TRT Market Reports

THE year 2023 started on a high note for all African food and nutrition security visionaries and all well-meaning supporters of the Feed Africa initiative.

Three African youth-led Agritech businesses— Kenya’s DigiCow, Botswana’s Brastorne Enterprises and Nigeria’s ThriveAgric— will receive mentorship and $1.5 million in grants to help them to aggressively expand solutions to long-standing challenges faced by smallholder farmers across the continent.

The Vice Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Canada, Dr Abiola Oshodi, has assured Nigerians, that the Presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, will within four years of his election, tame the virus of insecurity, thereby increase the percentage of cultivated land from 35 percent to 65 percent.

The return of an ancient grain to the global food marketplace could be the answer to increased hunger if other grains that were similarly dismissed for centuries also make a comeback. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization notes that the war in Ukraine and drought, among other factors, have worsened hunger globally, especially for nations that rely on imports.

The World Bank Group today presented a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) 2023-2027 with Côte d’Ivoire that focuses on improving human capital, reducing disparities and building resilience, and creating private sector jobs.

The COVID-19 pandemic, compounded by supply-chain disruptions and surging inflation, has highlighted the fragilities of Africa’s food systems, leading to a 60% increase in hunger across the continent in 2020 alone.

Horticultural experts from around the globe will convene in Stellenbosch next week.

The African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative has reached a landmark $1 billion in approved funding designated for lending to African  women entrepreneurs.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has joined efforts with the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Group to integrate gender dimensions in climate action and disaster risk management and reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and the Government of Canada have established a new special fund to support Africa’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture sector.

Australian and Chinese trade ministers held their first bilateral meeting in three years Monday as Australia urges China to lift official and unofficial barriers that are costing exporters 20 billion Australian dollars ($14 billion) a year.

If you’re sticking around Auckland this Waitangi Day—Monday 6 February to be exact—you’ll be delighted to know a bunch of top-notch eateries will be open for brunch, lunch, a cheeky tipple or three, or an all-out feast. 

JUST a month into the new year, and Australian agriculture has once again shown it is being increasingly seen as important part of an investment portfolio for institutional investors and families alike.

Rising interest rates and softening livestock commodity prices could lead to more farms up for grabs this year.

VETERINARIAN and livestock business consultant Phil Holmes, rural communications specialist Robbie Sefton, organic beef industry leader Dalene Wray and a high country cattleman, parliamentarian and ‘crack rider’ who featured in the Man from Snowy River films are among a number of Australian agricultural identities to have been recognised with 2023 Australia Day Awards, announced today.

The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) has announced that in the latest round of WorldStar Packaging Awards, Australian and New Zealand companies received the second highest number of wins, behind only Japan.

Tech tycoon Bill Gates is backing, through its Breakthrough Energy Ventures accelerator, Rumin8, a start-up targeting methane emissions in agriculture through its synthetically replicated red seaweed.

When normally well-to-do shoppers of inner-west Sydney start trimming spending on fruit and vegetables, it’s a hint that households everywhere are feeling the pinch.

Supermarket price increases accelerated over the past three months of 2022, with Woolworths leading the charge, according to research by investment bank UBS.

Australia is forecast to produce yet another record wheat crop in the 2022-23 marketing year, according to a report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARES).

According to a report by the European Commission, organic farming in the EU grew to 14.8 million hectares between 2010 and 2020, which represents 9.1% of all agricultural land in the region. 

In a release yesterday via the Department of Public Information, the GRDB advised farmers that while taking steps to protect their rice crop, they must at the same time endeavour to protect their European market by complying with the Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) for various pesticides at different levels set by the European Union (EU).

Almost one year after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, Moscow’s natural gas exports to Europe have declined by well over half due to sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, lower European purchases, and Moscow’s throttling of deliveries in retaliation for Western support of Ukraine. Natural gas is a key energy source for home and industrial heating, and it serves as a feedstock for chemical production.

Agri-cooperatives and European farmers are warning of a very complex regulatory landscape in 2023 because a lot of European agricultural proposals such as the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the new farm-to-fork strategy were written without taking into account unprecedented inflation and the war in Ukraine.

The number of ships departing Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea Grain Initiative food corridor has fallen to less than three a day, on average, the lowest in months. The war-torn country accuses Russia of artificially blocking the grain corridor via delayed ship inspection.

Food prices have continued to rise across Europe despite inflation dropping for a second consecutive month in December, according to data shared on Wednesday by Eurostat, the European statistics agency.

Greater diversification could help agriculture withstand climate, economic and geopolitical crises.

The director of China's largest oil and petrochemical products supplier has warned the only way the industry will properly develop is to fully embrace low-carbon technology.

The frozen food market size in Europe is estimated to increase by USD 36.76 billion between 2020 and 2025.

Basmati is the most popular specialty rice in the UK, adding extra flavor and subtlety to everything from curries to pilafs to kedgerees.

The February 2023 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report from USDA is not likely to be near the market mover as is the January report series.

On Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 11 a.m. CST, USDA will issue the next World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report.

Female scientists from four different Latin American countries have come together to work on TechMaiz, a project supported by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and continue the organization’s commitment to inclusivity and inclusion.

Rising temperatures in the U.S., recent rainfall in Argentina, and some breaks in rain for parts of Brazil are the weather factors driving the markets Wednesday.

The transaction aims to strengthen of Crop Care’s position in the high-performance adjuvants and agricultural enhancers market.

The Mercosur trade group and the European Union will reach a trade agreement soon, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said Saturday in Buenos Aires, during German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to the South American nation.

Brazil's 2022/2023 summer grain production will outgrow total storage capacity for the first time in 20 years amid expectations of a record soybean harvest, Reuters reported, citing government data obtained from Conab, the food supply and statistics agency.

Shortages in Peru of basic products, including increasingly expensive fuel and food, continued to mount Wednesday as over a month of anti-government demonstrations showed no end in sight.

Cuban authorities have not revealed the bad results of the 2022 rice production, but a note published on Sunday in Granma, the official daily, leads us to believe that is worse than expected.

As Brazil continues to expand its agriculture frontiers and farming techniques, two cereals of which the country has been historically an importer are becoming increasingly self-sufficient.

In a region with plenty of sun but little water, farming is rarely an easy option, so it’s little surprise that Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates import around 85% of all the food they consume, according to a 2021 report by Dubai-based Alpen Capital.

The Public Investment Fund (“PIF”) today signed a joint venture agreement with AeroFarms, a US-based commercial market leader in vertical farming, to establish a company in Riyadh to build and operate indoor vertical farms in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Price action in oil over the last week was rangebound with the market awaiting this week’s OPEC+ meeting and the return of China from the Lunar New Year holidays.

Saudi Arabia plans to list agricultural firms on its stock market in a push to raise the financial efficiency of such firms as it looks to boost investment in the sector.

Quadintel offers a thorough analysis of the global Wild Rice Products market, including assessments of business solutions, studies and advancements, applications, advantages, benefits, and breadth.

The people of the Hawizeh marshes of southern Iraq have an ancient history living in the world’s most unique and biodiverse wetlands.

Two Dubai companies and multiple individuals have been charged in an indictment for a multimillion-dollar scheme to bring non-organic grain into the United States and sell it as certified organic.

Rice stocks at many companies have been dwindling for a long time with the finger of blame not only being pointed at the government but also at retailers’ monopolistic practices.

Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has signed an agreement with the Saudi Grains Organization (SAGO) to transport grain products from Dammam to Riyadh.

Afghan authorities have distributed China-donated humanitarian aid to 6,000 needy families in the western Herat province, provincial director for Natural Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs Mohammad Hashim Khalid said Tuesday.

The US Soybean Export Council (USSEC) has released a study outlining recent trends in non-GMO soybean production.

The United Nations has declared 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’ at Indian instance.

The benchmark index of international food commodity prices declined in January for the 10th consecutive month, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported recently.

India’s wheat plantings remained steady despite a rally in the price of the staple to a record as farmers in a key producing central state shifted to grapeseed to take advantage of even higher prices for the oilseed, farm ministry data showed on Monday.

The United Nations has declared 2023 to be the “International Year of Millet” at the initiative of the Indian government

Global food prices dropped for the tenth consecutive month in January, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), a Rome-based UN agency, has said.

Corn export sales were solid during the week ending January 26^th. The USDA says corn sales of nearly 1.6 million tons were significantly larger than average, driven by demand from unknown destinations, Mexico, and China.

Chicago soybean futures inched lower in early Asian trading on Wednesday, amid technical selling, even as dry weather conditions in top producer Argentina posed supply concerns.

Almost all of Africa's maize crop is at risk from the devastating fall armyworm pest (Spodoptera frugiperda) according to new research published in the journal Frontiers in Insect Science.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Millets have special nutritive properties (they are high in protein, dietary fibre, micronutrients and antioxidants) and special agronomic characteristics (drought-resistant and suitable for semi-arid regions).

At Kellogg Company (NYSE: K), our vision is a good and just world where people are not just fed but fulfilled.

The U.S. has some rapid catching up to do if it is to secure the reliability of its supply chain and its independence from competitors like China, a top White House advisor admitted this week.

Buhler AG plays a key role in overall rice milling machines market and processing fast growing rice volumes and has taken the pole position in global industrialized rice processing market in the present as well as future forecast.

In its first meeting of the new congressional session, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry gathered Wednesday for a hearing on the trade and horticulture titles in the upcoming farm bill. 

A special committee on China created in the Republican-controlled House will spend part of its time investigating Chinese investments in U.S. agriculture and the risk they could pose for food security. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced two pools of funding last year to support pilot programs to help farmers transition to more sustainable farming practices, create new markets, grow revenue sources and create a system to verify and report data to prove to consumers that crops are produced sustainably.

More than a month after Gov. Kristi Noem and state legislators announced plans to bring a bill that would bar large foreign investments in South Dakota's agricultural land, said legislation has now officially reached Pierre.

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement on being named chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, which has jurisdiction over funding for the Department of Energy, the Army Corp of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation and other federal agencies related to our nation’s energy and water infrastructure programs.

Exposed to the beating sun and hot dry air, more than 10% of the water carried by the Colorado River evaporates, leaks or spills as the 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) powerhouse of the West flows through the region’s dams, reservoirs and open-air canals.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Citing recent research on farm income, the secretary is intently concerned about the financial outlook for small- and medium-sized farms in the nation.

From Brazil to Bangladesh, our progress roundup highlights land use adaptations that are producing results.

The benchmark index of international food commodity prices declined to January for the tenth consecutive month, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reported Friday.

Price indices for vegetable oils, dairy and sugar drove the January decline, the UN food agency said, issuing two new reports on food production expectations. The FAO food price index fell 17.9 per cent below its all-time peak, reached in March 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Sitting at the cutting edge of science, the crop breeding domain has been improving and refining tools, technologies and techniques.

The global Combine Harvester market research report published by market insight reports discovers the current outlook in global and key regions from the viewpoint of Major Players, Countries, Product Types, and end industries.

The global economy is at a critical crossroads with a number of interlocking challenges and crises running in parallel. The uncertainty around how Russia`s war on Ukraine will play out this year and the war`s role in creating global instability means that the trouble on the inflation front is not over yet.

According to a recent Future Market Insights (FMI) report, the value of the rice mill machine market is anticipated to cross US$ 284.4 million in 2033. A steady CAGR of 4.0% approximately between 2023 and 2033.

Bloomberg writers Tarso Veloso Ribeiro and Michael Hirtzer reported late last week that, “Global demand for corn will come back to the US in the coming months, according to Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., one of the world’s biggest crop traders.

According to a market research study published by Contrive Datum Insights, The Asia-Pacific market was worth USD 59.23 billion in 2021, and over the next five years, it is expected to grow at an impressive 8.3% CAGR.

In 2017, the RTE breakfast cereal market was valued at USD 13,831.53 million. From a regional perspective, North America held the largest market share, valued at USD 4,990.54 million. The RTE breakfast cereal market size is estimated to grow by USD 5,697.8 million from 2022 to 2027 at a CAGR of 5.67%, according to Technavio.

Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) is a six year World Bank assisted project designed in line with the Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) of the Federal Government.

A worker seals wine crocks with mud at a rice wine brewery in Yuecheng District of Shaoxing, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 7, 2023.

CHICAGO, IL and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 7, 2023­­­­­­ / The Planting Hope Company Inc. (TSXV:MYLK)(OTCQB:MYLKF)(FRA:J94) ("Planting Hope" or the "Company"), a plant-based food and beverage company focused on producing the world's most nutritious and planet-friendly products, is pleased to announce that RightRice^® is being added to the assortments at 4,581 retail locations of a leading US pharmacy.

The home of banana ketchup, Eater’s favorite fried chicken, and arguably the world’s longest Christmas season (it unofficially starts in September), Manila is a huge metropolis made up of many individual cities and the homes of more than 13 million people.

Fu-Wang Foods, a publicly traded bread and confectionary foods manufacturer, has decided to set up a puffed rice production line in preparation for the upcoming Ramadan.

The event celebrated the Chinese Lantern Festival which takes place on the 15th day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar.

UNESCO has settled a long-standing jollof rice dispute involving Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon, after declaring Senegal king of the famous West African delicacy tin January this year.

“Gran Cocina Latina” is chef, historian, and author Maricel E. Presilla's magnum opus. Guiding her readers through 20 Latin American countries and hundreds of restaurants, chefs, home-cooks, vendors, and markets, Presilla presents over 500 recipes that encapsulate the flavors and techniques of Latin American cuisine.

Onigiri in South Pasadena, vegan sushi in Santa Monica, and more

In his free time, Douglas Brinkley, a history professor at Rice University, gets nominated for Grammy awards.