Two major developments have lately turned the spoke for blueberry exports from Zimbabwe to China, including export authorization on September 4, 2025. According to the Zimbabwe Herald Online on September 17, 2025, the authorization touches on phytosanitary protocols for growers and exporters. To meet the aseptic mandate, shippers must only pack fruits from registered orchards and the produce ought to be free...
Rights battle for the South Africa abalone fishery ending this October
Commercial fishers of the most coveted mollusc in South Africa await an October 2025 governmental decision on suspended rights to fish abalone. The sector anticipates a Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries & the Environment (DFFE)’s promise to review around 140 appeals by sidelined fishers before October 31. These appeals are by those whom the Deputy Director-General of Fisheries Management exempted from the 2024-25...
Largest corn acreage in 92 years promises record U.S.’ harvest
The latest 2025-26 production projections point to a record 16.8 billion bushels of corn on American farms, adrift historic acreage expansion. In its September 12, 2025 Crop Production report, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) raised current corn acreage to 98.7 million acres. This is a 9% improvement year-on-year (y-o-y) from the 2024 cultivated area and the most expansive in...
The Philippines sugar quota rank reinstated in the U.S. market
After not meeting targets for three years, the Philippines has reinstated its top 3 sugar quota recipient status by the United States. According to the Business Mirror on September 17, 2025, the PH will start its sugar export year on October 1 with new quota. The 2025-26 batch is at 145,235 metric tonne raw value (MTRV), behind Brazil’s 155,993 MTRV and...
Agriculture in Michigan feels the tariff heat in Q1 2025
Michigan in the northern United States has recorded selective export revenue drops from agriculture in quarter 1, 2025, due to tariffs. According to the state’s Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) via Thumb Wind on September 16, 2025, apples, wheat, soy and cherries all slashed sales. Apple exports in Q1 2025 shrunk by 58% year-on-year (y-o-y) while cherry shipments plummeted by...
McDonald’s USA taps multi-million dollar regenerative beef farming
Chicago-based McDonald’s USA on September 15, 2025 announced a $200-million regenerative beef farming investment in the United States. The company will partner with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and other national agencies to promote sustainable ranching. Funds will maintain watershed ecosystems, restore overgrazed pastures and modernize ranch infrastructure. At the core of the announcement is a need to promote frequent...
Indonesia tightens bolts on lobster seed to offset smuggling
An ambitious Indonesia-Vietnam vision to export tropical lobster (Panulirus homarus spp) through seed hatching has prompted smuggling controls. Indonesia’s VP Gibran Rakabuming Rakka on September 10, 2025 directed the ministry of Maritime Affairs & Fisheries to sanction seed smuggling. According to the Minister of Maritime Affairs & Fisheries Sakti Wahyu, smuggling via Vietnam wastes 16 trillion rupiah ($974.88 million) annually. This has dealt...
It’s pumpkin spice season in North America, with weights tipping scales
The North American pumpkin spice season has earned a heady peak, with a gourd shattering weight records in eastern Canada. On September 13, 2025, a half-tonne specimen won the Mammoth Pumpkin Stake at the Spencerville Fair in Johnstone, Ontario. 18 year-old Noah Devisser scooped the winning prize after presenting his 508-kilo pumpkin, smashing the existing record of 478 kg. According to Devisser, the...
Russia’s wheat rates still retreating into early September
Marginal losses in wheat rates by $4 a tonne week-on-week continue to hound Russia into early September 2025, reprising July lows. Wheat with 12.5% protein softened to $228-230 a tonne under free-on-board (FOB) export terms, per the SovEcon agency. Earlier in July, Russia had exported 2.5 million tonnes amid low quotations, the steepest monthly export drop since 2008. This was significantly below...
Swift repeat as SA’s agriculture GDP grows 2.8% mid-2025
The agriculture GDP in South Africa increased by 2.8% in quarter 2 (Q2) 2025, a quick reprise of quarter 1 (Q1)’s surge by 18.6%. Statistics South Africa stated in early September 2025 that this stellar jump amid tough global trade injected 0.1% points to the national GDP growth. The national GDP meanwhile improved by 0.8% quarter-to-quarter, above the 0.1% of Q1. It...