World Agriculture
Developments, trade, data, and topics in world agriculture
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USDA Provides Financial Support to Rural Business OwnersUSDA Seeks Applicants for Funds to Assist Rural Microentrepreneurs WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2013 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the availability of loan and grant funds to support rural microentrepreneurs and microenterprises. "By supporting very small business enterprises through the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, USDA has been able to direct assistance to small firms that otherwise might not be able to obtain credit," said Vilsack. "This program has shown that even a modest investment of federal dollars can have a huge impact for the local economy in small towns across rural America ." Despite budget uncertainties, USDA remains focused on strengthening the rural economy. USDA's Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) was established under the 2008 Farm Bill to support the development and ongoing success of rural microentrepreneurs and microenterprises, which are defined as rural businesses with 10 or fewer employees. About $12.2 million will be provided to eligible applicants this year. Under the program, USDA may provide loans of up to $500,000 to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs). They, in turn, make microloans for business start-up or development to eligible microentrepreneurs who are unable to obtain conventional credit elsewhere. Grants of up to $30,000 are available for MDOs to provide technical assistance and training, particularly in rural areas that have experienced significant outmigration. USDA does not directly provide funds to the ultimate recipients. RMAP applications are due by September 13, 2013. More information about how to apply is available in the August 14, 2013 Federal Register. View it here: www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-08-14/pdf/2013-19765.pdf, or by contacting any USDA Rural Development state office. RMAP funds have helped a number of small businesses since the program began. In 2010, USDA provided the Southern Illinois Coal Belt Champion Community, Inc., a $500,000 loan and $187,000 grant to capitalize a revolving loan fund and provide technical assistance for microbusinesses in rural southern Illinois. In the first three years of the project, this organization has helped 16 microenterprises with direct loans totaling $650,000 that have created or saved 67 jobs. The businesses supported include medical offices, and retail, restaurant and manufacturing operations. Since the program began, USDA has provided 97 loans totaling more than $37 million and 124 grants totaling more than $9.5 million to 110 MDOs. These organizations used the USDA funding to make more than 760 microloans to 712 rural microenterprises. This assistance to individual businesses has created or saved an estimated 2,700 jobs. Secretary Vilsack said that today's announcement is another reminder of the importance of USDA programs, such as RMAP, for rural America. A comprehensive new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill would further expand the rural economy, Vilsack added, saying that's just one reason why Congress must get a comprehensive Bill done as soon as possible. President Obama's plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President's leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way - strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA's investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands as the backbone of our American values. President Obama and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack are committed to a smarter use of Federal resources to foster sustainable economic prosperity and ensure the government is a strong partner for businesses, entrepreneurs and working families in rural communities. USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, has a portfolio of programs designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. USDA has made a concerted effort to deliver results for the American people, even as the Department implements sequestration - the across-the-board budget reductions mandated under terms of the Budget Control Act. USDA has already undertaken historic efforts since 2009 to save more than $828 million in taxpayer funds through targeted, common-sense budget reductions. These reductions have put USDA in a better position to carry out its mission, while implementing sequester budget reductions in a fair manner that causes as little disruption as possible. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users) Last Date Modified: 08/15/2013 man of Feeding
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Without joining the TPP, Japan's agriculture must be reformed.Without joining the TPP, Japan's agriculture must be reformed. TPP Or No TPP Japanese Agriculture Must Be Reformed 8/19/2013 @ 9:24PM| From this Thursday the 11 countries negotiating the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement-the United States and Japan most important among them-will meet again in Brunei. This session, lasting through the 31st, will be first in which Japan will participate as a full negotiating member. Indications are it will be a particularly arduous negotiation. The TPP Committee of the Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) adopted a resolution that, if five products-rice, wheat, beef and pork, dairy products, and sweetening resources (e.g. sugar cane and beets)-cannot be exempted from tariff elimination, Japan should withdraw from the talks. How really vulnerable to free trade is Japanese agriculture, and why is Japanese agriculture so presumably uncompetitive? One of the most authoritative analysts of these issues is Yamashita Kazuhito, research director specializing in agricultural policy at the Canon Institute for Global Studies. Recently Yamashita published a report entitled: “The Road to Japan's Becoming an Agriculture Based Country ." This may sound like Japan reverting to a pre-industrial agrarian economy, but it is not. Yamashita is talking about arresting and reversing a precipitous decline in much of Japanese agriculture, especially cultivation of rice. Part of Yamashita's solution involves TPP. But his sine qua non for saving Japan's agriculture is abolishing government anti-competitive, anti-market policies and structures imposed over decades that have zombified this industry. How deep is the crisis of Japanese agriculture? Yamashita provides some data: The total value of Japan's agricultural output, after peaking at JPY 11.7 trillion (USD 120 billion) in 1984, had declined by one-third to JPY 8.2 trillion (USD 85 billion) in 2011. Income from farming that had reached JPY 6.1 trillion (USD USD 63 billion) in 1990, by 2007 had declined by almost half, to JPY 3.3 trillion (USD 34 billion). The most severe decline has been in paddy rice production. In 1960 rice still accounted for about 50% of total agricultural output value. In 2010 the share dropped below 20%. In 1960 farmers over 65 and older made up the total. Today they make up 60%. Agricultural land-the most indispensable factor in farming-totaled some 6 million hectares (one hectare is 2.471 acres) in 1961. Since, public works have added over 1 million hectares. Adding these figures, we would expect agricultural to aggregate today to over 7 million hectares. In fact, it has declined to some 4.6 million hectares. Irrigated paddy acreage of 2.5 million hectares has been abandoned or converted to other uses. In 2010 arable land abandoned or taken out of production totaled 400,000 hectares, an area the size of Saitama and Shiga prefectures combined. The explanation given by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries for abandonment of so much agricultural land is the aging of Japan's farmers. Yamashita says this is wrong. The reason that land is being abandoned and that farmers' average age keeps rising is that profits from farming keep declining. Because profits from farming have declined, children have declined to succeed their parents in farming. This leaves aging couples no choice but to continue farming themselves. Also, they realize little improvement in income from expanding the acreage they cultivate, so they allow it to go fallow. And this is before considering the effects of Japan's “genhan” system (below). Are Japanese agricultural products-particular the “sacred five” of rice, wheat, beef and pork, dairy products, and sweetening resources (e.g. sugar cane and beets)-really so uncompetitive that protection is the only option? Yamashita strongly differs. Quality and effective marketing trump prices in almost all product markets-think BMWs. The quality of Japanese rice, beef, and dairy products ensures ready and profitable markets-both at home and, especially, in neighboring countries, especially China. Japan should not be afraid to import lower quality rice for catering and restaurants, as this will free up premium quality domestic rice for export. The greatest obstacle to Japanese rice competitiveness is Japan's protectionist policies. In Japan the price of rice is supported by an 800% tariff, direct price supports and-most egregiously-the “genhan” system of mandated reduction in cultivated acreage. Government policy has focused on keeping prices high and keeping out imports-resulting in a great burden on consumers-rather than deregulating to lower costs that would also raise profits and strengthen competitiveness against imports while stimulating exports. According to Yamashita, the “genhan” system has killed the competitiveness of Japan's fabled rice because it acts directly to keep costs high. Cost per unit of quantity is derived by dividing cost of the cultivating specific area by the quantity yield of the area; as yield increases the unit cost decreases. The cost curve for cultivating rice slopes steeply downward as the area under cultivation increases. The key to reducing costs of rice production is increasing the size of cultivated paddy fields. The “genhan” system-like its American counterpart-pays farmers not to farm. In the case of Japan, direct payments to farmers for keeping land out of rice cultivation keeps old couples with very small land holdings in production on a small scale (harvesting enough for their own needs, rather than buying high priced rice at the store) on the one hand, while, on the other hand, and more seriously for overall efficiency and industry rationalization, motivating them not to sell or lease their small holdings to others who might consolidate land into more efficient, lower cost rice production. Of the 3.5 million hectares of available paddy land in Japan, 1 million hectares is being lost through the “genhan” system. Yamashita estimates that average production costs could be halved by land consolidation and other benefits from abolishing the “genhan” system. A U.S. TPP delegation led by USTR Michael Fromer stopped in Tokyo on the way to Brunei for one-on-one negotiations with Japanese counterparts. Major pressure is being put on the Abe government to commit to reaching a final TPP agreement by year end. This will mean bending by Japan on a number of sector opening issues that are more important to the U.S. than agriculture, including autos and insurance. But for Japan the TPP deal breaker will be agriculture. Ironically, perhaps, what Yamashita and other analysts are saying is TPP or no TPP, Japanese agriculture must reform or perish. This article is available online: http://www.forbes.com/sites/stephenharner/2013/08/19/tpp-or-no-tpp-japanese-agriculture-must-be-reformed/ contributions by Zhang Hongzhou
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Members of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission agree on an EU agricultural policy for 2014EU farm policy after 2014: MEPs, Council and Commission strike a political deal OTHERS Agriculture − 28-06-2013 - 16:25 More emphasis on environmental protection, mandatory top-ups for young farmers in all member states, stronger farmers' organisations and less red tape when spending EU funds. These are the main lines of the agreement on farm policy struck on Wednesday by Parliament, Council and the Commission. Decisions still need to be taken on capping direct payments to bigger farms and distributing funds between farmers. The political agreement on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms comes after three months of intensive negotiations but still depends on a final agreement on the EU's long-term budget for 2014-2020. "The political agreement we reached today is a victory both for EU farmers and consumers. This is the first time Parliament has been involved in the reform of EU farm policy as a full co-legislator and we proved that we are fully capable of doing the job. We managed to improve the proposals while defending Parliament's mandate," said Agriculture Committee chair and head of Parliament's negotiating team Paolo De Castro (S&D, IT). "The CAP of the future will be fundamentally different and the dependency culture of the past is now a thing of the past. We have managed to ensure better environmental protection and avoid double funding. The MFF-related issues are still open, as Council did not have a mandate to negotiate on them, but these will be finalised once the EU's new long-term budget is approved," said Luis Manuel Capoulas Santos (S&D, PT), rapporteur for direct payments and rural development. EU funds only for active farmers To ensure that direct payments go only to active farmers, MEPs persuaded Council to draw up a blacklist of entities, such as airports or sports clubs, to be automatically excluded from EU funding unless they prove that farming contributes to a substantial share of their income. Greener farm policy for everyone Under the agreement, 30% of member states' budgets for direct payments may be spent only if mandatory greening measures are carried out. However, the measures will be implemented gradually and linked to farm size. The three key measures are crop diversification, maintaining permanent grassland and creating "ecologically-focused areas ". To give an extra boost to greening efforts, Parliament's negotiators won an agreement to earmark 30% of total rural development spending for environment-related measures. No double funding Under the deal, "double funding", I .e. paying farmers twice for delivering the same set of environmental benefits, is scrapped. In addition, farmers who fail to apply mandatory greening measures will face additional sanctions on top of losing their greening subsidies. "We must allow farmers to familiarise themselves with the new rules before we start applying any sanctions. It is not fair to penalize them from the start. Therefore, no sanctions will be levied in the first two years after the new CAP enters into force. During the third year, the penalty of 20% will apply and one year afterwards it will be raised to 25%," said Giovanni La Via (EPP, IT), rapporteur for the financing, management and monitoring regulation. Young and small farmers To attract more young people into farming, Parliament insisted on a mandatory EU-wide scheme to give farmers under 41 years old an extra 25% in additional top-up payments for their first 25 to 90 hectares. Small farmers could also get more money if member states decide to set up a specific scheme for them. Stronger farmers to better cope with crises MEPs insisted throughout the negotiations that farmers' organisations should be given new tools to help farmers cope with market volatility and strengthen their price bargaining position. EU competition rules applicable to the agricultural sector should be made clearer and applied uniformly across the EU. "Additional tools to strengthen farmers' bargaining positions, but also to anticipate and manage crises, are necessary given the weaker role public authorities play on the EU agricultural market. This was a crucial objective of Parliament and has been largely met," said Michel Dantin (EPP, FR), rapporteur for the common market organisation regulation. Parliament secured an option for member states to establish a legal framework for the contractual relations governing delivery of farm produce from farmers or processors. They could also choose to establish a supply management system for ham and cheese products registered under a protected designation of origin (PDO) or protected geographical indication (PGI) to improve their quality. Farmers' organisations in sectors including olive oil, beef, milk, cereals and protein crops should be allowed to negotiate supply contracts on behalf of their members. Sugar quotas, vine planting and milk Sugar quotas will be extended to September 2017 rather than expire in 2015, as originally proposed. Parliament also succeeded in maintaining the current vine-planting regime until 2030. "I welcome the agreement on sugar and wine but I regret that the other institutions were not able to come on board for further measures to help the dairy sector after the current quota system expires in 2015. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to continuing this debate during the conference organised by the Commission in September to this end," Mr Dantin said. Outstanding issues Remaining issues, upon which the Irish presidency was not willing to negotiate, will be addressed once the EU's long-term budget for 2014-2020 is agreed. They include caps on direct payments to big farms, distributing EU funds more fairly among farmers in different member states and transferring money to and from national budgets for direct payments to rural development programmes. Next steps The Agriculture Committee will vote on the full package of new CAP regulations once EU's long-term budget negotiations are completed. The package has to be approved by both the committee and the full House before it can be submitted to the Council, which must also approve the agreed texts before they can enter into force. Wednesday, 26 June 2013 Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development In the chair: Paolo De Castro (S&D, IT) source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pressroom/content/20130624IPR14341/html/EU-farm-policy-after-2014-MEPs-Council-and-Commission-strike-a-political-deal (Contributed by Zhang Lixia, Special Editor)
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U.S. Farm, Food Organizations Ask U.S. Department of Agriculture to Better Oversee Field Trials of Genetically Modified CropsU.S. Farm, Food Organizations Ask U.S. Department of Agriculture to Better Oversee Field Trials of Genetically Modified Crops AGRICULTURE U.S. farm, food groups want better oversight of GMO field trials CAREY GILLAM Reuters Last updated Wednesday, Aug. 21 2013, 6:45 PM EDT More than 150 U.S. farm and food businesses and organizations on Wednesday called for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to strengthen its oversight of field trials of experimental, genetically modified crops. The group includes organic and natural food industry representatives as well as family farm and trade policy players. It said the disarray in international markets after an unapproved genetically modified wheat developed by Monsanto Co. was discovered growing unchecked in Oregon this spring is the latest example of the need to change GMO field trial regulations. “There are major weaknesses in USDA's oversight of experimental field trials, including how unauthorized crops are contained," the group said in a statement issued in its behalf by the Organic Seed Alliance and the Rural Advancement Foundation International. “Current U.S. policy includes neither mandatory contamination prevention measures nor an adequate system for monitoring the success of containment following trials," the group said. The group sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in late July and met with him last week in Washington to discuss its concerns. In its letter it asked that USDA “fix its rubber-stamp approach to GE crops” and said that “improvements in regulations and oversight must start at the field trial stage ." USDA spokeswoman Courtney Rowe said the meeting between Mr. Vilsack and the group was productive. “We are currently carefully reviewing the concerns and information shared with us and will be responding in full in the near future," Ms. Rowe said. USDA told Reuters earlier this month that it has strengthened oversight of biotech crop field trials in recent years. The agency said it conducts about 700 inspections annually, up from about 500 in 2007, and has improved training for monitoring compliance with test protocols. Field trial controls are of special interest to U.S. wheat growers because the April discovery of Monsanto's unapproved wheat prompted some foreign buyers to temporarily refuse certain varieties. Many foreign buyers have said for years that they do not want genetically modified wheat, and there was concern that the experimental wheat may have contaminated commercial wheat supplies. No genetically altered wheat is offered for commercial sale, though several companies continue to experiment with biotech strains. Monsanto said it stopped its experiments with the wheat in question in 2004 and 2005 and has no idea how the biotech wheat came to be growing in Oregon this year. USDA has said it believes the incident was isolated and it reassured wheat buyers there is no sign of contamination in commercial supplies. But several growers have sued Monsanto for negligence, and USDA has said it is still investigating the incident. The group seeking tighter controls said it wants the government to halt any new approvals of GMO wheat field trials until the investigation into the Oregon contamination issue is completed. There have been other episodes in which experimental biotech crops have eluded efforts to keep them contained. A type of biotech rice developed by Bayer AG to resist herbicide was not approved for consumption but still showed up in the food supply in 2006. Its presence in the U.S. crop led Japan and the European Union to restrict U.S. rice from crossing their borders, triggering a plunge in rice prices. More than 7,000 long-grain rice producers claimed damages. Traces of an unapproved genetically modified trait for corn were found in U.S. corn planted in 2006 and 2007.
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U.S. Agriculture May Face Supply ShortsThe United States may soon face a food crisis triggered by a significant reduction in food production. U.S. agriculture industry fears food supply shortage Sat Aug 24, 2013 6:43AM GMT The U-S agricultural industry is bracing for a possible disaster in food production. Harsher immigration laws are forcing more farms to make sure workers are in the country legally. But experts say eliminating undocumented workers would cost billions of dollars in losses and devastate the nation's food supply. America could soon be facing a food crisis because of a significant drop-off in agriculture. Throughout the recession, the country's agricultural industry has remained one of the few economic bright spots. American agriculture brought in 115 billion dollars last year, up from 85 billion dollars five years ago. And the majority of that money comes from farms in California. California is considered America's fruit and vegetable basket. In fact, the state provides nearly 50 percent of all the fruits, vegetables and nuts grown in the United States. But producers are fearing that California could soon see a severe cutback in production. Labor experts say harsher immigration policies would leave no one to work the fields. Farm workers from across the state are fighting to protect their way of life. They say rampant deportations have made them afraid to come to work. Labor experts say the climate of fear is the result of America's broken immigration system. A report from the U.S. Congressional Budget Office shows that losing the immigrant workforce would cost more than 3 billion dollars in production losses. The loss would make finding food more difficult for low-income and minority populations. This would add to the more than 29 million Americans who already have no immediate access to food. Experts say the best hope to stop an agricultural catastrophe is to overhaul U.S. immigration policies. They say qualified farm workers should be given an expedited path to citizenship to keep production levels rising. Workers say they want U.S. lawmakers to take immediate action on immigration reform. They say it would help stabilize the industry and provide a fair system for producers and workers. http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/08/24/320217/us-agriculture-industry-fears-food-supply-shortage/
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FAO helps countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agricultureHelping countries reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions New FAO guidance on how agricultural development planning can help tackle causes of global warming Farmers should be involved in national efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by agriculture. 6 August 2013, Rome-With the consequences of climate change for the world's food production systems becoming increasingly clear, more needs to be done to capitalize on agriculture's potential to mitigate global warming, says a new FAO guidance document published today. Agriculture is directly responsible for over 10 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, FAO figures show. But improved farming practices offer the possibility of reducing those emissions and sequestering atmospheric carbon, while at the same time increasing the resilience of production systems, says the document National planning for GHG mitigation in agriculture published by FAO's Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture Programme (MICCA). Yet progress in drawing up agricultural GHG mitigation plans - as well as in allocating financing to climate change projects in the agriculture sector - is falling short of what is needed, cautions FAO. The Organization's new guidance document aims to help address these shortfalls by providing step-wise advice and examples of national planning for GHG mitigation in food production systems, as well as highlighting opportunities for developing countries to secure climate financing for agriculture. Examples from existing mitigation planning processes in developing countries illustrate options for addressing key planning elements in country-specific ways, and approaches to involving smallholder farmers in the planning process are highlighted as well. Key steps, guiding principles Although opportunities and planning processes will vary from country to country based on local circumstances, a number of general principals hold true, FAO says. First, mitigation actions in agriculture should be pursued within the context supporting agricultural development and food security, with planners clarifying from the start how mitigation can contribute to national development goals. Participatory planning and cross-sectoral cooperation will be important to the success of mitigation plans, the report adds. Farmers and other stakeholders should be involved in setting objectives, actions and targets, both to generate support for and to improve the effectiveness of planned policies. To access international and domestic financing, plans should be very specific regarding how to assess the mitigation potential of proposed policies and measures. Sound systems for measuring the impacts of policies and reporting other performance metrics are also necessary when seeking financing for projects. Another key step is to identify the barriers that impede adoption of mitigation practices by farmers. Many agricultural practices that can mitigate climate change are already widely known - effective policies need to identify why farmers may not be adapting them, work to remove barriers, and facilitate their wider use. Also crucial: determining how mitigation policies and measures will be financed. Some countries are supporting agricultural mitigation activities primarily through domestic fiscal budget lines and policies that leverage private investment, the report notes. For many countries, however, an important goal of mitigation planning is to attract international financial support, in order to match the priorities of international climate finance institutions to specific parts of domestic mitigation plans. Source: FAO Website: http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/180351/icode/ (Contributed by Zhang Lixia, Special Editor)
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FAO Food Price Index falls for third consecutive monthFAO Food Price Index falls for the third consecutive month Release date: 08/08/2013 The FAO Food Price Index averaged 205.9 points in July 2013, 4 points (nearly 2 percent) below its revised value for June and 7 points (or 3.3 percent) lower than in July 2012. The decline in July, which marked the third consecutive monthly drop, was largely driven by lower international prices for grains, soy and palm oil while sugar, meat and dairy quotations were also down from the previous month. » FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 227.7 points in July, down 8.8 points (3.7 percent) from June and as much as 33 points (or nearly 13 percent) below July last year. The sharp decline mostly reflected falling maize prices as favourable weather boosted hopes of a significant production increase in several leading maize producing countries. Wheat prices also fell but the strong pace of exports limited the decline. Rice price changes varied according to origins, with a decrease in Thai prices contrasting with higher Vietnamese quotations. » FAO Oils/Fats Price Index averaged 191 points in July, down by 7 points (or 3.3 percent) from June and the lowest level in three years. The slide in the index mainly reflects easing quotations for both soy and palm oil. Soy oil values have fallen in response to ample export availabilities, especially in Argentina, combined with weak demand (including from the biodiesel sector), as well as good soybean crop prospects in the United States. The palm oil price weakness mainly resulted from the combination of ample production and lower than expected import demand, most notably by China. Prices for rape and sunflowerseed oil also fell, reflecting improved 2013/14 crop prospects. » FAO Dairy Price Index averaged 236.3 points in July, a fall of 2.6 points (1.1 percent). While prices fell overall, the decline was by a smaller margin than in the previous two months as a result of tightening availabilities in Oceania and stagnating milk production amongst other exporters, principally in Europe, South America and the United States. Milk powder prices were underpinned by limited supplies but the increase was more than offset by a fall in cheese prices due to reduced import demand. » FAO Meat Price Index averaged 173.3 points in July, more or less unchanged from the revised June level. Prices for poultry and pig meat were lower, while those of bovine and ovine meat rose. Overall, there are signs that international prices for meat are weakening in the face of reduced import demand - especially from Asian countries - reflecting production growth and, in some cases, a build-up of domestically produced meat inventories. » FAO Sugar Price Index averaged 239 points in July, down 3.6 points (1.5 percent) from June. Sugar prices declined for the fourth consecutive month in July, on the back of anticipated large surplus production in major producing areas, notably in Brazil, the world's largest sugar producer and exporter. Declining ethanol prices in Brazil also provided an incentive to convert more sugarcane into sugar instead of ethanol, which put additional downward pressure on international sugar prices. Source: FAO website: http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/foodpricesindex/en/ (Contributed by Zhang Lixia, Special Editor)
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U.S. farm law debate highlights declining political influence of U.S. farmersU.S. farm bill debate illustrates the declining influence of the ag lobby Posted Aug. 8th, 2013 by Barry Wilson Not so long ago, Canadian farmers who thought governments have an obligation to support the industry in hard times cast their lonely, envious eyes south .? Their gaze often rested on the U.S. farm bill. Now there was a safety net from a farmer-friendly government. ? Grain farmers were guaranteed a price that reflected cost-of-production, government doled out enormous amounts of money for set-aside and weather calamities and the support was largely predictable .? With an over-represented farm and rural presence in Congress and a legislative system that functions on trade-offs between regions and sectors, the farm community had clout on Capitol Hill. It generally was regarded as one of the most effective lobbies in Washington .? Of course, that generous government support gave American producers an advantage, kept their debt levels far lower than in Canada and drove U.S. competitor country governments crazy, including Canada's .? And of course, Canadian producer organizations generally agreed with the condemnation of rich U.S. subsidies, but their members also saw them as leverage to pressure Ottawa for more .? The mantra was that Canadian farmers are competitive, but Canadian farm policies and supports are not. Pony up, Ottawa .? What a difference a decade can make to rural entitlement programs: a political shift, a growing urbanization trend and an essentially bankrupt U.S. government with a debt of more than $16 trillion US .? Last week, there was some irony and envy from Americans in the room when agriculture minister Gerry Ritz told a meeting of the U.S. Grains Council in Ottawa that the five-year Growing Forward 2 program was essentially Canada's farm bill .? Many Canadian farm leaders are critical of support cuts in the GF2 program, but at least there is a five-year program .? The U.S. Congress has been unable to come up with a new farm bill, so the old one has been extended for a year as political wrangling continues. ? And the fight isn't about how rich farm supports should be because the days of guaranteed prices and billion dollar payouts are over. The pot is empty .? The battle is over what share of the limited (but still large) farm bill budget should be devoted to what the Americans call “nutrition” - really government school lunch and food programs for the poor .? Washington lobbyist Scott Shearer, who attended the U.S. Grains Council meeting to dissect the farm bill impasse, said in an interview the farm lobby carries less weight these days than it once did .? Congress increasingly is populated by urban and suburban representatives with little knowledge of or innate sympathy for farmers, which their often poor constituents consider an asset-rich and taxpayer-subsidized privileged class .? He said the farm lobby has been slow to pick up on the significance of the change .? “They often see their role as lobbying politicians from rural and agriculture areas, but really, what they have to be doing is talking to urban and suburban representatives and convincing them there are benefits to their constituents to have a strong rural economy and a farm bill," he said .? As well, House and Senate agriculture committees should no longer be the primary lobby focus. Health, energy, trade and many other committees now touch on their file. (Contributed by Zhang Hongzhou, Special Editor)
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Is precision agriculture the future?New agricultural technologies in rural America (satellite-guided planting, smartphone milking programs, etc.) are likely to replace the old standards soon. Is Precision Agriculture the Future? New technologies come to American farms New agricultural technologies could soon be replacing old standards on American farms Jul 30, 2013 @ 11:03 AM Satellite-directed planting, a smartphone app for milking: These may seem like strange devices out of rural dystopian science fiction, but they are in fact much-anticipated technological developments in the field of agriculture. Leading the way on a new technological front, this so-called “precision agriculture” blends together the most modern technologies and tailors them to meet traditional farming needs. As old farm equipment nears the end of its usefulness, more and more farmers are looking towards newer, more high-tech replacements. From global positioning software that can tell growers precisely where to plant, to a cloud-based computer system that manages the health of a herd of cattle, these new developments have it covered. The only thing stopping these technologies from becoming ubiquitous on American farms is the price tag. State of the art computers may save farmers a bundle on time, but they are still big-ticket items that smaller farms don't have the budget. While new tools such as robotic milking have already become quite popular in Europe, in the United States, where wage controls are looser, it has yet to be seen whether automated agriculture will be worth the investment. http://www.thedailymeal.com/precision-agriculture-future (Contributed by Zhang Hongzhou, Special Editor)
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Scotland leads efficient farmingScotland at forefront of efficient agriculture by IAIN GORDON Published on the 30 July 2013 IT DOESN'T seem too long ago that we were hearing about European wine lakes and grain mountains. Too much food was being produced and people either didn't want it or it was too expensive. In the 1990s, as part of the Common Agricultural Policy, European farmers were being paid to take 10-15 per cent of their land out of production. Those days are gone. There are now seven billion people sharing this planet, and according to United Nations, this number is expected to rise above eight billion by 2030. That is a lot of mouths to feed. With growing wealth, particularly in China and South East Asia, people's consumption patterns are also changing. Not only are people eating more, they are also increasing their demand for meat, particularly red meat. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation predicts that during the next 20 years, meat production will have to increase by more than 125 per cent, and crop production by 50 per cent - with much of those crops destined to feed cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens. Food security being given a high priority Growing demand is expected to result in escalating food prices as transport and storage costs increase, potentially reducing access to food among the world's poor. Given the past relationship between lack of access to affordable food and political instability, food security is now being given a high priority on global and national political agendas. In technical terms, food security is defined as providing the world's population with a sustainable and secure supply of safe, nutritious, affordable and high-quality food. However, this must be achieved without depleting environmental resources - but the predictions are that to meet demand for food there will be a 30 per cent increase in the use of the planet's fresh water resources and 120 million hectares of additional land will be converted into crop-producing farmland in developing countries. This is all happening in the face of loss of soils through erosion and climate change creating droughts or floods on previously fertile land. We cannot rely on what we have done in the past; new technology and agricultural practices will be needed. We also have to help reduce the food waste that happens throughout the supply chain. In 2011 more than one billion tonnes of food was lost or wasted - around one-third of global food production. Scotland global leader in agricultural science It all sounds very scary, but Scotland is well prepared to help meet food security challenges. Not only are we a producer of quality food products but the Scottish Government has also continued to invest in agricultural science when many other developed countries let agricultural research wither on the vine. That investment has helped place Scotland as the global leader in agricultural science. But science needs to work with farmers, industry, retailers and broader society to ensure the best information is used to grow more food in a sustainable way. There are a lot of initiatives happening at the moment to join up science and industry. For example, the Food & Health Innovation Service, funded by Scottish Enterprise and delivered by Scotland Food & Drink, brings together business and scientists to provide practical support to help Scottish companies fully realise their growth potential in the global marketplace. Scientists across universities and institutes also need to work together more closely, to bring the best basic science through what is called the “translational pipeline” to create valued products and services. That is why we launched a key partnership, the Scottish Food Security Alliance - Crops, at the Royal Highland Show in June. The Alliance draws expertise from three leading Scottish research organisations - the universities of Aberdeen and Dundee and the James Hutton Institute - to create a critical mass of internationally-recognised excellence in crop and soil sciences, environmental modelling and human nutrition. Our vision is to build an alliance of excellence which links researchers from different disciplines to tackle the challenges of sustainable food production, the depletion of natural resources including productive land, water and nutrients, and the impact of climate change on society. Although the Alliance currently has only three partners, we are confident that other institutes and universities from across Scotland will join us. More broadly, there are moves afoot to create similar alliances for livestock, aquaculture and marine fisheries. The Scottish Food Security Alliance - Crops is an exciting initiative that will set Scotland at the centre of working to tackle one of the biggest challenges of our time. http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland-at-forefront-of-efficient-agriculture-1-3020429 (Contributed by Zhang Hongzhou, Special Editor)
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World Food and Agriculture Organization: Global food production will hit a record high in 2013World cereal production set to reach historic high in 2013 11 July 2013, Rome-World total cereal production is forecast to increase by about 7 percent in 2013 compared to last year, helping to replenish global inventories and raise expectations for more stable markets in 2013/14, according to the latest issue of FAO's quarterly Crop Prospects and Food Situation report. The increase would bring world cereal production to 2 479 million tonnes, a new record level. FAO now puts world wheat output in 2013 at 704 million tonnes, an increase of 6.8 percent, which more than recoups the previous year's reduction and represents the highest level in history. World production of coarse grains in 2013 is now forecast by FAO at about 1 275 million tonnes, up sharply (9.7 percent) from 2012. World rice production in 2013 is forecast to expand by 1.9 percent to 500 million tonnes (milled equivalent) although prospects are still very provisional. Import forecasts, cereal prices Cereal imports of Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries for 2013/14 are estimated to rise by some 5 percent, compared to 2012/13, to meet growing demand. Egypt, Indonesia and Nigeria, in particular, are forecast to import larger volumes. International prices of wheat declined slightly in June with the onset of the 2013 harvests in the Northern Hemisphere. By contrast, maize prices increased, supported by continued tight supplies. Export prices of rice were generally stable. Food insecurity situations The report focuses on developments affecting the food security situation of developing countries. In its review of food insecurity hotspots, the report highlights the following countries, among others: In Syria, 2013 wheat production dropped significantly below average due to the escalating civil conflict leading to disruptions in farming activities. Livestock sector has been severely affected. About 4 million people are estimated to be facing severe food insecurity. In Egypt, civil unrest and dwindling foreign exchange reserves raise serious food security concerns. In Central Africa, serious food insecurity conditions prevail due to escalating conflict affecting about 8.4 million people in Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of the Congo. In West Africa, the overall food situation is favourable in most parts of the Sahel following an above-average 2012 cereal harvest. However, a large number of people are still affected by conflict and the lingering effects of the 2011/12 food crisis. In East Africa, although household food security has improved in most countries, serious concerns remain in conflict areas in Somalia, the Sudan, and South Sudan, with 1 million, 4.3 million and 1.2 million food insecure people, respectively. In Madagascar, damage caused by locusts and a cyclone is expected to reduce crop production in 2013, causing increased hunger, especially in the southern and western regions of the country. In Democratic People's Republic of Korea, despite improved cereal harvest of the 2012 main season and the near normal outcome of the ongoing harvest of the 2013 early season, chronic food insecurity exists. An estimated 2.8 million vulnerable people require food assistance until the next harvest in October. In total, there are 34 countries requiring external food assistance, of which 27 countries are in Africa. (Contributed by Zhang Hongzhou, Special Editor)
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Common Agricultural Policy 2014-2020: EU will allow more agricultural subsidies to be linked to agricultural productionCAP 2014-2020: EU allows more payments to be linked to production The EU is asking farmers to justify subsidies by linking part of their payments to the adoption of measures designed to improve the environment, such as ecological focus areas where wildlife can thrive 21.07.2013|Comments 0|156 viewsRecommend (0)CAP 2014-2020: EU allows more payments to be linked to productionAuthor:Agri.EU©picture 2013 : Agri.EU Reforms agreed by EU negotiators on CAP 2014-2020 reform offer subsidies to keep farms producing in regions where conditions are hard, going against the bloc's shift towards relying on market forces in agriculture. Since 1992, the European Union has been altering its common agricultural policy (CAP) to encourage farmers to grow crops in response to market prices, not subsidies. The aim was to avoid the butter mountains and wine lakes seen in the 1980s, when farmers were paid to produce even when markets were satiated. "The current reform is quite a break from that," said Alan Matthews, Professor Emeritus of European Agricultural Policy at Trinity College, Dublin, noting a shift towards linking payments more closely to production, a practice known as coupling. EU negotiators said they agreed sweeping changes to the bloc's farm policy fixing the rules governing 50 billion euros ($65 billion) in annual farm subsidies for 2014-2020. The package includes liberalising sugar production from 2017 and cutting subsidies to the largest farms in the bloc. But it also lets some countries link direct subsidies to output levels in certain regions, to help maintain output where farmers face natural or other constraints, such as dairy farms in mountainous central France. Analysts said the latest reforms link a limited share of payments more closely with production in part to maintain agriculture in more areas. Under the complex new rules, for some member states up to 15 percent of payments may be coupled but for others it may be only 8 percent. "This is not something that's going to increase production. This is something designed to maintain existing production in areas where it would otherwise disappear," said European Commission agriculture spokesman Roger Waite. Some were critical of EU moves to protect small, struggling producers. Independent consultant Sean Rickard said there was a need to invest heavily in new technologies to drive the growth in production needed as global demand expands. "You can't do that with farmers hanging on by their fingertips," said Rickard, a former chief economist for Britain's National Farmers Union and a UK government advisor. "The future lies with large-scale efficient farms." Others, however, stressed the value of farming in preserving the beauty of the countryside. "Imagine the countryside without farmers, it's something else entirely. The diversity of landscapes is precisely part of Europe's charm," said Philippe Chalmin, economist at Paris Dauphine university and a commodities specialist. The EU is asking farmers to justify subsidies by linking part of their payments to the adoption of measures designed to improve the environment, such as ecological focus areas where wildlife can thrive. "Moving from payouts based on production to flat payments turns farmers into welfare recipients with tractors," said Simon Evenett, Professor of International Trade and Economic Development at the University of St Gallen. "At a time when budgets are tight no special interest group wants to be seen getting something for nothing," he added. Britain, a strong proponent of liberalising EU farm policy, had reservations about some of the latest reform proposals, while France has sought more protection for farmers and saw it as a victory. Noting that global talks meant to liberalise trade have been an important driver for market forces, Britain's agriculture minister Owen Paterson regretted that none were now under way. "It was unfortunate there were no (global) trade talks to keep the pressure on," Paterson said. The World Trade Organization's Doha round ground to a halt in 2008 amid disagreements over farm subsidies, tariffs and market access. An impasse was formally declared in 2011. "The logic of liberalism did not win, on the contrary we managed to turn the situation around...we didn't let things slide, we changed what has been the prevailing trend in agriculture," French farm minister Stephane Le Foll said. The current reform package does contain elements which point to more open markets such as the abolition of sugar quotas in 2017. The basic principle had, however, been agreed years ago and the latest reform delays implementation by two years. ©2013 Agri.EU http://agri.eu/cap-2014-2020-eu-allows-more-payments-to-be-linked-to-production-news4844.html
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Science magazine published article "Sustainable intensification of agriculture: Premise and policy"Sustainable and intensive development of agriculture may solve the problem of food shortage source: China Social Science Journal, No. 473 oxford University's official website reported on July 5, the school's future food plan project director. Charles Gaudfrey and his team published an article in the Policy Forum of Science magazine, "Sustainable Intensive Development in Agriculture: Premises and Policies" it is pointed out that increasing the yield of existing arable land and realizing sustainable and intensive use of land are the best way to solve the global food supply shortage. In this paper, the author makes a detailed analysis of the sustainable and intensive development of agriculture. The article believes that as the world's population grows, many regions of the world need to produce more food, which requires policymakers to strengthen the management of food supply chains, national diets, and food waste. At present, human beings need to produce more food on the existing land resources, rather than cultivate more arable land. Gaudfrey said that sustainable intensive development is a necessary choice for people, but in addition, to establish a sustainable food supply chain requires not only adjustments in agricultural production models, but also changes in human diet. Structure, eat less meat, and to minimize waste, the key is to improve the efficiency and stability of the food supply chain. Tara Garnett, the main researcher of the project, said that increasing food production does not mean using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, because these will bring higher environmental costs. Human beings need to develop more advanced farming methods to minimize the impact on the environment. At the same time, promoting sustainable and intensive agricultural development will involve a series of related policies, including protecting biodiversity, maintaining animal living space, ensuring the nutritional structure of human diet, and maintaining rural economy and sustainable development. Decision makers need to consider various factors and seek reasonable solutions to coordinate various contradictions and meet multiple interests. (Responsible editor: Shixin)
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The United Nations Environment Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development jointly released a study on small farmers, food security and the environment.The United Nations Environment Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development jointly issued a report entitled "Small Farmers, Food Security and Environmental Issues ( Smallholders, food security, and the environment), calling on countries to support the development of small farmers, so that they can take more important responsibilities in food production and natural resource management, and help the world's 1 billion poor out of poverty. The report pointed out that small-scale farmers supply more than 80% of the food in developing countries and make a huge contribution to ensuring food security and poverty reduction. The development of small-scale agricultural economies has been hampered by increasing land fragmentation, reduced investment and the neglect of small-scale agricultural economies in economic development policies. The overuse of natural resources and pollution from agricultural production undermine the ecological basis of the global food system, exacerbate land degradation and reduce the capacity of ecosystems for sustainable production, which not only threatens food security, but also adversely affects poverty reduction. In this regard, the report emphasizes that the development of small farmers depends on well-functioning ecosystems, and sustainable agricultural intensification is the right way to improve food security, protect the environment and reduce poverty. This approach protects the natural resources and ecosystems on which small-scale farmers depend, and ensures food security and rural development. The report recommends that countries promote the development of sustainable agriculture and reduce the impact of agriculture on the environment; encourage countries to eliminate policy barriers and rely on market mechanisms to ensure that small farmers continue to invest in production, eliminate fertilizer subsidies, and instead subsidize projects related to soil and water conservation and green certification, etc.; Broaden the access to information for small farmers, such as the establishment of farmers' field schools, and the popularization of rural broadcasting and mobile communication equipment. Small farmers are an important feature of China's rural areas. In order to maintain the sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas, the government should formulate sustainable agricultural intensive management development planning and support policies to create a good environment for small farmers' production and operation. Introduce, demonstrate, promote and apply practical technologies for sustainable agricultural production, strengthen technical training for small farmers, and enhance the capacity building of small farmers. http://www.ifad.org/climate/resources/smallholders_report.pdf (Responsible editor: Shixin)
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UK publishes annual report on food safety incidentsOn June 28, the British Food Standards Agency released the latest annual report on food incidents, which counted all food safety incidents investigated or notified by the Food Standards Agency in 2012. The report reported a total of 1604 food and environmental pollution incidents, down from 2011, but still higher than in previous years. The highest proportion of microbial pollution, environmental pollution and natural chemical pollution. In addition, it also announced the reasons that may lead to the increase in the proportion of food safety incidents. For example, the increase in the detection rate of a certain Salmonella in recent years is due to betel leaves imported from Bangladesh. At the same time, the significant increase in the proportion of food allergy incidents may be related to the revision of gluten-related regulations. Has a lot to do. Source: National Food Safety Information Center (Responsible editor: Shixin)
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon encourages governments to adopt policies to support and strengthen cooperativesUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon encourages governments to adopt policies to support and strengthen cooperatives july 5, 2013 July 6 of this year is "International Day of Cooperatives". Its publicity theme is: enterprise cooperation, maintaining vigorous development in the financial crisis (Cooperative enterprise remains strong in time of crisis). UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement in this regard, calling on governments to encourage policies to support and strengthen cooperatives. In his statement on the International Day of Cooperatives, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that humanity is living in a time of global uncertainty, with multiple crises and natural disasters testing even the strongest economies and communities. The annual International Day of Cooperatives is an opportunity to highlight how cooperatives can contribute to building resilience in all regions and all economic sectors. In the midst of the current global financial and economic crisis, financial cooperatives have proven their strength and resilience, benefiting their members, employees and customers. They have maintained high credit ratings, increased assets and turnover, and expanded their membership and customer base. Ban Ki-moon said that after the earthquake, tsunami, flood and other disasters, the cooperative has shown its ability to mobilize unity and reconstruction. Agricultural cooperatives increase farmers' productivity by helping to provide markets, credit, insurance and technology. Social cooperatives can provide an important safety net in the face of diminishing or already minimal public benefits. They also show considerable potential for empowering youth and alleviating the growing global youth employment crisis. In this regard, he called on Governments to encourage policies to support and strengthen cooperatives so that they can contribute fully to inclusive and sustainable development. In 1844, Rochdale Fair Pioneer Society was born in England, which opened the prelude of the modern cooperative movement. The International Cooperative Union was founded in London in 1895. In 1922, the International Cooperative Alliance decided to designate the first Saturday of July as "International Day of Cooperatives". In 1992, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming the first Saturday of July 1995 as the "United Nations International Day of Cooperatives" to commemorate the 100 anniversary of the establishment of the International Cooperative Alliance, and subsequently decided to celebrate this day every year to increase people's awareness of cooperatives, emphasize the goal of complementarity between the United Nations and the international cooperative movement, and emphasize the great contribution of the movement to solving the main problems raised by the United Nations. Full text of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's message:6 July 2013 we live in a time of global uncertainty. Multiple crises and natural disasters are testing even the strongest economies and communities. The annual International Day of Cooperatives is an opportunity to highlight how cooperatives can contribute to building resilience in all regions and all economic sectors. In the midst of the current global financial and economic crisis, financial cooperatives have proven their strength and resilience, benefiting their members, employees and customers. They have maintained high credit ratings, increased assets and turnover, and expanded their membership and customer base. In the aftermath of disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and floods, cooperatives have demonstrated their ability to mobilize solidarity for reconstruction. Agricultural cooperatives increase farmers' productivity by helping to provide markets, credit, insurance and technology. Social cooperatives can provide an important safety net in the face of diminishing or already minimal public benefits. They also show considerable potential for empowering youth and alleviating the growing global youth employment crisis. On this International Day of Cooperatives, I call on governments to encourage policies to support and strengthen cooperatives so that they can contribute fully to inclusive and sustainable development. (Responsible editor: Shixin)
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New changes in organic standard inputs in the United States2013-07-02 from Wugu Network ( http://news.wugu.com.cn/article/20130702/56366.html) introduction: The Agricultural Market Service (AMS) of the United States Department of Agriculture recently released updated organic standards covering changes in the allowable use of peracetic acid, potassium hydroxide, silicon dioxide, beta-carotene and non-organic rouge oranges in organic production and processing, and this article interprets the new regulations. On May 28, 2013, the Federal Register published an update to the National List of Licensed and Prohibited Substances in the Organic Standards issued by the Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Market Service (AMS). The revision involves new changes in the requirements for the use of peracetic acid, potassium hydroxide, silicon dioxide, beta-carotene and non-organic annatto in organic production processes. The National List of Licensed and Prohibited Substances specifies synthetic substances and prohibited natural substances that are permitted to be used in organic production, as well as synthetic substances and natural substances of non-agricultural origin that are permitted to be used in organic processing, and agricultural substances that are not organically produced that are permitted to be used in organic processing. This amendment prohibits the use of non-organic annatto oranges for organic processing. Anatto oranges will be removed from the list on November 3, 2013. After that, there will be a 12-month transition period. During this period, processing plants should change the formula and label. This means that after November 3, 2014, only annatto oranges that have passed organic certification can be used for organic processing. The reason for the National Organic Standards Committee is that organic annatto is already available on the market and in sufficient quantities. Silica, as a permitted composition, is used as a processing aid in food processing. This revision limits the scope of use and allows it to be used as a defoamer. When organic rice husk is not available on the market, it can also be used for other purposes. In the definition of organic terms in the US standard, the market can be defined as: organic production inputs can be produced in large quantities in the appropriate form, quantity and quality to achieve the basic functions of organic production and processing. This means that although organic rice husk can be obtained in the market, when the organic rice husk cannot completely replace the function of silica, it can still be understood that the market cannot be obtained, and silica can be used as an auxiliary. The amendment will enter into force on November 3, 2013. Peracetic acid, used as a disinfectant and cleaning agent for the disinfection of instruments, seeds and plant materials for sexual reproduction, and for the control of fire blight bacteria in pest control. At the same time, hydrogen peroxide products that have been approved for use are allowed to contain peracetic acid at a concentration not exceeding 6%, which should be marked on the product label. Compared with the original standard: increased hydrogen peroxide products can contain no more than 6% concentration of peracetic acid provisions. This amendment came into force on 29 May 2013. Potassium hydroxide, prohibited for lye peeling of fruits and vegetables, except peach peeling. Compared with the original standard, the restrictions on the peeling of peaches in the rapid freezing (IQF) process have been removed, meaning that potassium hydroxide can be used in any process of peach peeling. During the consultation, it was suggested that potassium hydroxide should be completely banned in machining, because EU standards and the International Federation of Organic Movement standards stipulate that potassium hydroxide is not allowed in organic processing. However, the Agricultural Market Service (AMS) of the United States Department of Agriculture believes that according to the regulations of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), potassium hydroxide is safe to be used as a processing aid in peach peeling process, and its substitute is not available on the market, therefore, this opinion was not adopted. This amendment came into force on 29 May 2013. β-carotene, extracted from carrots or algae (pigment CAS#7235-40-7), compared with the original standard: β-carotene source increases algae, and at the same time, the pigment number changes from CAS#1393-63-1 to CAS#7235-40-7. The amendment came into force on 29 May 2013. Extended reading: the National List of Permitted and Prohibited Substances of the United States Organic Standard can be amended as needed. The specific procedures are as follows: (a) Under the Act, any person may request the National Organic Standards Committee to add or remove a substance from the National Material List. (B) Requests for amendments to the National Bill of Material require an application process form from the USDA (address see (c)). (c) Requests for revision of the national inventory must be submitted to: Program Manager,USDA/AMS/TMP/NOP,1400 Independence Ave., SW., Room 4008-So., Ag Stop 0268,Washington,DC 20250 (text/Lulu) reference materials: National Organic Program (NOP); Amendments to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (Crops and Processing) Federal Register A Rule by the Agricultural Marketing Service Organic changes involve annatto extract, silicon dioxide Food Bussiness News (Responsible editor: Shixin)
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China's bulk agricultural products are entering the "era of net imports"From 2013-06-27 《 economic reference newspaper the tariff threshold is too low the summer grain harvest is coming to an end and another bumper harvest is expected. However, bulk agricultural products, including grain, have maintained a net import trend since the beginning of this year, and domestic agricultural production and food security are facing challenges. A reporter from the Economic Information Daily learned from the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center of the Ministry of Agriculture that in recent years, while imports of soybeans, cotton, and vegetable oil have continued to remain high, and net imports of sugar and dairy products have increased significantly, all three major food crops have been net. import. Although the net import of grain, especially rice and wheat, is very limited, the trend of China's bulk agricultural products entering the net import stage is very obvious from the development and changes of more than 10 years. Data show that in 2012, the net import of grain was 13.169 million tons, the net import of wheat, corn and rice reached 3.415 million tons, 5.153 million tons and 2.088 million tons respectively, and the import volume of sugar and cotton reached 3.747 million tons and 5.413 million tons respectively, reaching a new high. According to data released by the Ministry of Commerce this week, imported soybeans are forecast to arrive at 8.3228 million tons in June, the highest level in the month. In addition, imports of meat products grew equally rapidly. Among them, pork changed from net export to net import in 2008, and the import volume increased rapidly; the trend of net import of mutton continued to strengthen, with the net import volume increasing from 24000 tons in 2007 to 119000 tons in 2012. It is worth noting that rice imports continued to be at a high level this year. From January to April, rice and rice imports were 1 million tons, an increase of 83.6 percent over the same period last year. Ma Wenfeng, an analyst at Oriental Aige Agricultural Consulting Company, said that China is now the largest rice importer, with natural annual imports reaching 4 million to 5 million tons. The absolute amount of rice imports is not large, but it has a great impact on the local market in the south. Rice enterprises in Hunan and Jiangxi have suffered a serious impact. "In the case of widening domestic and foreign price differentials and lack of tariff protection, it is impossible to import." Ni Hongxing, director of the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center of the Ministry of Agriculture, said that the fundamental reason for the increase in net imports of bulk agricultural products is driven by demand growth, and the widening price gap at home and abroad is the direct driving force for the increase in agricultural imports. At present, many agricultural imports are not due to domestic shortages, but to internal and external price differences, resulting in the coexistence of domestic backlogs and increased imports. In an interview with a reporter from the Economic Information Daily in Changde, Hunan not long ago, a rice factory owner said that the price of imported rice from Vietnam, Pakistan, and Myanmar is 172 yuan per 100 catties, while the local price of rice in Changde is 180 per 100 catties. To 190 yuan, many companies even mix 20% of imported rice with local rice. For the "high price difference" of cotton at home and abroad, many cotton textile enterprises also feel difficult to operate. Zhu Beina, president of the China Cotton Textile Industry Association, said that the current domestic cotton price exceeds 19000 yuan per ton, which is 4000 to 5000 yuan higher than imported cotton. Last year, the price difference reached 6000 yuan per ton. In this case, cotton textile enterprises are not competitive and the finished products cannot be digested. In the face of the continuous impact of low-cost imported agricultural products, the tariff level implemented by China is difficult to play the role of "threshold" protection, and the policy space for tariff protection is already very limited. It is understood that at present, the average tariff level of agricultural products in the world is 62 per cent, and the highest tariff level can even reach more than 1000 per cent, while the average tariff level of agricultural products in China is 15.2 per cent, less than a quarter of the world average. Although China implements tariff quota management on important agricultural products such as wheat, corn, rice, sugar, cotton, wool, etc., the highest non-quota tariff is only 65%. "The strong growth of my country's agricultural imports is not a problem in itself. The problem is the lack of sufficient tariffs and other policy measures to carry out effective regulation." Ni Hongxing believes that China's agricultural production is small in scale and high in cost, and it is an inevitable trend to widen the price gap at home and abroad, but the more open it is, the more tariff protection is needed. Taking soybeans as an example, the current dilemma facing the domestic soybean industry is not caused by the import itself in a strict sense, but by the lack of necessary tariff protection and import control policies. The tariff level on soybeans is only 3%, and the special safeguard mechanism cannot be used, which makes soybean imports almost unregulated. The next concern will be corn. Ni Hongxing predicted that driven by labor costs and material costs, if the minimum purchase price of domestic corn rises by 10% every year, while the extra-quota tariff of corn is only 65%, it will be difficult to block the extra-quota import of corn in another five or six years. Industry insiders are worried that the increase in net imports of bulk agricultural products, on the one hand, has formed a restraint on the domestic industry, resulting in the lack of necessary incentives and motivation for industrial development, on the other hand, it has brought potential risks to the long-term supply security of agricultural products. Although the country continues to raise the minimum purchase price of grain and other agricultural products, the effect of policy support is largely eliminated by low-cost imported agricultural products. Ni Hongxing believes that from the perspective of resource allocation, the impact of individual products such as soybeans can be reduced by adjusting the structure and freeing up more resources for food production. However, in the context of the expansion of the scope of net imports of bulk agricultural products and the increase in net imports, there is limited room for agricultural structural adjustment, and imports have a wide range of suppression and suppression of agricultural prices, which will bring unprecedented challenges to the development of my country's agricultural industry. (Responsible editor: Shixin)
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Ministry of Agriculture: China's aquatic products account for more than 60% of the world's total2013-06-27 09:21:44 from People's Daily article label: Ministry of Agriculture aquatic products farming the reporter learned from the Ministry of Agriculture: my country's modern fishery construction has achieved remarkable results. At present, my country's total aquatic product farming accounts for more than 60% of the world's total. Aquatic products have ranked first in domestic bulk agricultural exports for 13 consecutive years, and aquatic product exports have accounted for my country's agricultural exports. The proportion of total reached 30%. In 2012, the export volume of aquatic products was 3.8012 million tons, with an export value of 18.983 billion billion US dollars, an increase of 6.69 per cent over the same period last year. The foreign trade surplus of aquatic products was 10.985 billion US dollars, breaking through the 10 billion mark for the first time. The relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture said that in 2012, the total output of aquatic products nationwide was 59.0768 million tons, an increase of 5.43 percent over the previous year; of which, the output of aquatic products was 42.8836 million tons, an increase of 6.59 percent over the same period last year. The national aquaculture area was 8.0884 million hectares, an increase of 3.23 percent over the previous year. The output of pelagic fishery was 1.2234 million tons, up 6.59 percent year on year. After breaking through the 10,000 yuan mark in 2011, the per capita net income of fishermen continued to maintain rapid growth in 2012, reaching 11256 yuan, an increase of 12.43 percent over the same period last year. The total output value of the fishery economy of the whole society was 1732.188 billion billion yuan, and the added value was 791.522 billion billion yuan, an increase of 15.44 per cent and 15.02 per cent respectively over the same period last year. Among them, the output value of fishery accounts for 9.73 per cent of the total output value of agriculture, and the added value of fishery accounts for 10.06 per cent of the added value of agriculture.
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Thirty-eight countries meet global hunger targets ahead of scheduleThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ( FAO) issued a circular at its headquarters in Rome on June 12, confirming that 38 countries around the world will achieve the set goal of fighting hunger before the 2015 deadline. According to FAO statistics, 20 countries in the world have achieved the first of the UN Millennium Development Goals, that is, the goal of halving the proportion of hungry people established by the international community at the UN General Assembly in 2000, including Algeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Indonesia, Maldives, Uruguay, etc. At the same time, 18 other countries have achieved both the first Millennium Development Goal and the more stringent target set by the 1996 World Food Summit to halve the absolute number of undernourished people, including Azerbaijan, Cuba, Ghana, Kuwait, Peru, Thailand, Venezuela, Viet Nam and others. This proves that with strong political will, coordination and cooperation, hunger can be reduced rapidly and sustainably. In this regard, FAO urges all countries to maintain the momentum of development and commit to the total eradication of hunger, in response to the "Zero Hunger" campaign proposed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. FAO data show that the number of hungry people in the world has decreased from 0.925 billion in 2010 to 0.87 billion in 2012, mainly in developing countries, mainly in South Asia, East Asia and sub Saharan Africa. Agriculture plays a pivotal role in providing food. More than 70 per cent of the poor live in rural areas, most of whom depend directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods. Increasing agricultural productivity is therefore an important factor in improving access to food. FAO calls on more countries to redouble their efforts to end hunger and malnutrition through sustainable agriculture and development. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=45153#.Ublt4rKBSAg (Responsible editor: Shixin)