Author: Timothy Wahome (Timothy Wahome)

Brazil sugarcane
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Brazil leap-frogs to the 9th position of global economies thanks to agriculture

Brazil was the ninth largest economy in the world in 2023, per the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s projections of December 19, 2023.  A strong Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 3.1%, buoyed by agriculture helped the nation leap-frog from the 11th position. At the end of 2023, Brazil’s economists were expecting a GDP grossing of $2.13 trillion....

Morocco beats weather odds, heading for a 60,000-ton avocado harvest
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Morocco beats weather odds, heading for a 60,000-ton avocado harvest

Blessed with a mild climate, Northwestern Morocco which constitutes such regions as Gharb and Larache is expecting to harvest 60,000 tonnes of avocados.  The harvest follows on the heels of a long-term drought that hit most of Morocco in 2023. Unlike the Sahel region, however, the north experiences rainfall of up to 98 mm in the wettest...

McDonald's quarter pounder hamburger
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MacDonald’s Malaysia seeks $1.3 million in damages from boycott movement

MacDonald’s Malaysia has sued Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia movement for 6 million Ringgit ($1.304 million) for business losses stemming from Israel boycott calls.  A Reuters report of December 31, 2023 states that McDonald’s Malaysia sued the movement for “inciting the public (into) boycott.” The report also says that the fast food chain has lost...

Iranian wheat
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Global wheat market performance in the New Year shows mixed results

Global wheat has closed 2023 on mixed results, with most price influences coming off geopolitical factors, especially the Ukraine-Russia war.  European Union (EU)’s wheat, for one, ended 2023 on a depreciated price note. In the U.S., performance fell year-on-year despite a November-December rebound. Here are a few countries and regions which show where global wheat is...

Ryegrass cover cropping
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Montana rancher develops insightful soil conservation method

For Cooper Hibbard, a fifth generation rancher in Montana, soil conservation and ranching are bedfellows, reports Tri-State Livestock News.  Hibbard employed a unique conservation technique during the driest 10-year period of his ranch and saw 200% increase in forage yield. The secret lies in how he inter-crops pasture, corn and soybeans to ensure proper cover-cropping for the soil. He...

Beef
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China expands frozen beef imports from Uruguay

In a trade and diplomatic move, China has expanded the import range of frozen beef from Uruguay starting December 26, 2023. China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) reiterated that the imports will only come from non-foot and mouth disease zones. Additionally, GAC underscored its trust for Uruguay’s Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries to inspect and sanitize...

Vertical farm
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A farm in the UAE harvests EUR 5 million in carbon credits

A farm in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reaped abundantly from carbon credit sales. This has happened just a few weeks after an all-out strive to phase out carbon emissions at the COP28 summit in Dubai. The “David & Goliath” farm sold  5 million Euro (AED 20.413 million) worth of carbon credits on top of agricultural produce...

farm tractor
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Farmers in Namibia to receive 350 tractors from the government

Farmers in Omusati Region in Namibia have received more than 42 tractors courtesy of Namibia Agricultural Mechanisation and Seed Improvement Project (NAMSIP). This is the latest gesture in a nationwide farm equipment procurement process that boasts 350 tractors and 380 walking tractors. While handing over the machinery, the executive director in the Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Ministry, Ndiyakupi...

pulses
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Beans and pulses exports bring Myanmar $931.96 million in 2023

Myanmar (formerly Burma) earned $931.96 million in revenue from the sale of beans and pulses in the 8 months ending December 2023. In an announcement on December 26, the Ministry of Commerce partially attributed the income to the current 2023-24 market year. These preliminary statistics hint at Myanmar scoring full-year results matching the earnings of the...

Wind farm in Croatia
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Croatia records the best agricultural growth since 2015

Government statistics show that Croatia posted an impressive agricultural growth of 9.23% in 2022 over 2021’s. More importantly, the growth rate ranks as the third highest in the European Union (EU) since 2015. An increase in youthful farmers, who grew by 66% since 2015, has helped boost the sector through value creation. The fact that young farmers...