strong rate- setting body voted to hold rates at 5%.

• Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Third Korean ban in a month on Chilean pork exports

  South Korea for the third time in less than a month temporarily suspended all imports of Chilean pork following the discovery of excessive dioxin levels in a shipment of eleven tons, reported the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

• Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  German legislation limits big stakes from sovereign funds

  

  The German government has approved legislation that would enable it to prevent foreign buyers from taking big stakes in key domestic companies.

• Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina economy “more vigorous than ever” says Minister

  

  Argentine Economy Minister Carlos Fernandez told exporters the country's economy is “more vigorous than ever” and confirmed the current “economic productive model”,' one week after the government began buying back its own bonds to shore up waning investor confidence.

• Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil ratifies tough line on inflation and long term growth

  

  Brazil's reference Selic interest rate will only begin to fall when inflation approaches the 4.5% center-point of the government's annual target, Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said on Wednesday.

• Wednesday, August 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Seven out of ten Argentines disbelieve official inflation index

  

  Seven out of ten Argentines don't believe in the official inflation index from the country's controversial statistics office and trust private estimates, according to a public opinion poll released this week in Buenos Aires.

• Tuesday, August 19th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  China is considering stimulus package and soft monetary policy

  China is considering a stimulus package spending anywhere between the equivalent of 29 and 58 billion US dollars to stimulate the economy and may ease monetary policy towards the end of the year, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.