The New Zealand kiwifruit season ends with a windfall as Zespri’s upcoming Northern Hemisphere’s harvest promises to be the “biggest yet.” This is according to the company’s Executive Officer-Northern Hemisphere Supply, Nick Kirton. “This season’s harvest will be our biggest yet and we’re looking forward to providing consumers with more high-quality ad great-tasting kiwifruit. (This is) as we transition from New-Zealand-grown fruit to...

Chicken prices in the United States have reached $1.96 a pound, as post-COVID production cuts and inflation bite back. Tyson’s, a key chicken producer, reduced production during the pandemic period and in 2023 may slash 4700 jobs to handle costs. Despite these cuts, the high prices of chickens are on the rebound beneficial to firms such as Tysons. After reaching peak supplies in...

The popular catch-and-release practice that marks the start of fall trout season took place on October 7 in Illinois’ stocking sites. This is even as Pennsylvania continues to stock its inland waters with hatched trout for its extended fall/winter season. Stocking describes the placement of trout from private hatcheries into streams, lakes and rivers for public fishing.  Though the Pennsylvania season runs...

Corn and soybean prices fell on the Chicago futures market on October 5, 2023 following progress in the North American fall harvest. This was amid the mid-week weakening in oil prices that are cross-tied to the two biofuel grains. This has made experts circumspect about the sudden low demand in oil which also puts pressure on grain prices. Corn, Soybean lose, wheat gains For wheat, it...

 President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on October 3, 2023 launched a strategic dry port in southeast Haut-Katanga province.  The largest of its kind in Central Africa, Sakania dry port on the Zambia-DRC border will connect regional mining towns. Sakania is a border post with an existing rail link to Livingstone and the Copperbelt Province on the Zambia side. ...

The United States is currently halfway through its 2023 apple season and expects to reap 9 billion pounds.  In a year of spring freezes, floods and tropical storms, the season’s total production will nevertheless be 1.5% more than that of 2022.  Exports of apples in 2022 brought the country $885.98 million, which in turn were below the record 2018 and 2019 levels. Across the...

South Africa successfully harvested its last olive crop for the 2023 season in September just a month after Argentina, amid global shortage. The southern hemisphere’s harvests have been the main focus of European olive oil companies for some time.  Importers have been looking south after the European season ended early in 2023 due to arid conditions in Andalusia. End of South Africa...

U.S. President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rushi Sunak are starting foundational talks on an export deal this October. The negotiations will include agricultural trade, Politico reports. With the two leaders seeking reelection in 2024, they are looking forward to lay grounds for beneficial trade relations. Insiders hope that the talks will have been fruitful before the November, 2024 U.S. election and the 2024...

Octoberfest or Wiesn ended on October 2 with record numbers attendance, buoyed by  increasing national wages. By day 9 of the 17-day food and beer festival, 3.4 million people had attended, more than in 2019.  The price of beer this year was higher than normal, notching 6.1% over the 2022 equivalent. A liter of brandy ranged from 12.6 EUR ($13.2) to 14.9 EUR ($15.6). The premium...

Teff  and biopiracy are two words that are now pairing side by side in modern agricultural terms. The reason is that teff (also tef), the ancient Ethiopian grain, has undergone various commercialization changes without appropriate authorization. There are now many crosses of teff, and it is hard to differentiate between the indigenous grain from the upstarts. Genetic improvement of teff has...