After a spree of promotions, Cambodia’s CHM01 corn hybrid looks set to increase national production and reduce cost. The most recent promotion occurred on June 28, 2024 in Phnom Penh courtesy the Korea Program for International Cooperation in Agriculture (KOPIA). KOPIA’s Cambodia director, Song Young Ju said that the variety will boost local production and cut $30 million in annual corn seed imports....

Seven years of negotiations have finally brought Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) to the United States under bilateral trade terms. This follows a trade pact that will also see the state of Texas ship grapefruit to South Korea in mutual exchange. According to the government of South Korea on June 30, 2024, the agreement follows mutual inspection parity between the two sides. What...

Record corn plantings triggered weekend price fall for both corn and wheat following the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s acreage report of June 28, 2024. The report showed that American corn acreage will reach 91.5 million acres, 1.464 million acres above that of the March 2024 forecast. Immediately after the announcement, related grain futures including wheat fell on both sides of the...

Tru-Cape’s Bigbucks apples with the market trade name of Flash Gala are fast making inroads in South Africa and globally. Flash Gala is a full wine red-tinged improvement from the Bigbucks tree courtesy of Buks Nel, Tru-Cape’s New Variety Expert. The variety’s deep crimson skin color and its high yields have made it an orchard favorite in South Africa. Besides, its high pack out...

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) has narrowly repealed a 15-year ban on winter blue crab dredging, amid opposition. The vote on June 26, 2024 saw 5 members vote for with 4 against, to allow crab harvests from mud during winter. Lynn Kellum, VMRC’s board member who witnessed the erstwhile ban back in 2008 stated that the endorsement favors the marginalized “user group.”...

Global wheat prices retreated early July 28, 2024 at the Chicago Board of Trade amid harvest gains in the Northern Hemisphere. At 02:06 GMT, the strongest wheat contract in Chicago fell -0.2%  to trade at $5.78 per bushel.  In comparison, the price in Europe gained by 1.57 Euro ($1.68) to trade at 227 a tonne (6.17 Euro ($6.60)/bushel). Even with the above...

The Aussie beef sector is recovering, with the latest producers’ survey showing 34% of respondents expecting positive outcomes for 2024. In the April 2024 assessment known as Beef Producer Intentions Survey, producers’ optimism soared by 23% from the 11% of November 2023. Incidentally, the conditions in November when predictions of an El Niño drought threatened cattle livelihoods have changed dramatically by mid-2024. For one,...

Southeastern Spain’s autonomous Murcia grape region has kick-started its table grape marketing season beginning mid-June, 2024. Data by Apoexpa Spain on Murcio Diario shows that Murcio will contribute 75% of the national table grape crop in 2024.  While countrywide production could reach 300,000 tonnes, Murcia’s will hit 230,000 tonnes, with the region doubling as the main export origin. This will be welcome...

For the first time, South Africa has called for two WTO panels to review a lengthy citrus dispute with the European Union (EU). This happened after the two trade sides failed to come to an amicable agreement on two infections that affect citrus.  Hence, on June 24, South Africa fielded the request for panel arbitration via WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body...

Starting 2035, Danes will pay 300 krone ($42.96) per tonne of CO2  emissions on their farms, in the world’s first climate tax. For a starter, the levy will be 120 krone ($17.18) per tonne of emissions during the transition period between 2030 and 2035.  In that grace period and from 2035 proper, landowners will pay carbon tax the same way they meet other...