Australia’s barley sales have rebounded, with 90% of all barley exports going to China after Beijing relaxed import restrictions.  This good news is happening despite China retaining a high tariff on wine imports,  affecting barley profits. Spent barley contains grain residue, which features in beer and wine making. The December 2023 sales represent a rapid trade comeback, given China removed barley export...

Weeks after the UK popularised the world’s loneliest sheep, sheep rearing is back in the black, this time versus dog keeping.  It is lambing season in most of Britain, especially Cumbria, the hilly county to the northeast. Every winter and spring sees around 16 million ewes birth lambs. The spring lambing period usually coincides with the regrowth of new grass and colourful daffodils....

Horseshoe crabs might finally get their big break after surviving millennia of mass extinctions. On February 12, environmental lobbies petitioned the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Washington D.C. to list the crustaceans as “living fossils.” The “living fossil” attribute by the lobby groups fits the creatures as they have probably existed for 445 million years. Their main habitat are the...

Chicken demand in the United States has improved to moderate levels, even as a bird flu vaccine nears. The just concluded Super Bowl that ended on February 11 also boosted orders for tender chicken meat and wings this week.  For chicken cuts outside direct influence by the above sports and entertainment event, demand has been light-to-moderate. Key mentions include relatively fair export...

Wholesale prices of fresh condiments in the U.S. have showed a steady flow from February 12 up to Valentine’s Day. The grain stock in the previous market week ending February 9 also ran at surplus with fairly low prices.  California Report The spotlight state in the Valentine week has been California after late winter floods raised questions on spring supplies.  Apart from anise,...

On February 14, India’s capital, New Delhi remained under police barricade to bar protesting farmers demanding guaranteed crop prices.  Though the protesters were still 200 km from Delhi by noon India time, the authorities cordoned off three strategic entryways into the capital. The main demand by the protesting farmers is for the government to declare clear minimum support prices MSP). MSP is...

Agricultural nations and product innovators, alongside fruit and vegetable exhibitors successfully promoted their ware at the concluded FRUIT LOGISTICA 2024.  The trade fair took place in Berlin from February 5 to7 and attracted 66,000 visitors from 145 nations. The event’s hallmark were agricultural showcases by over 2,779 exhibitors. Exhibitions from the host nation, Germany, included an avocado-pitting and peeling commercial robot line by Kronen GmBH....

Vietnam is cashing in on rock lobster imports from Australia, which are selling cheaper than local lobster. The same applies to frozen imports from Alaska which are costing as little as VND 600,000 ($24.53) per kilo. Ever since China cut off Australia’s lobster market in 2023, Vietnamese buyers have stepped into the void with record imports. In 2023 alone, all lobster...

As early spring harvest timings approach, California, home to 90% of all U.S. broccoli is holding on to current stocks. The West Coast market is steady despite recent floods that swept away crops in the central, western and southern regions. One such affected place is Monterey, the county in Central California which produces 40% of the state’s broccoli. The area...