Uptick tomato prices across the tropics, especially in India and Nigeria have made consumers to forgo the kitchen staple. In Nagpur in Maharashtra, central-west India, retail prices are at 100 rupees ($1.20) a kg, 90 rupees ($1.08) above the standard. Whenever shortage bites in Nagpur, it usually leaves wholesalers and retailers at price discretion irrespective of mandi (state-run wholesale market) rates. For instance, on...
“Chevron deference” law overthrow to affect U.S.’ agricultural rules
Agricultural bodies in the United States will no longer interpret unclear laws freely after the overturning of the 1984 Chevron deference law on June 28, 2024. In the 6-3 Supreme Court decision, federal agencies lost big, leaving Congress and the courts future decisions on unclear laws. Hitherto, farm subsidy agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) could interpret any ambiguous clause...
The Belize spiny lobster season gets 8 months
Belize’s Fisheries Department has allocated the Belize spiny lobster season a timeline of July 1, 2024 and February 28, 2025. This is per the Fisheries Resource Act and the Subsidiary Regulations of the Caribbean country. With the announcement came regulations that will last throughout the fishing period on minimum size, weight and shell maturity. Fishermen can only harvest crustaceans with...
Cambodia’s CHM01 corn hybrid enjoys promotion to boost production
After a spree of promotions, Cambodia’s CHM01 corn hybrid looks set to increase national production and reduce cost. The most recent promotion occurred on June 28, 2024 in Phnom Penh courtesy the Korea Program for International Cooperation in Agriculture (KOPIA). KOPIA’s Cambodia director, Song Young Ju said that the variety will boost local production and cut $30 million in annual corn seed imports....
Korean ginseng to reach U.S.’ shores after exchange pact
Seven years of negotiations have finally brought Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) to the United States under bilateral trade terms. This follows a trade pact that will also see the state of Texas ship grapefruit to South Korea in mutual exchange. According to the government of South Korea on June 30, 2024, the agreement follows mutual inspection parity between the two sides. What...
Massive corn plantings trigger grain price meltdowns after USDA report
Record corn plantings triggered weekend price fall for both corn and wheat following the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s acreage report of June 28, 2024. The report showed that American corn acreage will reach 91.5 million acres, 1.464 million acres above that of the March 2024 forecast. Immediately after the announcement, related grain futures including wheat fell on both sides of the...
Bigbucks tree and Flash Gala apples: a Tru-Cape explanatory
Tru-Cape’s Bigbucks apples with the market trade name of Flash Gala are fast making inroads in South Africa and globally. Flash Gala is a full wine red-tinged improvement from the Bigbucks tree courtesy of Buks Nel, Tru-Cape’s New Variety Expert. The variety’s deep crimson skin color and its high yields have made it an orchard favorite in South Africa. Besides, its high pack out...
Winter blue crab dredging returns to Virginia after 15 years
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) has narrowly repealed a 15-year ban on winter blue crab dredging, amid opposition. The vote on June 26, 2024 saw 5 members vote for with 4 against, to allow crab harvests from mud during winter. Lynn Kellum, VMRC’s board member who witnessed the erstwhile ban back in 2008 stated that the endorsement favors the marginalized “user group.”...
Global wheat prices bow to harvest pressure
Global wheat prices retreated early July 28, 2024 at the Chicago Board of Trade amid harvest gains in the Northern Hemisphere. At 02:06 GMT, the strongest wheat contract in Chicago fell -0.2% to trade at $5.78 per bushel. In comparison, the price in Europe gained by 1.57 Euro ($1.68) to trade at 227 a tonne (6.17 Euro ($6.60)/bushel). Even with the above...
Optimism climbs in the Aussie beef sector, survey shows
The Aussie beef sector is recovering, with the latest producers’ survey showing 34% of respondents expecting positive outcomes for 2024. In the April 2024 assessment known as Beef Producer Intentions Survey, producers’ optimism soared by 23% from the 11% of November 2023. Incidentally, the conditions in November when predictions of an El Niño drought threatened cattle livelihoods have changed dramatically by mid-2024. For one,...