Agriculture

• Monday, June 22nd 2009 - 12:20 UTC

  Agriculture showing more resilience to economic crisis

  

  Because food is a basic necessity, the agriculture sector is showing more resilience to the global economic crisis than other industries. But the risks could increase if the economic downturn deepens, according to a new report by the OECD and FAO released this week.

• Sunday, June 21st 2009 - 11:28 UTC

  FAO forecasts second-highest record cereals crop for 2009/10

  

  With the second-highest recorded cereals crop expected this year and stocks replenished, the world food supply looks less vulnerable to shocks than it was during last year’s food crisis, FAO said in its Food Outlook report published this month. But some potential dangers remain, it also noted.

• Sunday, June 21st 2009 - 11:26 UTC

  Uruguayan farmers fearful of consolidation in meat sector

  

  The possible merger between the leading Brazilian meat groups, Marfrig and JBS Bertin could create the largest corporation in the world and among other things dominate over 30% of the Uruguayan cattle demand market.

• Thursday, June 18th 2009 - 14:54 UTC

  Brazil invests 7.6 billion USD in family farming

  

  The Brazilian government confirmed Wednesday that the fund to promote home farming and gardening will have at its disposal 7.6 billion US dollars. This represents a 525% increase since the administration of President Lula da Silva took office in 2003.

• Wednesday, June 10th 2009 - 07:55 UTC

  Argentina will consume Uruguayan beef for bicentenary celebration

  

  Argentina will celebrate its bicentenary consuming Uruguayan beef forecasted the president of the powerful farmers’ association Argentine Rural Society, Hugo Biolcati. Production won’t be enough to cover Argentina’s demand next year, “either we bring per capita consumption down from 70 kilos to 50 kilos, or we import beef and it won’t be cheap”.

• Sunday, June 7th 2009 - 19:16 UTC

  Chilean wine prices on sales to UK fall on average 31.2%

  

  Chilean bottled wine prices fell an average of 14.6% on the international market in April, while the quantity of bottled exports increased by 5.2%, according to a recent report by industry advocacy group Wines of Chile.

• Thursday, June 4th 2009 - 15:07 UTC

  Buffaloes introduced in Cuba have become a threat for crops

  

  A herd of wild buffalo has become a nightmare for peasants in the western Cuban province of Pinar del Rio because the beasts are invading and devouring their crops of tobacco and vegetables, reports the Communist Party daily Granma.

• Wednesday, June 3rd 2009 - 10:56 UTC

  Argentine meat packers move to ensure supply with feedlots

  

  Quickfood one of Argentina’s main abattoirs is considering setting up two huge feedlots to fatten cattle, each with 22.000 steers, making it one of the leading companies in the industry

• Thursday, May 28th 2009 - 07:20 UTC

  Britain’s smelliest cheese named “Stinking Bishop”

  

  Stinking Bishop has been officially voted Britain's most pungent cheese in the nation's first ever contest. Britain's Smelliest Cheese Championships were held at The Royal Bath and West Show in Shepton Mallet, Somerset.

• Wednesday, May 20th 2009 - 14:55 UTC

  Soy prices set to increase because of poor crops in South America

  

  World stocks of soybeans are set to decline steeply to a five year low of around 50 million tons at the end of the season (10 million tons less than a year ago), mainly because of smaller crops in the leading exporting countries of South America, according to Oil World.