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Irrigation near Okavango River, Namibia
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Musese in Namibia to harvest 4,000 tons of maize amid rising prices

The maize harvest on Musese farm in Kavango West is underway with expectations to reap 4,000 tonnes. This at a time when maize prices in Namibia are inching up. Harvesting began at the end of April, about 6 months since the scheme sowed white maize in November 2023. Operated by Winni Metzger, Musese is a nationally important greening scheme...

Beef
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Florida bans lab-grown meat to “save our beef”

Nearly a year after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed the sale of lab-grown meat in the U.S. in June 2023, Florida has banned it. Governor Ron DeSantis on May 1, 2024 signed SB 1084, a bill that bars the cultivation of lab-grown meat. He ratified the bill in what he referred to as a bid...

Maize plant
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Grain prices in Western Equatoria State in South Sudan fall

Grain prices in Western Equatoria State in South Sudan under the World Food Program (WFP)’s buying initiative have fallen to $300 a tonne. Farmers blame this state of events to middlemen who buy on behalf of WFP, thereby losing $100 a tonne. According to Anthony Ezekiel of Yambio Farmers and Business Cooperative on May 1, 2024, the current price...

Food groceries
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FAO Food Price Index up April 2024 thanks to expensive meat, vegetable oil

Pricey red meat and vegetable oils helped defeat price decreases in dairy and sugar to notch up the FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) in April 2024. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) reported on May 3, 2024 that FFPI inched up to 119.1 points or 0.3% between March and April. However, worldwide food prices were lower year-on-year than in...

Cattle grazing on a farm in Australia
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Australia’s beef herd prices shrink April, rally May

Cattlemen in northern and southern Australia reduced prices of their beef herds by 10 Australian cents in the month of April amid rising supplies. However, steer prices rose appreciably in the first week of May amid huge presence of export buyers.  After belated rains delayed the cattle transportation season in April, experts expect an influx of cattle...

Farmland potential in Nigeria at confluence of Benue and Niger Rivers, Nigeria
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Nigeria restoring millions of hectares of degraded farmland

19 states in northern Nigeria have partnered with the Food and Agricultural organization (FAO) to recover millions of hectares of degraded farmland. This at a time when agriculture is helping Nigeria’s economy grow by 3%. The Kano State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) stated April 29, 2024 that it would restore a million hectares in...

Cocoa powder
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Farmers sleepless as cocoa prices soar in Busoga, Uganda

Reports from Busoga sub-region in eastern Uganda reveal that farmers are keeping awake nights to guard their cocoa beans amid record high prices.  Even though global prices have decreased to $7,871 a tonne on May 3, they are still 93.8% more than in January 2024.  Busoga districts including Mayuge, Kamuli and Jinja have become a hot topic recently...

Cocoa prices on a low seesaw as traders hold back
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Cocoa prices on a low seesaw as traders hold back

World cocoa prices continued falling on May 1 despite a little gain on April 30, 2024, due to record low liquidity.  The price swing partly owes to chocolate makers holding back from buying cocoa beans at the current high prices. This is leading to low liquidity for speculators who are forced to resort to lower prices to...

Onions
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UAE’s onion prices ease after India allows back limited imports

It is price respite for gourmets in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after India allowed back onion imports in March 2024. Limited onion shipments totaling 10,000 tonnes from India are currently taking place through the National Cooperative Exports Ltd (NCEL). For now, Emirati importers have been taking advantage of low at-origin prices and these could in turn...

Grain loading at a shipping jetty
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Black Sea agricultural marine cargo hits 25 million tonnes 

Eight months after Russia exited the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI),  Black sea agricultural marine cargo volumes have matched pre-2022 levels. Over 1,300 ships conveyed around 25 million tonnes of agricultural goods between August 2023 and April 2024.   Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN, Serhiy Kyslytsia, stated on April 30, 2024 that this cargo estimate exceeds that...