Page 276 of articles about markets-economics

South Korea has once again expanded its tariff rate quota for pigmeat imports as it looks to curb food price inflation following outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and avian flu.

Throughout 2010 France has been confirmed as the third largest pork exporter in the EU, after Germany and Denmark. With a total volume of 730.000 tons, the French exportations have increased by 1,7%. Other EU countries continue to be the main destination with a volume of 561.000 tons (- 2,7%) while exportation to third party countries, although fewer (170.000 tons), showed an important rise (+20%).

World agricultural trade reached an all-time high in 2010 - at least 12% above the previous record set in 2008 - according to a new MAP (Monitoring Agri-trade Policy) report published by the Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture & Rural Development.

The decree of the Government of Ukraine on cancellation of the quotas for maize exports entered into force.

During the first trimester of this year, fresh and frozen pork importations in Japan reached 187,741 tons, slightly higher than importations during the same period of last year, which reached 172,112 tons.

According to information published by the Danish Agriculture and Food Council, throughout 2010 the number of live pigs exported reached 8,405,405 animals, around 112,000 animals more than in 2009 (8,293,393).

The French Minister of Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire, met this week with representatives of producers, processors and distributors of the swine, cattle and poultry industry in order to sign a voluntary agreement between the parties with the objective of reducing the volatility of prices in the livestock sector.

Surging pork and beef costs will keep pressure on U.S. food inflation, which the Department of Agriculture says will rise 3 percent to 4 percent this year, the most since 2008.

Exports of U.S. pork in February reached 172,022 metric tons valued at $434.4 million. For the first two months of 2011, those totals are 337,160 metric tons valued at $831.3 million, increases of 11 percent in volume and 17 percent in value. Mexico, Japan, the Hong Kong/China region, South Korea and Canada remain the top five export markets.

Personnel of the Hong Kong Department of Environment and Food Safety visited Mexico with the objective of continuing the negotiations to open the Hong King market to the exportation of poultry, pork and beef, as well as sheep and horse meat.

Canada has a long history of pork exports. The industry is served by a mature and committed export infrastructure, which includes trading houses, transportation and many other service components. Pork is a major Canadian agri-food export. Export markets account for over 50% of the Canadian hog production, which totaled 28,2 million hogs in 2008.

European pork deadweight prices are up 6% in February 2011 against February 2010 according to Eurostat.

Last week a meeting between MARM and Spanish swine sector representatives was held in order to analyze the evolution of production, costs, and foreign commerce.