Page 306 of articles about markets-economics

Corn futures in Chicago generated record trading Sept. 3 as signs that U.S. farmers won’t harvest as large a crop as once expected fueled buying from speculators.

China’s trade deficit of livestock products was US$2.5 billion in the first half of 2010, up 110 percent from a year earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture said in an online statement.

The Netherlands has extended its focus and increased the export of live pigs and piglets. With respect to live animals in particular, the Netherlands has a strong(er) competitive position to maintain, but is not so important with respect to pork.

As of to date, nearly 1 mln tonne of grains is blocked in the Ukrainian ports, announced the Grain and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA).

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday abruptly extended the grain export ban by at least several months from the end of this year because farmers and wholesalers sent grain prices up by holding the latest harvest.

For the Dutch agricultural sector, 2009 was a bad year economically. Production increased slightly, but most primary agriculture market prices fell. The average agricultural income decreased to 5,500 euros per farm, its lowest point in twenty years.

During January-July 2010, the production of all types of meat increased by 6.7% compared with last year’s figures. The volumes of meat production in live weight totalled 1571 thousand tons. As of July 31 swine population stands at 8 million 374 thousand heads, a figure that represents a 12.7% increase with respect to last year.

US and Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs for June 2010 was 76.2 million head. This was down 3 per cent from June 2009 and down 5 per cent from June 2008.

Brazilian pork exports have fallen 8.5% in the period of January-July, 2009.

In the first half of 2010, well above 3.9 million tonnes of meat were produced commercially in Germany; that was 4.1% or 153,900 tonnes more than in the first half of 2009.

After setting a record high in 2008, U.S. farm production expenditures decreased by nearly $20 billion in 2009 – the first major decline in nearly a quarter century.

The Rosselkhoznadzor has set up a transitional period for usage of certain EU veterinary certificates till October 15, 2010 at the request of the EU Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General.

Agriculture Minister John MacDonell launched the new THINKFARM initiative in Aug. 25, which provides information on available programs and services.

Four pig producer groups will put in pilot applications next month for support for specific on-farm projects to improve pig health.