World Agriculture

Developments, trade, data, and topics in world agriculture

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2014-03-11
Annual global corn yield data revised upAnnual global corn yield data revised up 2014-03-07 09:13 | source: China Grain Network | chicago, March 6: According to the latest report released by Informa Economic Company, a private analysis organization, the global corn production forecast for 2014/15 (July to June of the following year) was raised to 0.9583 billion tons, compared with the earlier forecast of 0.9553 billion tons and 0.9614 billion tons last year, because the harvest area was raised to 0.1741 billion hectares from the earlier forecast of 0.1736 billion hectares and 0.1761 billion hectares last year. Informa expect Ukraine's corn production in 2014/15 to be 23 million tons, up from an earlier forecast of 20 million tons and 30.9 million tons last year. The harvest area was 4.2 million hectares, compared with an earlier forecast of 3.7 million hectares and 4.8 million hectares the previous year. U.S. corn production data remained unchanged at 0.3552 billion tons, compared with 0.3537 billion tons the previous year. The area harvested was 34.7 million hectares, compared to 35.5 million hectares the previous year. The forecast data for Brazil's corn production in 2014/15 remained unchanged at 69.3 million tons, up from 65.5 million tons in the previous year. The harvest area was 1400 10,000 hectares, compared with 14.3 million hectares the previous year. The EU 28 66.4 million tons, compared with 64.7 million tons in the previous year, and the harvested area was 9.4 million hectares, compared with 9.8 million hectares in the previous year. Argentina 26.2 million tons, 22.6 million tons in the previous year. The harvest area was 3.4 million hectares, compared with 3.4 million hectares in the previous year. Mexico's corn production forecast for 2014/15 remains unchanged at 21.4 million tons, compared with 21.7 million tons in the previous year. The harvest area was 6.8 million hectares, compared with 6.8 million hectares in the previous year. China 0.218 billion tons, 0.2177 billion tons in the previous year. The area harvested was 36.6 million hectares, compared to 35.8 million hectares in the previous year. (Source: Game Master
2014-03-11
EU wheat production to hit third all-time high in 2014EU wheat production to hit third all-time high in 2014 2014-03-07 10:01 | media news on March 6: According to the first 2014 wheat production forecast report released by the European Commission, EU wheat production in 2014 is expected to hit the third highest level in history, because the sown area of wheat has increased and the sown area of barley has decreased. The European Commission expects EU wheat production to be 0.1445 billion tons this year, of which 8.67 million tons will be produced in durum. This figure is higher than the previous year's 0.1439 billion tons. However, it is consistent with the latest data of 0.1451 billion tons released by strategic grain companies. The International Grains Council expects the EU to produce 0.143 billion tons of wheat this year. That would be the highest level in six years, when it stood at 0.152 billion tonnes, the European Commission said. However, the European Commission predicts that the final EU wheat inventory in 2014/15 may only increase by 2.4 million tons to 11.8 million tons. From a historical point of view, this data is still low. Although exports may be reduced by about 3.7 million tons, to 23.3 million tons, it is still higher than the 10-year average of 17.7 million tons. According to the European Commission, wheat feed consumption is likely to increase by nearly 5 million tons in 2014, partly because wheat will replace barley and corn to some extent, and partly because of higher demand. The Commission said that the EU cow stock increased. According to the European Commission, wheat production forecasts are based on the premise that weather conditions are normal and help the wheat crop grow well. With the exception of Slovenia, most other regions did not experience extremely cold weather. However, the report cautioned that the risk of frost still exists because many wheat crops lack snow protection. In western regions such as Ireland and the UK, excessive rainfall may prompt farmers to replay or relay spring crops. Editor: Jiangwei (China Grain Network)
2014-02-25
South American soybean harvest market U.S. soybean export pace showed seasonal slowdownSouth American soybean harvest market U.S. soybean export pace showed seasonal slowdown 2014-02-25 10:19 Source: China Grease Net according to the weekly export inspection report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the export inspection volume of U.S. soybeans was 1.27 million tons in the week ending February 20, 2014, which was 1.485 million tons lower than the revised data last week, but higher than 756000 tons in the same period last year. With the South American soybean harvest on the market, the pace of U.S. soybean exports showed a seasonal slowdown. However, exports so far this year continue to be higher than in the same period last year. So far, in the first 25 weeks of the year, U.S. soybean exports have totaled 35.86 million tons, up from 30.087 million tons in the same period last year, an increase of 19.2 percent year-on-year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted in its February supply and demand report that the United States will export 41.1 million tons of soybeans in the year from September 2013 to August 2014, up from 40.69 million tons predicted last month and 14.45 percentage points higher than the previous year's export volume of 35.91 million tons. In the remaining 26 weeks of the year, 202000 tons of soybeans per week will be exported to meet the USDA's export target. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's weekly export inspection report shows that the U.S. shipped about 12 shipments of soybeans to mainland China in the past week, down from about 18 shipments the previous week. In the week ending February 20, 2014, the United States shipped 683,151 tons of soybeans to mainland China, down from 1,001,079 tons the previous week. In the week ending February 20, 2014, U.S. soybean export inspections to China accounted for 53.7 percent of the total U.S. soybean export inspections that week, down from 68.1 percent in the previous week.
2014-02-25
2014 El Niño Threatens Global Rice Production2014 El Niño Threatens Global Rice Production 2014-02-25 09:33 | source: China Grain Network | according to the United Nations World Meteorological Organization on February 24, global meteorological scientists have recorded the temperature rise in the Pacific Ocean and said that El Nino may occur in the second half of this year, when some major rice producing countries will plant rice crops. According to the WMO, preliminary findings indicate that an El Niño phenomenon could develop in the coming months. El Niño usually leads to drought in the main rice producing areas of Asia and Australia, while some parts of South America may experience excessive rainfall. The last El Niño was in 2009, and the phenomenon is usually two to seven years apart. The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects global rice production to be about 0.4715 billion tons in 2014, 500000 tons higher than the expected consumption of 0.471 billion tons. Global opening stocks of rice are estimated at 0.1068 billion tons.
2014-02-25
Syngenta's new GM corn rejected by ADM~ ~ syngenta's new GM corn rejected by ADM 2014-02-24 09:32 | source: China Grain Network foreign media news on February 21: ADM, the world's major grain merchant, said on Friday that ADM will not accept crops containing this genetically modified corn until major importing countries approve the new genetically modified corn produced by Xianzheng (Syngenta). ADM said it would not accept any corn containing Agrisure Duracade ingredients for domestic processing or export. Earlier, Cargill and Bunge also said they would refuse to handle the genetically modified corn. After the U.S. government approved Duracade genetically modified corn from Syngenta last year, this year the corn went on sale in the United States for the first time for spring planting. But neither China nor the European Union has approved the import of this genetically modified corn. For now, we reserve the right to test corn delivered by farmers and reject corn containing Duracade genetically modified ingredients, said Jackie Anderson, an ADM spokeswoman. The U.S. government's approval of the commercial sale of Duracade has divided the U.S. agriculture industry and global grain merchants. Some U.S. growers have expressed a willingness to plant the new variety of corn that can fight root disease, but exporters have warned that the genetically modified corn, which is not approved by China and the European Union, could hinder U.S. corn exports. Last week, Cargill said it would not accept any corn containing Duracade for export contracts. Bunge also said it would not handle the corn until major overseas importers approved the Duracade. Critics of genetically modified crops point out that such crops lead to pesticide abuse, pose a harm to the environment, and that the food produced can be harmful to people. Since November last year, China has returned more than 600,000 tons of U.S. corn and manufactured goods due to the detection of unapproved Agrisure Viptera genetically modified corn, also known as MIR162 corn, from these shipments. The National Grain Feed Association (NGFA) and the North American Export Grain Association sent a letter to Syngenta last month asking the company to suspend commercial sales of Duracade and MIR162 genetically modified corn pending approval in China and other export markets. But Syngenta rejected the request. A spokesman for Syngenta said planting of GM corn could reach 700000 acres in Duracade. However, the NGFA estimates that no more than 300000 acres will be planted. The United States planted 95.4 million acres of corn in 2013. Exporters said that even if Duracade corn is only planted on a small scale, it is still possible to "accidentally" export to China, because the fields of genetically modified corn are very close to other corn fields, and it is easy to mix with other corn in harvesting, transportation and storage. (Source: Game Master)
2014-02-21
Global Tide of Recreation: The World's Overseas Crazy "Enclosure"Global Tide of Recreation: The World's Overseas Crazy "Enclosure" february 20, 2014 Source: Financial Times guide: After another intraday high for basic commodities such as wheat, a sigh from a young Chicago trader leaked the sky: "Basic commodities are now at their peak, but this won't last forever." why? It's better to buy food than land. Capital is moving into the upper reaches of the underlying commodity-farmland. The Italian journalist StefanoLiberti revealed in the book "LandGrabbing" ("Land Grabbing") that the trends of various countries in the agricultural field are brewing a new round of global land grabbing wars after the colonial era. Like the cannons of the colonial era, capital is equally powerful: in Ethiopia's Great Rift Valley, Africa's most avant-garde industrial farms have taken shape; Latin America, Argentina, Paraguay, etc., the capital monopoly of the "United Republic of Soybeans" roared everywhere; Ukraine, this already formed European "granary", still has 40% of potential farmland, luring capital to become farmers. This is the overseas land. The resurgence of land enthusiasm, according to Sean Donnan, world trade editor of the Financial Times, is due to "after the food price crisis of 2007-2008, capital spied both the vulnerability of food security and the opportunity of basic commodities, so governments and enterprises bought agricultural land in large quantities around the world." "Mastering land means mastering resources and prices, and then mastering the right to speak." Cui Xinsheng, chief researcher of CCVI China Value Index, said in an interview with a reporter from the International Finance News. But the complexity of the problem is that, in terms of China's national conditions, in the new round of global agricultural land layout, will China provide capital or land? Who is in the field the traditional countries of the field are generally resource-poor countries, such as Japan, or the traditional capital exporting countries, such as the United States. After 2008, some new countries began to participate in this game, such as the Middle East countries, India where are the fields? Ma Wenfeng, an agricultural analyst at Oriental Iger, told the International Finance News that in recent years, countries and regions such as Africa, South America, Eastern Europe, Canada and Russia are gradually becoming coveted by global capital predators and resource-poor countries. China's neighbor Japan is the "originator" of overseas farms ". Data show that as early as 1899, a company officially funded by Japan sent farm workers to Peru, which was the beginning of Japan's organized "enclosure" overseas in Latin America. In April 2009, the Japanese government took the lead in holding an overseas agricultural investment promotion conference, and subsequently promulgated the "Guidelines for Promoting Overseas Agricultural Investment to Ensure Food Security", encouraging Japanese companies to increase overseas agricultural investment, and investment covers production, acquisition, and circulation., Export and other fields. For example, at the end of 2009, Japan's Mitsui Company purchased 100000 hectares of farmland in Brazil to grow soybeans. "The area of arable land involved in this agreement alone is equivalent to 2% of the arable farmland in Japan". "In recent years, Japanese companies have rented and purchased a large amount of farmland in Brazil, Africa, and Central Asia to grow organic crops. Japan now has three times more overseas farmland than domestic farmland (public data is 12 million hectares)." According to a report published by the NGO GRAIN. In addition to Japan, another "originator" of the world's overseas farms is the United States. At the beginning of the last century, the United States consciously grew agricultural products in its overseas colonies (8.38,0.00,0.00 percent). By the end of the last century, the United States, which had already mastered the global voice, began to invest in overseas agriculture on a large scale. Under the background of promoting bioenergy (such as ethanol fuel), it bought or rented large areas of farmland to grow corn in Brazil, Mexico and other countries. For the U. S., the latest news from Ukraine. The British "Financial Times" stated on January 13 that Cargill, a US-based agricultural trading giant, has invested US $0.2 billion in Ukraine's largest agricultural comprehensive holding company Ukr-LandFarming. Ukraine is the largest country in Europe outside Russia. Nearly 70% of the country's land area is arable land. Nearly one-third of the world's black soil belt (most suitable for food cultivation) is in Ukraine. Although Ukraine does not completely allow the sale of land, one of the data that foreign agricultural giants are most concerned about is that up to now, 40% of Ukraine's agricultural potential has not been tapped. "This company is very accurate. Although it is a business, the potential resources behind it cannot be ignored." For Cargill's investment, analysts believe. China's other neighbor, South Korea, is also eager to reclaim its land overseas. In mid-January 2008, South Korea's Daewoo Logistics Company announced that it would lease 1.3 million hectares of farmland to the African island nation of Madagascar for a 99-year lease to grow crops to supply domestic demand. It has been estimated that "this deal accounts for almost half of the land suitable for farming on the island." after World War II, the Korean government has long been aware of the crisis of its food security situation. In the late 1970 s, in order to implement the policy of increasing rice production, the South Korean government purchased land in Argentina and opened the first overseas wasteland farming project in South Korea. In early 2008, then South Korean President Lee Myung-bak issued a call to "establish overseas grain bases" and strive to increase the self-sufficiency rate of South Korea's grain production (including domestic production and overseas farming) to 50%. In January 2012, South Korea's Overseas Agricultural Development Cooperation Law officially came into effect. In the past, investment targets limited to petroleum and other mineral resources were expanded to foreign agricultural resources such as rice, soybeans, corn, and animal husbandry, which provided for the development of foreign agricultural projects. Legal protection. India's movements are equally noteworthy. In May 2011, when reporters from the International Finance News communicated with local media in India, their views were almost the same. While protecting domestic iron ore and other resources, they hoped that India could actively "go out" and expand its resources. The territory includes overseas rare earths, agriculture and other resources, "because India itself has to meet the needs of more than one billion people in all aspects". In fact, one public information is that in 2008, 15 Indian companies, led by the National Trading Corporation of India, began negotiations on renting farmland in Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil. At the same time, Indian companies have also purchased cash crop estates in Myanmar, Indonesia and other countries. To this end, the Indian government once wanted to change the law, and the Reserve Bank of India also considered relaxing lending restrictions on these overseas farm enterprises. In addition to China's many neighboring countries and the United States, in recent years, the trend of Middle Eastern countries is also worthy of attention. For example, Saudi Arabia has long said it intends to set up a large overseas agricultural investment company to ensure the country's food supply. Countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, which have been heavily dependent on food imports in the past, learned from the food crisis from 2007 to 2008 and formed the Gulf States Cooperation Council to work together to find opportunities for farming overseas. It is said that their "target" countries are Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan, Thailand, Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries, as well as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Russia and Turkey in Central Asia and Europe have reached or are negotiating land lease and land purchase agreements. Tuntian = Weapons? In addition to the national policy, the more dynamic investors from some financial giants. The fundamental reason for this investment flow is that food itself is a very mature financial product. The purpose of capital is to make a profit, but the more dangerous purpose of controlling food is to use food as a bargaining chip and thus control everything. It is worth noting that in the tide of overseas reclamation, there are two points that have attracted the attention of the industry. First, it is not just physical companies and countries that are operating overseas, but financial firms and commodity trading giants are also acquiring farmland. In 2008, US financial giant Morgan Stanley bought 40000 hectares of farmland in Ukraine, British investment company Landkom also bought 100000 hectares of farmland in Ukraine, and two Swiss investment companies, Black Soil Reclamation Company and Alpaco Agricultural Company, also bought 331000 hectares and 128000 hectares of farmland in Russia in 2008. Today, when food prices are becoming more and more "financialized", the land purchase behavior of financial enterprises has to be observed. In the global food crisis from 2007 to 2008, financial companies moved around the market and raised prices, which caused many food-deficit countries a headache. William Endor, an American scholar in Germany, introduced in his 2008 book Food Crisis that since the outbreak of the food crisis in the early 1970 s, as world food stocks reached an all-time low, Wall Street investment banks, hedge funds and other financial institutions speculated wildly, resulting in more than double the international prices of wheat, rice, corn and other basic food crops. Secondly, in overseas operations, China has become a coveted object. In May 2011, Japan's Asahi Beer Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., and Itochu Commercial Co., Ltd. jointly funded the establishment of three Fortune 500 companies. "5 years ago (2006) in Laiyang City, Shandong Province, it signed a contract involving Thousands of acres of arable land lease'foreign contract' directly entered China's agricultural production link, breaking the previous program of foreign investment in Chinese agriculture focused on processing and sales, from" seller "to" farmer '." if soybeans are also counted as food products, then some overseas agricultural giants have long been deployed in areas rich in black soil resources such as Heilongjiang in China, and have the right to speak upstream. In Ma Wenfeng's view, the purpose of the tide of overseas farming in various countries may not be generalized, nor can it all be characterized by conspiracy theory. For example, some countries are indeed to ensure their own food security and ensure their own domestic food supply; some countries may be to use the cheap labor of the local country to reduce costs; and some may have certain political purposes, in order to win over The political and economic relationship of the local country, etc. "Business is always business. But what cannot be ignored is that the underlying national interest thinking behind some deals has to be learned." Ma Wenfeng think. "because, in reality, mastering the global voice of agricultural land and other resources has a subtle impact on the food security of emerging market countries, including China, directly or indirectly." According to Ma Wenfeng, for example, the voice of agricultural giants has been demonstrated. "In recent years, as long as there is a gap in wheat and corn in the Chinese market, and then they have to import these grains from overseas, some overseas agricultural giants will increase prices and earn Large profits, at the same time, Chinese state-owned import enterprises have to pay more funds. In fact, this is not a good phenomenon for China, which has a 1.4 billion population and a growing potential demand for food". As a matter of fact, the resources such as grain and other resources that countries hold overseas are not used for food unilaterally. "Whoever controls the food controls all the people; whoever controls the oil controls all the countries; whoever controls the currency controls the whole world." Former US Secretary of State Kissinger's famous saying put food in the first place. Endor also cited in his book "Food Crisis" that U.S. food aid once served as a more powerful political weapon than oil trade: in 1949, when the People's Republic of China was established, the United States and other Western allies immediately imposed a comprehensive blockade and commodity embargo on China, including food, which lasted until the early 1970 s. From 1965 to 1967, US President Johnson adopted a policy of restricting food exports to India, eventually forced India to change its foreign policy of opposing the US invasion of Vietnam. China Action is China a capitalist or a land provider? In China, there are both situations. But there is no doubt that the temptation to farm is growing. Fundamentally, it is still 1.8 billion mu of arable land, 1.4 billion population, China's ability to feed itself is close to the limit. China's actions in Ukraine, or see this urgency. Cui Xinsheng believes that in the field of food security, China should also have its own "going out" thinking. "from a strategic point of view, China may not need to open up fields on a large scale, but it cannot but have its own ability to distribute resources to ensure China's food security". "In addition, from the perspective of China's own agricultural land resources, the small amount of farmland per capita has always guaranteed the food rations of 1.4 billion people in China. From an international perspective, it is not easy." Cui Xinsheng said. The book "Food Security: Challenges and Responses of the Century" published in 2013 also stated that although China currently accounts for 6% of the world's water resources and 9% of arable land, it has basically solved the food ration problem that accounts for about one-fifth of the world's population. However, the pressure of population, resources and environment has been quite prominent. "In the future, agriculture and food production will be more and more restricted by resources and environment, we should learn from relevant international experience and take effective measures to strengthen the development, utilization and protection of natural resources, and promote the development of sustainable agriculture and food security". The above factors seem to have become the direct cause of China's going out of the "field. In fact, Ma Wenfeng has long observed that in the past few years, China's overseas agricultural investment has covered Oceania, South America and other regions. Japanese media have noticed that since the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board relaxed foreign investment restrictions on residential real estate at the end of 2008, real estate investment from overseas has increased significantly. Among them, China's investment in agricultural land in Australia once increased nine times, such as large livestock farms. In South America, the state-owned Beidahuang (10.17,0.00,0.00 per cent) Group developed 234000 hectares of land in Argentina to grow soybeans and corn. Chongqing Grain Group, a local state-owned enterprise in Chongqing, spent US $0.375 billion to grow soybeans in Brazil and US $1.2 billion to grow soybeans, corn and cotton in an Argentine development base. On the recent situation, the market was once a lot of people before the signal of excitement. At least in the resource-rich Ukrainian market, China is not "doing nothing". When Ukrainian President Yanukovych visited China in December 2013, the two countries decided to give priority to and strengthen cooperation in a series of areas, including agriculture. Prior to this, there was also cooperation at the official level-on May 25, 2012, during the second meeting of the Agricultural Cooperation Sub-Committee of the China-Ukraine Cooperation Committee, the Export-Import Bank of China, China Complete Engineering Co., Ltd., the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, and the State Food of Ukraine The Grain Group jointly signed the "China-Ukraine Agricultural Cooperation Framework Agreement" with an agreement amount of 3 billion US dollars. "Ukraine has resources and China has technology and capital. In terms of agricultural cooperation, China should not give up this European'granary '." Cui Xinsheng said. More than that, Ukraine's unian news agency announced in late September last year that China's Xinjiang production and Construction Corps signed a 50-year agreement with Ukrainian agricultural company KSGAgro. The country's Kiev Post also revealed that the investment was "more than US $2.6 billion" and was an "unprecedented foreign investment" in Ukraine's agricultural sector ". The South China Morning Post also revealed that Ukraine will initially provide China with more than 100000 hectares of high-quality farmland in the eastern region of Dnipropetrovsk-an area equivalent to Hong Kong, mainly for planting crops and raising pigs. The project will be extended to 3 million hectares of land. "If this investment is ultimately successful, Ukraine will become China's largest agricultural center overseas." in the end, the above news has not been officially confirmed. According to media reports, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps initially negotiated 3000 hectares, and later the negotiation was expanded to 20000 hectares. The form of cooperation between the two parties was "mainly in the field of financing and irrigation systems" and "only in the demonstration stage". After the above-mentioned news of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps's purchase of land in Ukraine, there were voices of jealousy from other countries. The Times of India commented, "This is called planning for the future. China is acquiring natural resources everywhere, including oil and gas fields, coal fields, and now farmland, not only to meet current fuel and food needs, but also to prepare for future needs." Another Indian netizen questioned: "Is this a novel way for the Chinese to seize the territory of other countries?" "Jealousy is just a small thing. But when Chinese companies go out to buy, they do encounter criticism from other countries." Lin Boqiang, director of the China Energy Economic Research Center of Xiamen University [Weibo], previously told a reporter from the International Finance News that on the one hand, everyone will pay attention to the status of the acquirer's state-owned enterprise and think it is a "national action"; on the other hand, cultural differences are different., It will also make all parties show inadaptability. China's overseas land purchases have previously been wary of other countries. In November 2011, despite the early preparations and the approval of some government officials, Iceland finally rejected the land purchase request of Huang Nubo, chairman of Zhongkun. "This is actually a reference to the fact that political obstruction will be the biggest obstacle to China's large-scale overseas purchase of farmland." Cui Xinsheng also said. Some analysts believe that in order to support the "going global" of agriculture, the government should establish agricultural cooperation relations with investment target countries and sign investment agreements. The public sector and industry associations should cooperate with enterprises to provide guarantees for agricultural enterprises to "go global". Possibly provide political protection and avoid political and social risks. In addition, in view of the large amount of investment, long cycle and high risk in agricultural "going out", the government should also provide credit, tax and insurance support for agricultural enterprises to "go out. Japan's experience is also worth learning from. "Through appropriate system design, Japan has realized a diversified agricultural'going out' model, from trade cooperation to production investment, from the acquisition of land to self-management to order production, from the establishment of subsidiaries to joint ventures with local enterprises. The political, social and agricultural industry conditions of different countries and regions have effectively avoided political and investment risks in accordance with local conditions." defend food "China has no plans for overseas farming." This is the bottom line that China's official position has always adhered. The sensitivity of overseas land is that there seems to be a suspicion of plunder. In China, the clearest attitude towards this policy is that China cannot rely on "overseas farming" to ensure food security, but it can be used as a path that can be explored. There has always been a voice of opposition to the initiative of "overseas farming" in various countries. The more common view is that "rich countries are plundering the resources of poor countries." At a G-8 summit of agriculture ministers, Goffen, vice-president of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers, criticized that the "overseas farming" of rich countries would evolve into a second generation of colonialism, that is, "plundering resources and making poor countries poorer". And the United Nations [microblogging] Agricultural Development Foundation President Navaz is tit-for-tat response: "The world urgently needs private capital to invest in agricultural development projects in poor countries. Otherwise, in 2050 when the world's population reaches 9 billion, the United Nations will be difficult to guarantee world food security." li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Development of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, "Theoretically, through international investment, it is conducive to combining land resources and advanced technology to transform resource advantages into economic advantages. But big capital may plunder resources and infringe on the interests of small producers. Therefore, big capital to enter agriculture, especially overseas capital into domestic agriculture, may bring real damage." in fact, looking at the official statements on overseas land in recent years, they are mainly cautious. In 2009, Niu Dun, the vice minister of agriculture, said that the Chinese government tends to rely on its own land to ensure food self-sufficiency, which is different from countries such as Saudi Arabia and South Korea that invest in overseas farmland. "We cannot rely on investment in other countries to ensure our own food security, we have to rely on ourselves." Niu Dun said. According to Niu Dun's statement during the National Two Sessions in 2013, in addition to soybeans, "the self-sufficiency rate of China's staple food is now about 97%, and the national target is 95%". As early as 2008, Zhang Xiaoqiang, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, also said that China's agricultural "going out" is mainly as defined in the outline of the medium-and long-term Plan for National Food Security (2008-2020). Establish a stable and reliable guarantee system for imported grain sources in the process of international cooperation. "at present, we also know that China accounts for a large amount of soybean imports, more than double the domestic output, in this case, through international cooperation, there is a stable and reliable system in the procurement and logistics of international soybeans. It should be said that this is what we are currently concerned about". "In some places where conditions permit, some oil crop cultivation, grain production, vegetable and fruit production are carried out in various ways and locally. It should be said that the national policy also supports qualified enterprises to carry out according to the conditions of different countries and regions. However, it is definitely not a large-scale Chinese farmer or enterprise that goes overseas to buy or rents land from other countries for a long time to grow grain in large quantities, correspondingly rely on it to ensure China's food security." Zhang Xiaoqiang said at the time. It is worth noting that, according to official media reports, in November last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a symposium at the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences that ensuring food security is an eternal issue for China and cannot be relaxed at any time. "Historical experience tells us that once a great famine occurs, it is useless to have money". Xi Jinping also stressed that to solve the problem of 1.3 billion people eating, "we must adhere to the domestic". The book "Food Security: Century Challenges and Responses" suggests that China's natural resource utilization and protection should pay attention to international experience in irrigation modernization, farmland protection and ecological compensation. In this regard, Ma Wenfeng's suggestion is that overseas farming can be a "supplement", but relying solely on this strategy is not enough to make up for China's rising food gap. In the final analysis, "it is still necessary to rely on domestic resources and tap potential". Ma Wenfeng suggested that supporting agricultural development requires an appropriate increase in the prices of agricultural products, but in the context of the current global economic integration, relying only on increasing the price level of domestic food year by year will be severely restricted. The key is to realize China's agricultural modernization, that is, to realize The scale, industrialization, mechanization, informatization and application of modern biotechnology in agriculture of China's agricultural production have continuously improved the global competitiveness of China's agriculture. "At present, the per capita arable land area of China's agricultural labor force is small, which has become an important factor restricting the development of agricultural scale and industrialization." Ma Wenfeng believes that, therefore, in order to realize agricultural modernization, the most fundamental thing is to develop non-rural industries in rural areas, absorb surplus labor under modern agricultural conditions, and realize the scale and modernization of agricultural production. At the same time, it is necessary to reduce or exempt all taxes on small, medium and micro enterprises in rural areas, and technical and financial support should be given to projects that can indeed drive more employment in rural areas, and more resources to promote China's and even global economic development should be transferred to my country's rural areas., So as to realize the improvement of the overall strength and overall level of my country's economy, and realize the integration of urban and rural economies.
2014-02-11
Syngenta may still be selling GM corn that has not been approved in ChinaSyngenta may still be selling GM corn that has not been approved in China 2014-02-10 09:04 | source: China Grain Network | WASHINGTON, Feb. 8-U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Friday that Syngenta (Syngenta) is obligated to sell all genetically modified corn, even though the genetically modified variety has not been approved by China. Vilsack said that regardless of whether China approves the genetically modified corn, known as MIR162 or Agrisure Viptera, Syngenta is still selling it, and the supply for the 2014 planting season has been "basically sold out". Since November last year, China has returned about 600,000 tons of U.S. corn because of the discovery of MIR162 genetically modified corn produced by Syngenta. The corn was approved in the United States in 2010, but is still awaiting approval in China. At the end of last month, two major food groups in the United States issued a statement demanding that Syngenta suspend the commercial sale of two genetically modified corn. In their statement, the National Grain Feed Association (NGFA) and the North American Export Grain Association (NAEGA) asked the company to suspend the promotion of its Viptera (MIR162) and the Duracade of genetically modified corn until approved by China and other U.S. corn importing countries. Vilsack said he was aware that Syngenta and China still had problems with the approval of Viptera genetically modified corn, but he pointed out that China had recently renewed a number of safety permits for genetically modified products so that China could import these genetically modified corn and soybeans. We have been working to make Chinese regulators more receptive to GM products, he added. U.S. industry groups pointed out in an open letter at the end of last month that U.S. corn exports had been threatened by Syngenta's commercial promotion in the United States before it was approved by the importing country. NAEGA and NGFA are deeply concerned about the economic damage faced by exporters, distributors and U.S. growers as a result of Syngenta's current improper handling of GM corn approvals, the statement said. In addition: on Wednesday (February 5), Swiss Syngenta (Syngenta) officials said they had sold out MIR162 genetically modified corn banned in China. U.S. grain exporters had asked Syngenta to suspend sales of genetically modified corn seeds that have not yet been approved by China. Davor Pisk, chief operating officer of Syngenta, told an analyst meeting that the market demand is strong because the genetically modified seed can resist root disease. MIR162 transgenic corn is also known as Agrisure Duracade. Syngenta announced that it had sold out of the genetically modified seeds, bringing the market's focus back to grain traders, who must decide whether to buy the genetically modified corn grown by farmers. Major U.S. grain industry groups have previously called for Syngenta to suspend the commercialization of Duracade and another genetically modified corn Agrisure Viptera until China approves imports. (Source: Boyi Master)
2014-02-11
USDA Counsellor: Brazil's corn production in 2014 may reach 70 million tonsUSDA Counsellor: Brazil's corn production in 2014 may reach 70 million tons 2014-02-10 08:54 | source: China Grain Network | washington, February 7: According to the latest counsellor report released by the US Department of Agriculture's Overseas Agriculture Bureau, Brazil's corn production will reach 70 million tons in 2014/15 (March to February of the following year). That compares with 81 million tons the previous year. According to the counsellor, the area of corn harvested in Brazil in 2014/15 is estimated at 14.7 million hectares, compared with 15.8 million hectares in the previous year. Brazilian corn exports in 2014/15 may reach 21 million tons, compared with 26 million tons in the previous year. Domestic use is estimated at 55 million tons, compared with 52 million tons the previous year. Counsellor expects Brazil's corn ending stock to be 7.9 million tons in 2014/15, compared with 13.1 million tons in the previous year. According to the latest counselor's report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Overseas Agriculture Bureau, Mexico's corn production in 2013 may be 21.5 million tons, lower than the earlier forecast of 21.7 million tons. That compares with 21.6 million tonnes in 2012. Counsellor expects Mexico to import 11.2 million tons of corn in 2013/14 (October to September of the following year), compared with the earlier forecast of 8 million tons and 5.7 million tons last year. Domestic consumption was 31 million tons, compared with an earlier forecast of 29 million tons and 27 million tons the previous year. Among them, feed and other consumption was 14.5 million tons, compared with an earlier forecast of 12.5 million tons and 11 million tons the previous year. Mexican corn ending stocks for 2013/14 are expected to be 2.5 million tons, compared with an earlier forecast of 1.6 million tons and 1.1 million tons the previous year. (Source: Game Master)
2014-02-11
UK farmers and environmental groups: floods threaten food securitySevere floods 'threaten food security', say farmers and environmental groups Government accused of failing to address effects of climate change on coastal and rural areas Jamie Doward, Toby Helm, Damian Carrington and Robin McKie The Observer, Saturday 8 February 2014 21.30 GMT Jump to comments (816) Flooded village of Moorland Aerial view of the flooded village of Moorland in Somerset. Photograph: James Dadzitis/SWNS.com Severe flooding threatens to undermine the country's food security, according to farmers and environmental groups, who today accuse the government of failing to address the effects of climate change on coastal and rural areas. As gales swept southern and western parts of the UK, with already drenched counties bearing the brunt of the storms, it has emerged that parliament's select committee on the environment warned in a report last year that "the current model for allocating flood defence funding is biased towards protecting property, which means that funding is largely allocated to urban areas. Defra's [the Department of the Environment's] failure to protect rural areas poses a long-term risk to the security of UK food production, as a high proportion of the most valuable agricultural land is at risk of flooding ." "We need a response from government that recognises the importance for our long-term food security of safeguarding high-quality farmland," said Neil Sinden of the Campaign to Protect Rural England. "We need to view the countryside as more than a place for building, and value it for the food it provides ." Defra has estimated that 35,000 hectares of high-quality horticultural and arable land will be flooded at least once every three years by the 2020s. This could rise to around 130,000 hectares by the 2080s if there is no change to current flood defence provision. Peter Kendall, chairman of the National Farmers Union, which has produced evidence showing that 58% of England's most productive farmland lies within a floodplain, said the floods were a wake-up call for a country that has "believed for too long that producing food wasn't a big issue ". "We are seeing more of these intense extreme weather events," Kendall said. "Climate change does now really challenge mankind's ability to feed itself ." He said much of the flooding was down to "almost a deliberate policy of neglect of the watercourses" that had seen the Environment Agency "putting birds first and people second", a reference to the agency's attempts to encourage more wetland areas in the UK to promote biodiversity. His comments were the latest salvo fired at the agency's chairman, Lord Smith, who was defended robustly by wildlife charities. In a letter in the Observer, the heads of the RSPB, the Wildfowl and Wetland Trusts, the Wildlife Trusts and the Angling Trust, said: "Ultimately, it is governments that have set the policies that have hamstrung flood planning in some vulnerable areas: allowing homes to be built and failing to make both homes and farmland more resilient to floods. Cuts to the Environment Agency merely risk reducing it from a flood-management body to an emergency response service and making future floods even more damaging ." Whistleblowers within the agency told the Observer that frontline flood staff were being cut, despite Smith's pledges that reducing the agency's emergency response was a "red line" that could not be crossed. "People need to be aware that some of the frontline staff are taking a big hit, particularly when we are facing some of the worst flooding ever seen in southern England," said one EA source. He said that, at the same time that frontline staff were being put onto 24/7 duty rotas, managers were being asked to cut staff by 13% across all regions. "This salami slicing approach is entirely wrong," he said. "This government is steadily dismantling the nation's ability to tackle flooding and prepare for climate change," said Friends of the Earth's Guy Shrubsole. An Environment Agency spokesman said: "The planned reductions in posts will not affect the Environment Agency's ability to respond to flooding incidents ." The government's response to the floods is threatening to damage the Tory brand in rural areas. Jeremy Browne, the Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton Deane, said that the Conservatives had left themselves open to criticism, having rebranded themselves as a "green" party, only to lose enthusiasm after a couple of years in office. "People have good reason to believe that that was a fairly cynical exercise and that much of the party remains unconvinced of the need to have a coherent environmental policy," Browne said. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/08/severe-floods-threaten-food-security-climate-change
2014-02-11
World Bank says fisheries can secure future food securityWorld Bank says fish offers future food security Monday, February 10, 2014 - 00:00 -- BY RICHARD MUNGAI Aquaculture and fisheries will provide future food security which will be critical in feeding the growing population beyond 2030, a World Bank study shows. The study titled 'Fish To 2030; Prospects for Fisheries and Aquaculture' says the global population will hit nine billion by 2050 and food producing sectors like aquaculture will be vital in providing nutrition, as crops will not be sufficient because the increasing population will occupy much of the land meant for agriculture. “The world is getting more crowded in the face of global climate change, hence it is required to change the ways of conducting economic activities and fisheries and aquaculture can address these challenges as they offer a large potential of rapidly increasing fish supply," the study says. According to the study, during the last three decades, seafood production increased from 69 million tonnes to 93 million tonnes, while at the same time world aquaculture production increased from five million tons to 63 million tonnes. “Currently observed trends projects that the total fish supply will increase from the current 154 million tonnes to 186 million tonnes in 2030," the study said. However, the study states that per capita fish consumption in Sub Saharan Africa will decline at an annual rate of one per cent towards 2030. The study adds that the current prices in the market signal underlying imbalances in fish supply from developing countries and demand in the developed countries. “Developing countries are well integrated in the global fish trade and understanding the global links of supply and demand in a given region will be critical in solving these imbalances." Fish offers high value animal protein and is low in saturated fats, carbohydrates, and cholesterol and also contains vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids, the study says. - See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-154619/world-bank-says-fish-offers-future-food-security#sthash.uHZ9mpEC.dpuf
2014-02-04
China's West: In Search of Food~~No. 023/2014 dated 4 February 2014 China is Marching West for Food By Zhang Hongzhou Synopsis china's 'Marching West' strategy has gained international attention as a counter-response to the US pivot to Asia. But food could be an important driver behind China's westward advance. Commentary AS THE United States pivots towards the east, China launched the so-called “Marching West” strategy to avoid a direct confrontation with the Americans - a strategy first articulated by a prominent Chinese scholar Wang Jisi. While much of the attention has been given to the strategic and diplomatic importance of countering the US pivot to Asia and on China's overseas quest for energy resources, food could be an important driver behind China's Marching West strategy. Diversifying from the US For decades, self-sufficiency has been the cornerstone of China's food security strategy. Yet, facing dual challenges of rapidly growing demand for food and fast-depleting water, land and labour resources, China has to import large quantities of food from other countries. As it relies more on foreign imports to feed itself, an overdependence on US imports, amid deep-seated Sino-US strategic distrust, is drawing serious concern. To better safeguard the country's food security, China aims to diversify its food imports away from the US and build its own global food supply system by investing in overseas agricultural resources. To secure its food supplies, China is marching west, particularly to Russia, Central Asia and Europe, where food and agricultural resources abound. Russia In contrast to China, Russia, especially, its Far East region, has wide swathes of unfarmed fertile land. As China faces increasing difficulties to produce enough food to feed its people, the Chinese government opened talks on investing in Russian farmland. In 2012, China Investment Corporation contributed US$ 1 billion to a joint Russian-Chinese fund to invest in agriculture and timber in Russia and other former Soviet states. Chinese firms, led by state-owned firms have leased at least 600,000 hectares of land, and 800,000 hectares of forests. Central Asia According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Central Asia has vast untapped agricultural resources and a vital role in improving world food security. Yet it faces key obstacles in its farming techniques, inputs, agricultural machinery, along with transport infrastructure and storage facilities. This makes Central Asia an ideal target for China's agricultural going-out, particularly given the stable and close relations between China and Central Asian countries. In 2012, Wen Jiabao announced that China would consider setting up a China-Central agricultural cooperation fund and building several trade zones and agricultural demonstration centres to promote agricultural development in the region. And in 2013, addressing a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan, Chinese leader Xi Jinping proposed that SCO countries should establish a cooperation mechanism for food security. Two main Central Asian countries targeted by China are Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. In Tajikistan, China has leased or controlled over 100,000 hectares of land so far. Both countries are also discussing the possibility of establishing a free trade zone in neighbouring countries to expand trade in agricultural products. In Kazakhstan, Chinese companies have already had large presence in the country's agricultural sector. It is reported that China's state-owned Jilin Grain Group invested in one project covering one million hectares of land in Kazakhstan for soybean production. Also, two countries have taken serious efforts to facilitate cross-border agricultural trade. In December last year, China opened its first green channel for agricultural product, connecting its Bakty port and Kazakhstan's Baktu port. The green channel, which is a significant part of the development of a Silk Road economic zone, helps China meet its growing demand for grains. Europe European countries are among the world's leading food exporters. As China looks to diversify its food imports away from the United States to strengthen the country's food security, it is interested in expanding agricultural trade with Europe's leading food exporters, such as France, the Netherlands and Germany. In 2012, China and the European Union signed the Agriculture Cooperation Plan, which aims to address issues including food security and the environment, with a goal of expanding trade relations and sustainability. At the 16th China-EU Summit in November 2013, a Letter of Intent on Research and Innovation Cooperation in Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology was signed between the EU and China, with the hope to enhance cooperation on food security and safety. China also intends to cooperate with the EU at the multilateral level, notably on global food governance issues dealt with by the G20 and WTO, pushing forward the Doha round of negotiations. China and the EU will strive to get WTO members to reach agreement on agricultural trade facilitation. Turning to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) More prominently, China is turning to CEE countries for food. As Prime Minister Li Keqiang stated during his visit to CEE countries in November 2013, CEE countries produce high-quality meat, dairy and wine products and China's urbanisation will unleash greater demands for beef, lamb, cheese, wine and other products. Thus, China wishes to import more food products from CEE countries. Among the CEE countries, Ukraine, is attracting huge interest from China. In 2012, China's Export and Import Bank agreed to provide a loan of US$ 3 billion to Ukraine to develop its agriculture; in return, Ukraine will export corn to China. In the same year, UkrLandFarming signed a memorandum of cooperation with China's CAMC Engineering Co. for up to US$4 billion in investment to build production facilities for an annual output of 400,000 tonnes of pork and 600,000 tonnes of chicken as well as a grain terminal with handling capacity up to 5 million tonnes in Ukraine. And in December 2013, during Ukraine's president Yanukovych's visit to China, the two countries tabled a five-year plan to deepen their strategic partnership and their first priority area for expanding cooperation is agriculture. Food is becoming a key factor shaping China's international strategies and foreign policy, in a way similar to, if not more profound than, energy. Zhang Hongzhou is an Associate Research Fellow with the China Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University.
2014-01-29
Argentina and Pakistan cooperate in agricultureArgentina for cooperation in agriculture Wednesday, January 29, 2014 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Argentina can enhance cooperation in agriculture sector to get mutually beneficial results, said Rodolfo Martin Saravia. Argentine Ambassador, addressing business community at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), said Argentina could transfer modern technology to Pakistan for quality meat production since the country has strength in the field. He said Argentina could send its experts to help Pakistan reap its full potential in Halal meat sector. Rodolfo said that his country could also support Pakistan with technology and expertise to increase per acre yield in agriculture. He asked businessmen to widely participate in Gulfood 2014 Expo being held at Dubai from 23. He added 50 to 60 Argentine companies are attending this year's exhibition. He said that his embassy would offer full cooperation in connecting Pakistani with Argentinean counterparts. He said Pakistani business community could witness Argentina's food technology, machinery and food packaging and processing expertise at the expo. Shaban Khalid, president of ICCI, said Pakistan has quality labor and good agricultural land, while Argentina has advanced technology and expertise. Therefore, both countries should explore joint ventures in agriculture field to complement each other, he said. The ICCI President said that improving of quality, hygiene and packaging would increase the current gains five times. He agreed to the envoy's statement that Pakistan's close proximity to the lucrative Middle East market remains untapped for export of food, dairy and meat products. Since the cost of production in Pakistan is reasonable, several Middle Eastern countries are planning investment in the country's agriculture sector. Khalid said Argentina should explore investment opportunities in Pakistan's agriculture, livestock and other sectors, which offer lucrative returns to investors. He said both countries should encourage private sectors' connectivity, enhance exchange of trade delegations and organise exhibitions in each other country that will help in improving bilateral trade and economic relations. He said ICCI would also consider taking a business delegation to South American countries, including Argentina, to identify new areas of collaboration. ICCI chief said the chamber would like to become partner with Argentine embassy for organising joint cultural events, which are the best way to promote people-to-people contact, which will ultimately lead to improving relations in all the potential areas of cooperation. http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-3-229161-Argentina-for-cooperation-in-agriculture
2014-01-29
Debate over milk subsidies delays US farm bill~~Debate on milk subsidies holds up US Farm Bill ABC Rural Cath McAloon Posted Mon 20 Jan 2014, 12:45pm AEDT Debate over a program to support dairy farmers is one of the factors holding up the passage of a new Farm Bill in the United States. The Dairy Security Act, a margin insurance program, which would give dairy farmers subsidies when the price of milk is low, relative to the price of animal feed, has the support of legislators from states with small-scale dairy farms. Vincent Smith, a professor of economics at Montana State University, says the program would require farmers receiving the subsidy to restrict the amount of milk they send to market and would make US milk more expensive. "That will make an increasingly competitive US dairy processing sector much less competitive with competition from around the world, with Fonterra from New Zealand, with Australian dairy processing companies, in both the US domestic market and in key markets around the world," Professor Smith said. He says the program has the support of legislators from traditional dairy states, like Vermont and Wisconsin, where farms are smaller in scale and struggling to compete against newer, larger dairy farms. "They're lobbying for this supply control mechanism, to protect these really very inefficient dairies ." A new US Farm Bill, which legislates everything from the country's food stamp program to crop insurance, subsidies and global food aid, was supposed to be introduced in September 2012, and Professor Smith predicts it may be stalled even further. "The price of corn has dropped substantially in recent months relative to where its been over the last three years, so there are some farm groups who will be much better off in terms of the amount of money they get from the government if there is no new farm bill this year ." He says that's because existing subsidy programs, under the current farm bill, will pay billions and billions of dollars out to corn and wheat producers this year if the bill remains in place. "But that's a program that would be ended in any new farm bill. "I would say there's a 30 per cent likelihood that we'll be talking about whether or not we're going to have a new farm bill in March of 2015 ."
2014-01-29
Wheat prices will gradually decline in 2014Wheat prices will gradually decline in 2014 2014-01-21 10:44 | source: China Grain Network | agronomists and analysts say wheat prices are likely to fall in 2014 because of high global production and ending inventories. Daniel O'Brien, an agricultural economist at Kansas State University in the United States, said the reason for the decline in wheat prices was the increase in global wheat supply. As global wheat production in 2013/14 hit an all-time high and supply was close to an all-time high, wheat ending stocks increased from the previous year's level. Brian Bain of the Northwest Wisconsin Grain Growers Association recalls 2010, when the price of white wheat fell to $4.50 a bushel. He said it was not impossible for wheat prices to fall to that level again this year. Bain said global wheat supplies would remain plentiful if there were no weather problems in the northern hemisphere this year. The recent cold weather may have caused some winter wheat to freeze to death in the Midwest. In this regard, wheat farmers should take advantage of this opportunity to price. If the weather in the central part of the United States continues to dry and production declines, the market will stabilize. In recent years, the price of white wheat is generally high, because the price of corn is at the highest in history, and white wheat can replace corn as a diet. But the United States has struggled to absorb excess wheat supplies this year. In export markets, U.S. wheat also faces strong challenges from Canada and Australia. Grain broker Dan Steiner said corn prices are now nearly 1/3 below their recent highs, falling from more than $300 to nearly $185 to $190. Wheat prices also fell sharply. U.S. Department of Agriculture data show that the price of soft white wheat in the Portland area 6.685 to $6.835 a bushel on Friday, compared with about $8.33 a bushel a year ago. Dan Steiner said that soft white wheat is mainly grown in the Pacific region and is a niche crop. If the chance of freezing to death or damage increases, the price of soft white wheat may rise. But the main negative factor is still the global wheat supply is abundant. He said that at present, what the wheat market really needs is good news and strong demand. Darin Nusan, a senior analyst at Data Transmission Network (DTN), believes that the spot price of corn may fall to the government loan rate, about $1.95 per bushel. He said that if the price of corn does fall to this level, it will trigger a domino effect, and the prices of wheat and soybeans, and even cotton, rice, live cattle and live pigs will be affected and fall. He said that if the corn spot market trend continues, the CBOT soybean spot contract price may fall to 6 to 6.50 US dollars/bushel. Although he believes that this may not happen in 2014, if global production continues to grow and demand remains stable, agricultural prices may fall sharply by mid -2015. In addition: according to a report released by Merrill Lynch, a subsidiary of Bank of America, due to the expected improvement of global wheat production and the relatively low growth of wheat demand, it means that the final inventory of wheat in 2013/14 will increase and wheat prices will continue to fall. So far, the prospects for wheat production in the United States in 2014/15 are good; in Europe, wheat planting conditions in the northern region are good, while planting in the southern region is delayed because of the late harvest of corn, which restricts the planting of winter wheat. This report shows that the normalization of global wheat production has led to the normalization of market capital flows. U.S. wheat export sales have been relatively strong since August. Imports from China and other emerging markets were held back last year because of poor harvests in exporting countries, but imports from these countries will recover this year, helping them replenish their inventories. As U.S. wheat has to compete with wheat from other countries, especially Europe and Russia, wheat prices must remain competitive, which will constrain the upside of U.S. wheat prices. Berlin, January 20: According to the latest report released by Commerzbank, wheat prices may gradually decline in 2014 due to the expected increase in wheat planting area in the United States. S. wheat acreage in 2014 is likely to be higher than it was in 2013, the report said. The bank expects the average price of wheat on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) to be $6.80/bushel in the first quarter of 2014, $6.90/bushel in the second quarter, $6.70/bushel in the third quarter and $6.50/bushel in the fourth quarter. On January 17, CBOT's March 2014 wheat futures price was $563.5 per bushel, July wheat price was $5.77, September wheat price was $5.8575, and December wheat price was $598.5. Commerzbank reports that in the European Union, only French winter wheat planting has encountered some problems. Overall, EU wheat production is likely to increase significantly in 2014, provided that weather conditions are normal. In Russia, the outlook for the winter wheat harvest in 2014 is better than earlier expectations. In Ukraine, the situation has also improved. WASHINGTON, Jan. 20: According to an investment report released by Philip Futures, the final inventory-to-inventory ratio of wheat in 2013/14 is still at a relatively appropriate level, about 23.6 percent. Although the end-of-term stocks of wheat in the United States will decline, there is sufficient or excess supply of wheat in other parts of the world, which will lead to a decline in the price of wheat in the United States, because the price of wheat in the United States must remain competitive. The company said that because the global wheat supply is too abundant, the increase in wheat consumption will not significantly support wheat prices, especially considering the global wheat supply is so large. The report added that U.S. wheat must remain competitive in the international market, especially when wheat from other exporting countries is abundant, otherwise U.S. wheat will lose its traditional market share.
2014-01-29
USDA: US corn exports to mainland China nearly stagnated last weekUSDA: US corn exports to mainland China nearly stagnated last week 2014-01-28 11:20 | source: China Grain Network | WASHINGTON, Jan. 27: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's weekly export inspection report shows that the U.S. shipped about 22 shipments of soybeans to mainland China in the past week, up from about 16 shipments the previous week. In the week ending January 23, 2014, the United States shipped 46.045 million bushels (1.253 million tons) of soybeans to mainland China, up from 33.312 million bushels (907000 tons) the previous week. In the week ending January 23, 2014, U.S. soybean export inspections to China accounted for 62.4 percent of the total U.S. soybean export inspections that week, up from 58.9 percent in the previous week. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's weekly export inspection report shows that the pace of U.S. corn shipments to China continued to slow in the past week. In the week ending January 23, 2014, the United States shipped 50000 bushels (1300 tons) of yellow corn to mainland China, down from 130000 bushels (3300 tons) the previous week. In the week ending January 23, 2014, US corn exports to China accounted for 0.2 per cent of total export inspections in that week, down from 0.5 per cent in the previous week. Since November last year, China has returned more than 600000 tons of U.S. corn because quality inspection authorities found unapproved MIR162 genetically modified ingredients in these shipments. (Source: Boyi Master)
2014-01-29
Russia officially approved the cultivation of genetically modified corn~ ~ russia officially approved the cultivation of genetically modified corn 2014-01-27 09:55 | according to Russian media reports recently, the country has officially approved the use of genetically modified technology to grow crops. At present, 14 regions of Russia have declared themselves "genetically modified free zones", including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Belgorod and other places. In general, by changing the genes of potato, soybean, corn and sugar beet cells, the yield of crops can be increased by three times, so transgenic breeding is very valuable. The United States has proposed invasive genetics, and local academic institutions have spent a lot of money to prove that genetically modified foods are not harmful. But in Russia, the study of this profession has not been carried out before. According to the law, Russian food labels should indicate whether they are genetically modified, but manufacturers are unwilling to make this mark. In response, Andrei Tumanov, vice chairman of the Russian State Duma, explained that due to the lack of publicity on genetically modified crops, manufacturers had to make such products extremely cheap in this way to increase customer trust. For promotional purposes, foods that may in principle be genetically modified will also be labeled "non-GMO", such as yogurt. "People need to know that fertilizers and pesticides are more harmful than genetically modified crops." Tumanov said that the cultivation of genetically modified crops is the general trend, and people will change their views on genetically modified crops sooner or later, because without such breeding methods, agriculture will be deadlocked and it is impossible to bring new crop varieties. Moreover, facts have proved that genetically modified foods should be harmless to human health, and plant genes do not affect human genes. Today, Russian businesses also have to endorse GM crops, otherwise they will violate the laws of the Russian Federation. (Source: Game Master) http://www.cngrain.com/Publish/inter/201401/562168.shtml
2014-01-27
European lawmakers propose to deny GM crops access to EU2014/1/26 Agricultural Resources Guide content Summary the European Food Safety Authority's risk assessment report pointed out that the pollen of genetically modified 1507 maize varieties may be dangerous to highly sensitive butterflies and moths. Therefore, members of the European Parliament proposed to deny genetically modified crops to the EU market. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have called on the European Commission to deny GM maize Pioneer 1507 access to the EU market. A recently adopted resolution indicates that this pest-resistant crop may be harmful to harmless butterflies and moths. Since the mid-1990s, the European Union has not been able genetically modified crops at present, only Monsanto's genetically modified corn variety MON 810 is authorized to be planted for commercial use in the EU. Pioneer 1507 could become the second GM crop to be grown commercially in the EU. Roth-Behrendt Dagmar, a German employee of S & D Group, joined other members of the Environment Committee in opposing the adoption of the proposal. He said: "There is not enough evidence to show that the safety of this new GMO meets the criteria for entering the EU market. We were very surprised by the attitude of the European Commission, as 12 member states opposed this proposal and only six member states supported it." A risk assessment report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) states that pollen from 1507 maize varieties may be dangerous to highly sensitive butterflies and moths. However, DuPont declined to provide more documentation on the monitoring of these non-target species and measures to reduce hazards. In the end, the Commission decided on the grounds that it was urged by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in September 2013. But the fact is that the European Court of Justice only ruled that the European Commission did not perform its duties in a timely manner. However, the European Commission is not required to submit a motion authorizing the 1507 of maize varieties. Roth-Behrendt said: "We don't know when the parliament will make a decision. But any authorization for new GM crops is a major event because it is a big challenge for the parliament to get a majority of member states to approve or oppose the resolution. That is why the request for authorization has dragged on for so long without a final decision." in July 2013, Monsanto said it would abandon its application to plant new GM crops in the EU because it did not believe that growing GM crops in the EU had good commercial prospects. Indeed, because some member states do not approve the cultivation of new genetically modified crops in the EU, the regulatory environment for genetically modified crops in the EU is very severe. Furthermore, companies cannot provide safety certificates for new GM crops, which cannot eliminate the constant doubts of European residents about GM crops. Man of Feeding
2014-01-23
Italy World Expo focuses on sustainable agriculture GM heated discussion2014/1/21 World Wide Web content Summary: The World Expo to be held in Milan, Italy in 2015 will focus on agriculture and food culture with the theme of "Nourishing the Earth, Energy for Life". The issue of whether genetically modified crops should be allowed to participate during the exhibition has attracted attention from all walks of life. Discussions about genetically modified crops continue, and it is difficult to avoid this topic at the Milan World Expo. According to reports, the 2015 Milan World Expo to "nourish the earth, life energy" as the theme, focusing on agriculture and food culture. However, there has been a lot of discussion about whether genetically modified crops should be allowed to participate in the exhibition during the preparatory period. According to reports, Italy regards the World Expo as a major opportunity to get rid of the economic quagmire. From Milan to the central government, it advocates vigorously establishing it. However, it is hesitant to allow large multinational companies that promote genetically modified genes to participate. The report said that the global population continues to increase. How to produce safe and nutritious food to solve the food problem caused by the population without harming the environment is a topic that all parties must face. The problem of hunger has been greatly alleviated after the 20th century, mainly because of scientific and technological progress, mechanization, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, seed and animal species screening, and the improvement of irrigation systems, which have greatly increased the productivity of the agricultural, livestock and food industries. Chicco Testa, a former political entrepreneur, says green innovations such as the carotene-rich golden rice that could save many Asian children from blindness should not be blocked. Bioethicist Cobellini (Gilberto Corbellini) said more bluntly that the Milan World Expo should be an international event. If only ecological agriculture is allowed to participate and only praises the small-scale farmer model, it is doomed to failure. Well-known Italian cancer and biotechnology expert Veronasi (Umberto Veronesi) believes that genetic reform is a good solution to hunger and a natural way of evolution, and the claim that genetically modified crops may affect health is unfounded. However, there are also different opinions. In the past, GiuliaMaria Crespi, an entrepreneur who sponsored Veronasi for a long time, said that these genetically modified crops resistant to weeding and insecticide absorbed a large amount of pesticides, while biotech giant Monsanto (Monsanto Co.) produced "Agent Orange" during the Vietnam War, allowing a large number of leaves to fall to facilitate the US military attack. Such agrochemical companies ended up causing countless people to leave sequelae. Agronomist Jonatahio (Mattero Giannattasio) also points out that farming methods that rely on agriculture and fertilizers cannot be sustainable. In addition, the agricultural chemical industry has promised that genetically modified crops will reduce the use of pesticides and help environmental protection. However, statistics show that the use of pesticides in the United States, where genetically modified crops are widely grown, has not decreased but increased. Since the birth of genetically modified crops that claim to increase production, hunger has not been solved. "Slow Food" (Slow Food) movement founder Bardini (CarloPertini) was originally at odds with genetically modified crops, has no intention of participating in the Milan World Expo, which tends to large agricultural chemical plants, he believes that to fight hunger, the first thing is to reduce food waste. Citation from Science and Technology World Network http://www.twwtn.com/Agriculture/53_221582.html
2014-01-20
Italy: More foreigners investing in farmsSource: Hugo Net although the Italian economy has been declining in recent years, Italian agriculture has bucked the trend. The analysis report on the agricultural situation in Italy shows that up to now, a total of 17286 foreigners have invested in Italian farms, a record high. The editor learned from a recent report in the Italian media: Under the circumstances that the economic crisis has generally reduced the number of employed people in all walks of life, the number of employed people in Italian agriculture in 2012 increased by 3.6 over the previous year. Although the proportion of the total employed population in agriculture has declined from 11 per cent to 3.9 per cent in the past 30 years, agricultural output has accounted for 15 to 16 per cent of GDP and is on the rise. Italy is located in the south of Europe, with plenty of sunshine. Its production of wine, olive oil, rice and wheat occupies an important position not only in Europe, but also in the world. Since the economic crisis in 2007, contrary to the downward trend of attracting foreign investment in Italy as a whole, its agricultural sector has become increasingly attractive to foreign investment. Switzerland became the largest country to invest in Italian agriculture, accounting for 16%, followed by Germany and France with 15% and 8% respectively. Among the farms purchased by foreign investment, Tuscany accounted for the most, accounting for 14%, followed by Sicily (13%) and Venetto (7%), all three regions are famous for wine production. It is understood that among the many farms that have been acquired, a winery named Chianti has been acquired by a Hong Kong pharmaceutical company. Chianti is a representative wine in Tuscany, and such a representative winery has been acquired. This is the first time. Mario Guidi, president of the Italian Federation of Agriculture? Guidi said the number of students enrolled in university agricultural departments has increased by 30 percent in the last two years, and farmers have also begun to professionalize. Despite good agricultural development, Italy, one of the world's largest wine producers, has continued to decline in domestic wine consumption per capita, reaching the lowest point since the country's unification in 1861. Michele Fino, a professor of Italian food studies, said that wine has become a hedonic consumer product and is no longer part of the daily diet of Italians, so it is vulnerable to short-term fluctuations in the economic environment. However, it is worth mentioning that the consumption of beer has doubled since the 1970 s. The decline in domestic consumption has prompted Italian wine producers to look to the international market. At present, half of Italy's wine is exported, while the United States and Germany are still the main markets for Italian wine. In addition, the Asian market also shows good prospects, with Italian wine exports to China increasing by 20% between 2011 and 2012. The editor learned that in the past 10 years, the average size of Italian farms has expanded from 2.4 hectares to 7.9 hectares, and production has become increasingly concentrated on high-quality products. The number of Italian high-quality food certifications within the EU reached more than 240. In 2012, food exports reached 32 billion billion euros, an increase of 5.4 percent over the previous year. Man of Feeding
2014-01-17
Vietnam plans to export more than 6.5 million tons of rice this yearVietnam plans to export more than 6.5 million tons of rice this year 2014-01-16 09:59 | source: China Grain Network | vietnam plans to export 650 to 7 million tons of rice this year, compared with 6.7 million tons the previous year, the Vietnam Food Association said Wednesday. But Vietnam faces stiff competition from other exporting countries. Huynh Minh Hue, secretary general of the association, said Vietnam will face competition in traditional markets, but exports to China continue to increase. Vietnam was the world's third-largest rice exporter last year, after India and Thailand. Vietnam exported 6.7 million tons of rice in 2013, down from a record 7.72 million tons in 2012. He also said that this year's rice export pressure will come from Thailand, which is trying to reduce its huge stock of rice. Other competitors include India, Pakistan and Myanmar. The price of rice exports is likely to fall this year, mainly because Thailand will take measures to reduce the price of rice exports. However, China's increased demand will help Vietnam achieve this year's rice export target. Vietnam exported about 2 million tons of rice to China last year. http://www.cngrain.com/Publish/inter/201401/561545.shtml