The onset of fall in North America means the pumpkin spice season is here and lots of spicy desserts. 2024 is no different and many Americans have been trying since late August those delectable spice lattes. They buy these at such outlets as Trader Joe’s, Starbucks and others or even make them at home. Strangely enough, pumpkins only make a tiny bit in...
PH rice import tariff decrease won’t impact local prices
The Philippines has clarified that lowering the PH rice import tariff from 35% will still keep local prices stable. A story on the Business Mirror on September 5, 2024 details how producers were circumspect of a drastic price reduction. Producers thought that a tariff cut for Thai and Vietnamese palay shipments would bring retail prices below the current 50 pesos ($0.89) a...
Agriculture in Africa wins part of $50.7b funding by China
Agriculture in Africa will partially benefit from a 360 billion-yuan ($50.7 billion) pledge at the China-Africa Forum in Beijing on September 4, 2024. Gracing the largest Sino-African forum since COVID-19 were China’s leader Xi Jinping and the United Nations’ secretary general Antonio Guterres. In the summit, Africa’s leaders discussed with the host various trade incentives , a part of which being the $50.7 billion fund. Out...
Fruit and vegetable exports by Morocco rise above the desert heat
Morocco has insured an 8% growth in yearly fruit and vegetable exports despite drought, Hespress reported September 4, 2024. This performance has helped rank the North African nation fourth in terms of growth among the world’s fruit and vegetable exporters. Only Egypt, which relies in its Nile River basin for irrigation, had more growth at the continental level at 12%. The two...
A cocoa price raise of 45% looms for Ghana’s farmers
Ghana’s farmers could soon enjoy a handsome cocoa price raise, Reuters reported September 2, 2024. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the country might increase the 2024-25 farm-gate rate by almost 45%, to boost growers’ revenue and deter smugglers. Farmers could earn 48,000 cedi ($3,062) a tonne or 3,000 cedi ($191.40) per 64 kg bag, beginning September 2024. The amount is almost...
The U.S. apple harvest strong in Michigan, New York
Yields from the ongoing U.S. apple harvest are proving robust in the states of Michigan (MI) and New York (NY). Both states rank among the top 3 apple-producing regions of the United States after Washington, hence the importance of their seasonal crop. Apples in the Big Apple New York is already seeing orchards offering “you-pick” services, especially in the cool northern region....
Lab-cultivated cocoa beans become a reality in Israel
An Israeli firm is pioneering lab-cultivated cocoa beans, the first such move outside the tropics. The company, Celleste Bio, says that it can now grow the beans to maturity without pods in a week’s time. According to the company’s CEO M. Beressi Golomb, the cocoa grows on a bioreactor, which has become a virtual “forest.” This process does not employ gene-editing...
Rice production in Asia up by 176% courtesy nuclear technology
The use of climate-smart nuclear technology has improved rice production in Asia by at least 176% in six trial nations. This is courtesy of the Atoms4Food program by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IEEA) in partnership with UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). The two bodies atomic program combines organic and chemical means to improve paddy yields. The program’s field...
The cocoa sector in Ghana witnesses three staggering developments
End August 2024 has redefined the cocoa sector in Ghana through a historical self-financing intention and a price tripling demand by farmers. An announcement on self-financing rather than relying on syndicated loans has arguably been the defining story for the sector. On August 23, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) promised to stop high interest international loan requests, a first in 32 years. The announcement...
Ginseng harvest starts outside Virginia’s state forests, North Carolina’s still paused
The Commonwealth of Virginia has begun its statewide ginseng harvest September 1, 2024, apart from within state forests. At the same time, North Carolina has extended its 3-year “pause” in harvesting of the resource in its wetlands. This comes a week after nearby West Virginia kick-started the U.S. ginseng season by issuing seasonal root-gathering permits. Rules in Virginia’s Ginseng Harvest Like its...