It is harvest time in Manitoba, central Canada, and early results show competitive yields for especially winter wheat and rye. The harvest of general crops had by August 19, 2024 yielded 3% of the province’s total fall output. Winter wheat, for one, is showing good yield rates of 80 to 110 bushels (bu) an acre in the central and eastern regions. This early regional...
Sugar price reprieve in Kenya after supplies rebound
Kenya’s sweeteners industry is back in the picture following glut supplies, with consequential sugar price decrement. As of August 9, the farm-gate price of sugarcane had dropped to KSH 4,950 ($38.22) a tonne, triggering farmers’ frustration. This marks a -3.4% price decline from May’s KSH 5,125 ($39.58), down from KSH 6,050 ($46.72) a tonne before March 2024. Wholesale prices of sugar, now at KSH...
The Mindanao fruit export base strong despite the Philippines’ banana lag
Fruit exports from Mindanao, the banana-rich southeast Philippines’ island, are proving strong despite slow growth in national banana exports. For one, companies that sell durian and coconut from Davao in southern Mindanao are registering uptick trade with China. One such company is Eng Seng Food Products, which operates an export plant in the region. The company’s Chief Executive John Tan told...
How a Canada rail strike would impact regional agriculture
North American agriculture logistics could derail if wage-demanding union workers at a duo Canada rail monopoly down tools, starting August 22, 2024. The looming strike involves the agriculturally important Canadian National Railway (CNR) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). According to a Reuters report on August 2020, a strike on both lines could halt much of their daily freight services. An immediate ramification will be...
Northwest Province in South Africa masters maize production amid changing weather
Family growers in South Africa’s semi-arid Northwest Province have radically improved maize production via traditional and modern methods. This according to research findings that appeared on The Conversation on August 16, 2024. The results come just when maize in the country is experiencing rising prices with compensatory expanding acreage. Notably, the small-scale farmer-dominated Northwest is also expanding its maize area and using new farming...
Lamb prices surge across Europe as supplies founder
Diminishing sheep numbers have occasioned uptick lamb prices by up to €1 per kg at the farm-gate through Europe. France leads the upward pricing curve, with average offers at €9.13 a kg as of August 3, 2024. This was up from August 2022’s €8.01 and August 2023’s €8.06, reported the Irish Farmers Journal on August 14. Also experiencing a similarly high annual rise is...
Coffee gains in end-week markets after Brazilian real strengthens
A strengthening Brazilian real currency delivered marginal coffee gains for September raw bean deliveries on August 15, 2024. Both Arabica and Robusta gained in prices by 1.22% and 2.21% respectively at the International Coffee Exchange (ICE) in New York . The rise happened after producers in Brazil held back exports due to the strengthening of the local currency against the dollar. ...
The U.S. lobster minimum catch size up by 1/16th Inches
Beginning July 1, 2025, the U.S. lobster landing size minimum on the Gulf of Maine will have upgraded a wee bit. This follows the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s decision to protect diminishing stocks in a state famous for its lobster rolls. According to The Boston Globe on August 18, 2024, the minimum catch size will upgrade by around 1.6 mm. Besides,...
Chico State wraps its “U-pick Peaches” campaign with student benefits
As California’s April-October peach season climaxes, Chico State University’s student-benefiting “U-pick peaches” harvest has closed in communal style. All this is thanks to a favorable agricultural environment of northern California which nurtures wine grapes, honey and peaches. Each August, the local community gets a chance to harvest peaches at the university, with the 2024 price at $3 a pound. The...
Sheep prices surge across Europe as supplies founder
Diminishing lamb stocks has seen sheep prices rise by up to €1 per kg at the farm-gate in different countries in Europe. France led the upward pricing curve at €9.13 a kg as of August 3, 2024. This was up from August 2022’s €8.01 and August 2023’s €8.06, reported the Irish Farmers Journal on August 14. Also experiencing a similarly high annual rise is Spain, whose August...