The Michoacán avocado certification office has in mid-December 2024 welcomed 100 growers who want to register their orchards before 2025. This is happening four months after the Western Mexico state launched origin certification stamps in August 2024. According to a news story by Meganoticias (MN), the hundred who sought the certification have already begun the legalization process. With this substantial number of producers...

Each holiday season, European tea lovers go for the branded Earl Grey Tea, a fusion with bergamot orange. For 2024, the picking of this fragrant dwarf citrus in southwestern Italy’s Calibria region is underway from November through March. Perfume makers and tea blenders work hand-in-hand with farmers to ensure the sustainability of the harvest. Fragrance Makers Source Responsibly One such perfume...

The last swipe of a bevy of product composition rules fell on the Hawaii hemp industry in mid-December 2024. Governor Josh Green approved rules limiting cannabis-constituent compounds known as delta 9 tetrahydroannabinol (THC) in hemp products to 0.00028%. Although this compound naturally occurs in hemp (Cannabis sativa var.), it needs control in hemp-derived beverages and medicinal products. In the U.S.,  the...

Cocoa pricing has neared the April 2024 apex by recording a new high of $11,938 a tonne in New York futures.  The new record on December 17, at 7.10 a.m. Eastern Time follows renewed uncertainty on the West African crop outlook. Even though by end December 17 the top futures price had ameliorated to  $11,765 a tonne, it was still overboard. In...

Cassava farmers in Region Nine or North Rupununi in Guyana have embraced drone farming to test local soil. The growers of the tuber in Yakarinta village received the Mavic Mulltispectaral drone from the Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha. Mustapha cited how the equipment will reduce poor yields through alerts on soil conditions and encourage large-scale farming. Region Nine is a culturally- and...

Not since 2003 did the Mississippi oyster fisheries have had such a proud comeback as 2024 with its double fishing openings.  After a 5-year hiatus to preserve dwindling catches, the state decided to open fisheries twice this season.  The first opening was on November 13 for ten days, while the second on December 9 for eleven days. During the November run, the Mississippi...

The UK sugar beet sector which supplies the country’s entire sugar raw material projects a strong 2025, at least regionally. According to a National Farming Union (NFU)’s industry outlook in December 2024, there are as many opportunities countering current challenges. Both opportunities and challenges cut across UK’s sugar prices and global production trends. Sugar Production Deficit Narrowing One of the opportunities regards...

Chile expects farm exports to rise by 15% this season thanks to a strong cherry showing and continued good weather. In a December 12 interview, the Minister of Agriculture Esteban Valenzuela forecast 2024-25 fruit exports to touch US$7 billion. Cherries will certainly contribute a big chunk of this turnover given that in 2023 their exports generated $2.346 billion. The  2024-25 season is already...

Low supplies and coffee inflation are forcing roasters to raise prices of the favorite beverage for most Americans. One cause is a rising monthly consumer price index (CPI) in the U.S., which was up 0.3% in November. Since CPI tracks the cost of various commodities, any rise affects the pricing of many items, particularly food and beverages. Interestingly, some consumer classes...

A 61-year herd population low and market factors are buoying cattle prices in the U.S. unabatedly early December 2024.  Cattle charts show that virtually all ranching states from the Dakotas to Texas have recorded a monthly price strength. In the Dakotas, 700- to 800-Ib steers (castrated oxen) sold at $283.82 per hundredweight, $10 more than on November 11, 2024. A similar scenario informed...