Between January and October 2023, Kenya’s horticultural exports edged those of the entire 2022 by 1.46%, according to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). The sale of mainly fruits and vegetables reached 580,648 metric tonnes (MT) up to October, above the 572, 290 MT of the entire 2022. The sector is poised to register earnings worth $1.23 billion for the end year returns, which...
U.S.’ egg production, prices beat odds to notch up 3%
The U.S.’ egg sector produced 9.45 billion eggs in December 2023, 3% above the December 2022 levels. The 2024 prices are also pointing towards an upward trajectory. A January 19, 2024 report by the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that table egg production rose slightly in 2023. This however may not hold for 2024 due...
Cotton prices in Pakistan stabilize counterbalanced by booming international market
Pakistan, a net importer of cotton is witnessing stability in wholesale cotton prices amid diminishing local inventories. Imports of cotton from the United States, at 81.50 U.S. cents per pound from January 20, 2024 helped balance higher domestic prices. Cotton exports by the U.S. to destinations like Pakistan rose by 60% on January 23 over those of the previous week. Yarn prices, however, have been...
Coffee comes to the rescue in flailing Panama Canal’s trade
Panama has invested U$32 million in a replanting program to revive coffee farming and rescue fragile trade along the Panama Canal. The sea route is home to 5% of global trade yearly, with Robusta coffee a key commerce commodity. Given their nearness to the trade path, coffee exports from Panama rank as the 45th largest in the world. Drought has dealt a blow to...
After Poland road block, where to for Ukraine’s grain shipments?
Months after finding an alternative Black Sea route for shipping grain, Ukraine has been facing road blocks to Poland. With air transport under threat from Russia and the Red Sea route exacerbating the costs of shipping, Ukraine wants to maintain the Polish road transit at all costs. Up to January 16, 2024, 20,000 trucks from both Ukraine and Poland stopped for...
Global prices of bananas down despite appreciating for decades
Despite being the most consumed fruit in the world, the banana (Musa banksii/Musa sapientum) is experiencing a steady price fall. This is amid a release by the Federal Bank of St. Louis that shows a decade-on-decade price appreciation. More so, Latin America’s farmers are foreseeing a 20 to 25% fall in production due to El Niño effects. However, this quantity drop may not...
Cod, squid harvests in Shetland at their 5-year best
Despite a looming 3-month fishing ban in the North Sea, Scotland’s cod harvesting in Shetland is at its five-year best. Shetland Inshore Fish Survey (SIFS) on January 22, 2024 showed that local cod catches in 2023 were the highest since 2018. The survey also predicted enough stocks for the 2024 fishing season. This good news comes just when the European Union (EU) is...
China’s Tiajing port cashes in on cherries from Chile
A new shipping route via China’s northern port city of Tiajing could help reduce the wholesale cost of cherries from Chile by 50%. Originally, cherries from Latin America had to land in south China before lengthy dispatches to the north, exacerbating costs. As of January 18, 2024, a half kilogram of Chilean cherries were costing 200 Yuan ($27.86). At 400 Yuan $55.72 a kg,...
Blue Whale: “Our Cœur de Reine apples” offer the ultimate “gustatory excellence.”
Among the most exclusive apples in France today is Cœur de Reine, which has risen exponentially in consumer appeal and overtaken popular varieties. It is marketed by Blue Whale, a French brand that began operations in 1950 as a conglomerate of food producers. The firm boasts nationwide apple growers extending from the Garonne Valley to the Alps. Particularly keen on the phenomenal popularity of...
Embraer dispatches 18% more agricultural planes in one year
Embraer, the Brazil-based maker of Ipanema agricultural aircraft delivered 18% more of these planes by December 2023 than in 2022. Briefing Reuters on January 15, the company said that the record deliveries banked on a strong growth of Brazil’s farming sector. Ipanema is an eco-friendly biofuel plane that farmers in Brazil use to dust crops, especially soya, corn, coffee and sugarcane. In...