President Joe Biden has cautioned grocery stores to lower grocery prices in the United States, in line with falling production costs. His call echoes the UN food agency’s statement in May 2023 of the world price index being at a 2-year low. Groceries in the U.S. proved costly in 2023, only seeing a little reprieve in November’s Black Friday deals. For the Biden...
Record weed database points to the best practices for global agriculture
Global agriculture could benefit from a massive weed database that maps nearly 1000 weeds throughout history, over a wide geographical span. The Oxford University Research Archive is the product of a 30-year scientific research between Sheffield and Oxford Universities in the UK. The study provides insights on how weeds influenced global agriculture in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. John Hodgson,...
World Bank to disburse emergency loans from countries’ existing loans
In a goodwill gesture, the World Bank (WB) on February 1, 2024 in Washington D.C., approved emergency loans to nations still processing loans. From now on, member states hit by a natural disaster will directly tap 10% of emergency funds from their non-disbursed credit. The decision also targets reducing the time of non-emergency loan approval, which by June 2025, could...
UK exploits Prop 12 as Japan sensationalizes pig cafés
UK’s pig exporters are keen to cash in on California’s Prop 12 law, which came into effect on January 1, 2024. This is even as hogs turn into pet animals, with the launch of exclusive pig cafés elsewhere in Japan. These disparate developments come just before another controversial U.S. clause that allows speed production of pork ends this February. Prop 12 and...
U.S. cattle stock plummets to its lowest in 7 decades
The U.S. cattle stock has depreciated to its lowest since 1951, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) on January 31, 2024. The 2022-23 drought slashed the herd numbers to 87.2 million head, including calves, as of January 1, 2024. Analysts see this slump as an opportunity for Australia, Japan and China to swoop in and export extra beef to the U.S....
Fresh export gains in horticulture buoy Kenya’s economy
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...