First published September 27, 2024. Egypt’s new potato planting season could cut prices by 50%, after summer’s retail rates edged to E£35 ($0.72) per kilo. At the height of the price surge in July 2024, analysts had briefed Ahram Online that rates would halve by December. The planting season for the 3- to 4-month tuber had already begun in the Nile region end...

First published September 27, 2024. India’s expulsion of the minimum export price (MEP) mandate on basmati rice will benefit importers in mainly West Asia, Europe and North America. In September 2024, the global rice exporter ended the $950 per tonne MEP after the 2024 monsoon improved production.  Increasing world demand has been telling on the country’s export figures for sometime. Even during...

Originally published September 26, 2024. It might be gnarled and imposing, but baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) or “tree of life” is lately improving income in Zimbabwe. This follows a rise in import demand of the tree’s fruit produce from Western food and health brands. With a 5-million local baobab tree population according to the governmental export body, Zimtrade, Zimbabwe is surely...

Originally published September 25, 2024. Australia could overcome a long-standing ban on rock lobster exports to China by Christmas 2024, the Trade Ministry hopes.  Trade headwinds began easing after China promised in August 2024 to ease Aussie rock lobster import stipulations. However, there are still a few “hoops” to jump over that are raising concern. With China not specifying the...

War in the Middle-East continues to impact Israeli vegetable and fruit produce, which is slowly but surely turning into waste. The war’s initial half year cost the economy 1 billion shekels ($265.8 million) in food waste. This according to the yearly Food Waste and Rescue Report by food rescue body, Leket Israel via the Times of Israel. In production terms, the war...

Originally published September 24, 2024. Hyderabad in southern India and Pune in the west are investing heavily on rainwater harvesting systems to reduce runoffs. Rain serves between 50 and 52% of India’s agricultural cropland during the monsoon per year, hence its conservation.  Hyderabad’s Mandate In its part, Hyderabad has mandated rainwater harvesting from January 2025 via its Rain Water Harvesting Structures (RWHS)...

Originally published September 24, 2024. Week 2 of the Iowa corn harvest has registered a 3% weekly output increase,  even as a new short corn breed readies to occupy a drying corn belt.  Concerning the harvest progress, Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig describes the fall crop as ready in most of the state. Responding to a U.S. Department of Agriculture...

First published September 23, 2024. On September 21, 2024, Marathon County in north-central Wisconsin marked the Ginseng Festival to celebrate ginseng root production.  The county is famous as the source of the bulk of Wisconsin’s American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). For example in 2017, central Wisconsin’s harvest represented 98% of all American ginseng, according to Wausau Daily. 2024’s festival took place at the 400...

Originally published September 23, 2024. South Korea’s napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage) prices spiked 69.1% year-on-year on September 19, 2024 to 9,337 won ($6.99) apiece.  The governmental Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation attributed the rise to a summer heat-related supply dip. The hefty price could impact the cost of the staple pickled cabbage dish known as kimchi. Foodies blame the price surge to 2024’s heatwave, which...

Originally published September 19, 2024. The government has promised wheat farmers in Zimbabwe cash payment in U.S. dollars to help them reinvest. Producer prices for the 2024 crop will be at $450 a tonne for regular and $470 for premium wheat. Though less than 2023’s import price of $485 per tonne, the new rate is strong from a production expenditure...