Britain’s new Labour government of PM Keir Starmer has vowed to back the UK agriculture sector. The affirmation comes amid uncertainty on how his government will handle remaining post-Brexit agricultural and fishing problems. The party’s win in the July 4 general election claimed significant farming counties in Conservative zones such as North Somerset and Suffolk Coastal. Oddly enough, Labour’s successful election campaign missed...

A new find on the Kenya-Uganda border indicates cowpea farming in East Africa could have began 2,300 years ago. The discovery could help fill missing gaps such as the earliest plants in a region famous as the “cradle of mankind.”  A Royal Society Publishing organization publication on July 10, 2024 revealed that the Kakapel Rockshelter near Mt. Elgon in Western Kenya first planted cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata...

A wild salmon fishing ban has begun on Norway’s 33 select rivers, in a bid to revamp a downturn in Atlantic salmon numbers.  This a few days after details of late June and early July price decline of Norwegian salmon emerged.  The decision follows a June 22, 2024 initial temporary closure on the 33 rivers, pending the latest review on July 5. This most recent resolution...

The world’s food prices stabilized in June 2024 following a decline by 3% in cereal prices, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) reported July 5. FAO’s Food Price Index (FFPI), a measure that weighs monthly trade volumes against prices worldwide, stood at 120.6 points for June.   May’s FPPI was originally 120.4 points before revision to 120.6 points, an increase of over 1.1 points above April’s index. Accordingly, global...

An uptick surge in the number of ginning factories has made yarn competitive and is pushing cotton prices in Pakistan. By July 7, 2024, bale prices had improved by 600 Pakistani rupees ($2.15) per mound (37 to 40 kg).  For one, the southeastern province of Sindh offered cotton from 18,400 to 18,600 rupees ($66.06-66.77) in week 1, July 2024. At the same time in the first...

Arabica coffee prices finished strong on July 5, 2024 after harvest pressure in Brazil had dipped them before July 3. After a -0.48% decline on July 3, Arabica bean rates for September delivery rose by 2.01% on July 5. The International Coffee Exchange (ICE) recorded $2.29 a pound for September 2024 deliveries, a 1-and1/2 week price high. In comparison, the previous showings on July 4...

The government of the Philippines is introducing an ambitious nationwide “Rice-for-all” program that insures affordable retail “palay” prices. This comes after “Program 29” which is offering select Manila and Bulacan residents a dream 29 pesos ($0.50) a kilo for rice. On July 6, 2024, Genevieve Guevarra, the Assistant Secretary at the Department of Agriculture (DA), promised to start the initiative soon. Guevarra cites...

Seafood exports in Norway retracted in June 2024 year-on-year (y-o-y), almost entirely on account of weakening Norwegian salmon prices. As of June 30, the seafood shipment value clocked 12.1 billion kroner ($1.15 billion), a 2.7 billion kroner ($255.7 million) yearly decline. This also marks the first time value decrement has gone above the 2 billion-kroner mark. The June 30 figures marked an...

In the first 5 months of 2024, Vietnam’s crab exports to China spiked by 502% year-on-year (y-o-y). At the same time, shipments to the European Union (EU) plummeted due to origin restrictions. Data by the General Department of Vietnam Customs shows that China-bound crab shipments hit $41 million up to May 2024. In May alone, China gobbled up $11 million of the total crab...

The organizing committee is on course to make the Paris Olympics in France the most eco-friendly and vegetarian ever. The event, which starts on July 28, 2024 in summer heat, will use cool water pumping systems instead of air conditioners. Hence, carbon emissions will be just 50% of those in the London and Rio games in 2012 and 2016 respectively. Besides, the Paris Olympics...