China harvest to be hit by labour, fertilizer costs

beijing / reuters / Rising labour and fertilizer prices and uncertain weather will reduce China’s grain harvest this year, state radio quoted Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu saying Feb. 27. A good grain harvest tames China’s consumer inflation, which rebounded to 4.5 per cent in the year to January, but was still well below a


Drought adds to Portugal’s economic woes

After Portugal’s driest February in 80 years, farmers are praying for a miracle as drought ravages pastures and sparks forest fires, exacerbating the country’s economic crisis. Worse still, official forecasters expect the freak weather pattern to prevail at least through the end of March, which would worsen a drought now classified as severe and extreme

“Every time it rains, God cries”

Since January, Canadian Foodgrains Bank resource co-ordinator Harold Penner and his wife Marianne have been at a Growing Nations project at Maphutseng, Lesotho, in southern Africa. Before leaving for Ethiopia, Harold sent photos of what should be a welcome event for farmers — the arrival of rain. His comments follow. In the last few days


Nepal crocodile farm aims to save species

As Prem Sharma steps gingerly into the sand-filled chamber, lines of baby crocodiles basking in the warm sunshine splash into a pond, eyes glinting behind their long, thin snouts. Sharma quietly puts his hand into the green water, takes a young reptile from the pool, opens its mouth with a brush and begins to clean

Australia to probe new Indonesia cattle cruelty video

Canberra / Reuters / Australia will investigate new video appearing to show cattle being mistreated at an Indonesian abattoir, and could reimpose an export ban on the slaughterhouse if it broke animal welfare rules, said Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig. Australia suspended live cattle exports to Indonesia for a month in 2011 after a video showing cows


Cuba reports food output up 8.7 per cent in 2011

Cuba’s non-sugar agricultural production increased 8.7 per cent in 2011, the government said this week, an indication reforms aimed at reversing a farm crisis and cutting food imports may be kicking in. Produce output was up 11.5 per cent and livestock and related products six per cent, according to the report issued by the National

Monsanto to appeal French ruling

U.S. agribusiness giant Monsanto said Feb. 14 it will appeal a French court ruling that found it responsible for the poisoning of a farmer who inhaled a weed killer in what is the first such case to reach court in France. A court in Lyon, southeast France, ruled Feb. 13 that Monsanto was guilty of


Obama calls for end to direct payments

With Congress beginning an overhaul of U.S. farm law, President Barack Obama called Feb. 13 for elimination of a $5-billion-a-year subsidy paid to farmers regardless of need but held steady funding for the department’s often-criticized data forecasting arm. Obama proposed reforms totalling $32 billion over 10 years for farm supports in his new budget. It

La Niña seen fading between March and May

La Niña, a weather phenomenon usually linked to heavy rains and flooding in Asia-Pacific and South America and drought in Africa, seems to have reached its peak and is expected to fade between March and May, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Feb. 10. A weak to moderate La Niña pattern has cooled the tropical