UK’s pig exporters are keen to cash in on California’s Prop 12 law, which came into effect on January 1, 2024. This is even as hogs turn into pet animals, with the launch of exclusive pig cafés elsewhere in Japan. These disparate developments come just before another controversial U.S. clause that allows speed production of pork ends...
The U.S. cattle stock has depreciated to its lowest since 1951, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) on January 31, 2024. The 2022-23 drought slashed the herd numbers to 87.2 million head, including calves, as of January 1, 2024. Analysts see this slump as an opportunity for Australia, Japan and China to swoop in and export...
Between January and October 2023, Kenya’s horticultural exports edged those of the entire 2022 by 1.46%, according to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). The sale of mainly fruits and vegetables reached 580,648 metric tonnes (MT) up to October, above the 572, 290 MT of the entire 2022. The sector is poised to register earnings worth $1.23 billion for...
The U.S.’ egg sector produced 9.45 billion eggs in December 2023, 3% above the December 2022 levels. The 2024 prices are also pointing towards an upward trajectory. A January 19, 2024 report by the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that table egg production rose slightly in 2023. This...
Pakistan, a net importer of cotton is witnessing stability in wholesale cotton prices amid diminishing local inventories. Imports of cotton from the United States, at 81.50 U.S. cents per pound from January 20, 2024 helped balance higher domestic prices. Cotton exports by the U.S. to destinations like Pakistan rose by 60% on January 23 over those of the previous week....
Panama has invested U$32 million in a replanting program to revive coffee farming and rescue fragile trade along the Panama Canal. The sea route is home to 5% of global trade yearly, with Robusta coffee a key commerce commodity. Given their nearness to the trade path, coffee exports from Panama rank as the 45th largest in the world. Drought...
Months after finding an alternative Black Sea route for shipping grain, Ukraine has been facing road blocks to Poland. With air transport under threat from Russia and the Red Sea route exacerbating the costs of shipping, Ukraine wants to maintain the Polish road transit at all costs. Up to January 16, 2024, 20,000 trucks from both...
Despite being the most consumed fruit in the world, the banana (Musa banksii/Musa sapientum) is experiencing a steady price fall. This is amid a release by the Federal Bank of St. Louis that shows a decade-on-decade price appreciation. More so, Latin America’s farmers are foreseeing a 20 to 25% fall in production due to El Niño effects. However,...
Despite a looming 3-month fishing ban in the North Sea, Scotland’s cod harvesting in Shetland is at its five-year best. Shetland Inshore Fish Survey (SIFS) on January 22, 2024 showed that local cod catches in 2023 were the highest since 2018. The survey also predicted enough stocks for the 2024 fishing season. This good news comes just when...
A new shipping route via China’s northern port city of Tiajing could help reduce the wholesale cost of cherries from Chile by 50%. Originally, cherries from Latin America had to land in south China before lengthy dispatches to the north, exacerbating costs. As of January 18, 2024, a half kilogram of Chilean cherries were costing 200 Yuan ($27.86). At...