Malaysia will start offering free orangutans to China, the European Union (EU) and India as an environmental gesture for importing its palm oil. Analysts are already comparing this “orangutan diplomacy” to China’s “panda diplomacy.” Palm oil production takes place in Borneo island and Sumatra, whose palm forests also double as orangutan habitat. Plantation owners also clear forests to cultivate the...

After a temporary delay due to spring frost, the May to mid-June Ontario asparagus harvest is underway in eastern Canada. Farmers hope for dry weather to help with the reaping and for lower production in competing eastern U.S., to boost prices.  This season could be a repeat of the 2023 season that started on a low price note but ended strongly....

The maize harvest on Musese farm in Kavango West is underway with expectations to reap 4,000 tonnes. This at a time when maize prices in Namibia are inching up. Harvesting began at the end of April, about 6 months since the scheme sowed white maize in November 2023. Operated by Winni Metzger, Musese is a nationally important greening scheme whose roots go back to...

Nearly a year after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed the sale of lab-grown meat in the U.S. in June 2023, Florida has banned it. Governor Ron DeSantis on May 1, 2024 signed SB 1084, a bill that bars the cultivation of lab-grown meat. He ratified the bill in what he referred to as a bid to “save our beef” or...

Grain prices in Western Equatoria State in South Sudan under the World Food Program (WFP)’s buying initiative have fallen to $300 a tonne. Farmers blame this state of events to middlemen who buy on behalf of WFP, thereby losing $100 a tonne. According to Anthony Ezekiel of Yambio Farmers and Business Cooperative on May 1, 2024, the current price fell from the original $400...

Pricey red meat and vegetable oils helped defeat price decreases in dairy and sugar to notch up the FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) in April 2024. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) reported on May 3, 2024 that FFPI inched up to 119.1 points or 0.3% between March and April. However, worldwide food prices were lower year-on-year than in April 2023 by 9.6 points...

Cattlemen in northern and southern Australia reduced prices of their beef herds by 10 Australian cents in the month of April amid rising supplies. However, steer prices rose appreciably in the first week of May amid huge presence of export buyers.  After belated rains delayed the cattle transportation season in April, experts expect an influx of cattle in yards in May. However,...

19 states in northern Nigeria have partnered with the Food and Agricultural organization (FAO) to recover millions of hectares of degraded farmland. This at a time when agriculture is helping Nigeria’s economy grow by 3%. The Kano State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) stated April 29, 2024 that it would restore a million hectares in the state. According to Dr....

Reports from Busoga sub-region in eastern Uganda reveal that farmers are keeping awake nights to guard their cocoa beans amid record high prices.  Even though global prices have decreased to $7,871 a tonne on May 3, they are still 93.8% more than in January 2024.  Busoga districts including Mayuge, Kamuli and Jinja have become a hot topic recently after farm gate prices for...

World cocoa prices continued falling on May 1 despite a little gain on April 30, 2024, due to record low liquidity.  The price swing partly owes to chocolate makers holding back from buying cocoa beans at the current high prices. This is leading to low liquidity for speculators who are forced to resort to lower prices to lure back purchases. Reports from...