The South Africa macadamia sector needs to diversify exports away from China to avoid disruptions as happened in 2015, industry experts have warned. Speaking at the Macadamias South Africa (SAMAC) summit in September 2024, Professor Ferdi Meyer of the Bureau for Food Agricultural Policy cited China’s rising acreage. Meyer hinted at uptick cultivation of macadamia in China in 2024 on 300,000 hectares versus South...
What new sea cucumber developments in Alaska and the Netherlands hold for UK’s Invertebrates Imports
The start of the 2024-25 Alaska sea cucumber season and the discovery of ten sea cucumbers in the Netherlands hold much for UK’s invertebrates’ imports. Alaska, one of the biggest sea cucumber sources in the world, began its harvest on October 7, 2024. Alaskans aim to harvest some 1.76 million pounds of the critters, slightly above the 1.67 million pounds of the...
U.S. increases Pacific bluefin tuna catches by 80% for 2025-26 season
The commercial haul of the Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) will increase by 80% in the 2025-26 American season, following successful restocking. The decision by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission in September 2024 to increase catch limits owes to findings of ample restocking. Earlier in June, the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-Like Species in the North Pacific Ocean had announced an impressive population...
Abaca and bamboo to drive PH’s sustainable agricultural agenda
The Philippines’ delegation at the 2024 World Food Forum in Rome has promised to drive sustainability through mango, seaweed, abaca and bamboo cultivation. During the event, the Department of Agriculture’s secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. outlined the economic and sustainability benefits of these tropical produce. Laurel linked the four produce to the goals of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)...
Food prices in Fiji to cool courtesy Agriculture Ministry
The government aims to reduce food prices in Fiji, following the cooling of food inflation between August and September 2024. According to the Ministry of Agriculture on October 18, 2024, the process will begin by scaling up small-scale farming. Second to this will be to prioritize food “affordability” as a major intervention for food security and nutrition purposes. To this end, the Deputy Secretary at the Ag...
Rice harvest in Japan begins amid turn to robotics
The 2024 rice harvest in Japan is in progress from the mountainsides of Togowa in Mizayaki Prefecture to the sunshiny western prefecture of Okayama. At the same time, robotics are increasingly stepping in to aid an aging population. In Togowa’s slopes, farmers will be reaping their paddies throughout October, marking a six-month grain maturity journey. The region’s terraces undulate through picturesque...
American ginseng gets senatorial defense against trade war with China
A farm tour by Senator Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin has revealed that American ginseng is still reeling from the trade war with China. Baldwin took her campaign visit to a farm in Wausau, WI which in early October 2024 hosted the Marathon Ginseng Festival. During the October 15 visit, the senator traced the difficulties local farmers have been facing during the tariff war amid...
The South Africa wine sector foresees bountiful 2025 season
After a weather-embattled 2024 harvest, the South Africa wine industry is hopeful for the 2025 season. The sector aims to recoup the impressive 2023 run that brought 934 million liters in processed wine. The hopeful note sidelines the situation in the floods-hit 2024 when vineyard production fell by 7% from 2023’s. For one, Dr. Etienne Terblanche of Vinpro Consultation Services cites that the currently...
RFK Jr. to “roar back” American agriculture
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or simply RFK Jr. suggests he could save American agriculture if Donald Trump wins the November election. The erstwhile presidential candidate is now backing Trump with expectations that he would win a slot, probably as Ag secretary. His first shot is at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which he will rid off “corporate interests,” reports AP News....
Sugar productivity in Vietnam emerges number 1 in ASEAN
Sugar productivity in Vietnam has topped that of the cane-rich Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a historical first. Beating China and Thailand, Vietnam boasted a rate of 6.79 tonnes a hectare in sugar yields for the 2023-24 season. According to data by the Vietnam Sugarcane and Sugar Association (VSSA), all this is courtesy of investment in Industry 4.0. 4.0 technology aids farmers track...