INDUSTRY NEWS(Animal Health | Animal Nutrition)
Brazil cuts into U.S. soybean market share in China
Brazil is expected to win a larger share of China’s soybean imports in coming months, hitting U.S. exporters during the peak marketing season for their most valuable farm product as the world grapples with a fifth consecutive bumper crop.
China is expected to buy about five million tonnes of soybeans from Brazil for the fourth quarter of 2017, two senior trade sources said, double the 2.49 million tonnes shipped over the same period last year.
For U.S. soybean exporters, the October-December period is crucial, accounting for an average of 53 percent of calendar year shipments for the past five years, according to U.S. Census Bureau trade data.
China, the top importer of American agricultural goods, ships in more than 60 percent of the oilseed traded worldwide. Brazil normally has little left for exports by around October, but a record 2016/17 crop of 114.1 million tonnes means it still has unsold stocks.
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In pics: autumn harvest across China
A farmer airs corns in Chongqing, southwest China, Oct. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Yang Min)
A staff member harvests apples in Dancheng County, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Fang Dehua)
A farmer harvests lotus roots in Lianyungang, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Oct. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Geng Yuhe)
A staff member harvests apples in Dancheng County, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Fang Dehua)
A farmer loads rice in Lianyungang, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Oct. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Si Wei)
Farmers harvest chrysanthemum in Huaining County, east China’s Anhui Province, Oct. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Jiang Sheng)
A farmer harvests oranges in Danzhai County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Oct. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Kai Shangyu)
Farmers across China get busy during harvest
A farmer harvests rice in Mudian Village of Mudian Township in Xuyi County of Huai’an, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Oct. 9, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhou Haijun)
A farmer harvests rice in Mudian Village of Mudian Township in Xuyi County of Huai’an, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Oct. 9, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhou Haijun)
Rice are seen in Mudian Village of Mudian Township in Xuyi County of Huai’an, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Oct. 9, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhou Haijun)
Farmers unload corn in Gouya Village of Dazhuang Town in Yinan County, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 8, 2017. (Xinhua/Xu Zhongting)
Farmers harvest rice in Jianhua Village of Zhonghan Town in Chaohu, east China’s Anhui Province, Oct. 8, 2017. (Xinhua/Ma Fengcheng)
Farmers harvest rice in Hebei Village of Shuangxi Town in Jing’an County, east China’s Jiangxi Province, Oct. 8, 2017. (Xinhua/Xu Zhongting)
SOURCE:Xinhua News Agency
Chinese blueberries attract attention at international gathering
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Clusters of berries. [Photo/VCG] |
The International Blueberry Organization is bullish on the prospects for the Chinese blueberry market, which is benefiting from huge demand on the part of Chinese consumers and an excellent production base in Qujing, Yunnan province.
“Qujing enjoys a unique natural environment and wild climate, which is suitable for the growth of crops. The blueberries produced in Qujing have a high quality, with high sugar content and hardness,” said Zhang Zulin, the deputy governor of Yunnan province, on Monday at the opening ceremony of the 2017 International Blueberry Organization Summit.
Zhang added that the Qujing blueberries could be sold on the market in April, which just makes up for the supply gap from international markets during that month.
Peter McPherson, chairman of the IBO, said China’s blueberry production industry stands out due to its huge market potential.
“The good thing that we’ve found is that the Chinese consumer loves blueberries,” said McPherson, adding that blueberries are an emerging industry in China and he is bullish about the prospects for the market.
IBO, a global organization, is aimed at bringing together leaders from around the blueberry world in all segments of the industry, collecting and sharing information and fostering a common goal of increased worldwide blueberry consumption.
It is the first time that the IBO Summit was held in China. Chile, Mexico, Australia, Argentina and Uruguay have previously hosted the summit.
As one of the leading blueberry production bases in China, Qujing has already planted 870 hectares of blueberries, representing 50 percent of the total blueberry production in Yunnan.
In 2020, blueberry production will reach 2,500 metric tons in Qujing and reach 250 million yuan ($38.3 million) in output.
Dong Baotong, the mayor of Qujing, said the government is making great efforts to develop the whole industrial chain related to blueberries, including the R&D of blueberry varieties, breeding of seedlings, planting, storage and sorting, logistics and retail, making Qujing a leading capital of blueberry production.
“In general, Yunnan province has the unique opportunity to produce blueberries during early season until the summer period if with the right variety, the right genetics, the right cultural system and right technology. It’s also possible to produce some in winter and spring. And that’s why a lot of international companies are looking for it in Yunnan,” said Cort Brazelton, founder of IBO and the director of Fall Creek Farm & Nursery Inc.
“I have enormous confidence of the blueberry growth in Chinese market. Like all other international companies, we are all excited and we have strong desire to work with the Chinese regional governments to help Chinese blueberry industry sustainable.”
China to give Ethiopia 15-mln-USD food aid
According to a press statement from the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia on Wednesday, Liu Tao, Chargé d’Affaires at the Chinese Embassy, and Abraham Tekeste, Ethiopian Minister of Finance and Economic Cooperation, have signed the agreement.
The Chinese government has long committed itself to consolidating bilateral cooperation with and expanding support for Ethiopia, said Liu.
“With the newly offered food aid to Ethiopia, the Chinese government is determined to help tackle food security threats to the nation that have emerged in 2017, and is ready to extend further helping hands when necessary,” he said.
According to the latest UN statistics, 8.5 million of people require emergency food assistance between August and December 2017, noted the statement.
The statement recalled that Ethiopia, in 2016, suffered from the worst El Nino-induced drought in the past half century, which severely aggravated the already dire situation caused by failed rains in 2015, and the Ethiopian government had responded swiftly and effectively.
Reiterating China’s long-standing friendship with Ethiopia, the statement said that the Chinese government has been by the side of the Ethiopian government and people ever since the onset of this round of climate disasters.
In November 2015, Qian Keming, Vice Minister of Commerce of China, expressed profound concern over the situation in Ethiopia during his visit to Ethiopia and signed a food aid agreement, under which 10,535 tonnes of wheat was delivered to Ethiopia in April 2016.
In the same year, in a bid to further help relief efforts, the Chinese government donated 8 million dollars to World Food Program (WFP), providing emergency humanitarian food assistance to Ethiopian people.
In May 2017, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn attended the Belt and Road Summit Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing, China. On the occasion, leaders of the two countries announced to upgrade bilateral relations between China and Ethiopia to Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership.
“Looking into the future, the Chinese government, partnering with the Ethiopian government, will spare no effort to be of help whenever Ethiopian people is in need, jointly charting the course for the further enhancement of their enduring friendship,” said the statement.
DATE:2017-09-07 SOURCE:Xinhua
China targets farm waste as a ‘clean’ power source
BEIJING – China will pay farmers to turn animal poo into fertiliser and power, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday, as Beijing cracks down on agricultural pollution that has for years leaked into rivers and lakes, angering Chinese residents.
China will give farmers subsidies to build animal waste processing facilities to make fertilisers or to treat manure so it’s safe for disposal, and to install biogas plants that use methane to generate electricity, according a government plan announced on Aug 1.
The plan includes setting up recycling programmes by 2020 in 200 major counties that have livestock farms. That’s less than half the 586 major counties the government says have hog and poultry farms.
The agriculture ministry gave no details about the size of the subsidies, but the move could be a big step towards curbing chemical fertiliser use and cutting water pollution.
“We will help the farmers fully understand how organic fertiliser can improve energy efficiency and the environment,” said Zhong Luqing, director of the fertiliser department at the ministry, at a briefing on Wednesday.
Biogas technology, which can help save on electrical costs, is too expensive for many farmers unless the government helps.
Those researching and using organic fertiliser will also get preferential treatment on loans, taxes, power use and land rent, Zhong said.
Getting rid of animal waste is a major headache for livestock producers worldwide, partly because of the strong odour and damage caused to the atmosphere by the release of harmful gases. Run-off containing animal wastes can also seep into the water table and contaminate rivers and lakes.
In China, how to better dispose of animal waste has become a particular problem due to the fast growth of poultry and hog farming over the past decade to meet demand for higher quality meat. Chinese livestock farms generate nearly 4 billion tonnes of waste annually, according to the agriculture ministry.
“We will strengthen policy support and increase subsidies to support farmers to use organic fertiliser … especially large-scale farmers, family farms and cooperatives,” Zhong said.
The plan is part of Beijing’s effort to limit chemical fertilisers and pesticides, which have contaminated soil and water. China uses about one-third of the world’s fertilisers.
Beijing has said it was targeting zero growth of chemical fertiliser and pesticide by 2020. It has urged farmers to use less chemical fertiliser and turn to animal manure instead.
DATE:2017-09-04 SOURCE:China Daily
Farmers turn to artificial intelligence to grow better crops
Your grocery store’s tomatoes may have a new friend aiding their development: artificial intelligence.
NatureSweet, which grows tomatoes on six farms in the United States and Mexico, is usingartificial intelligence to better control pests and diseases in its greenhouses.
The technology, developed by the Israeli digital farming company Prospera, has already improved harvests and reduced labor costs. NatureSweet began testing the technology almost a year ago at one of its farms in Arizona. It plans to roll the tech out to all of its locations soon.
Adrian Almeida, chief innovation officer at NatureSweet, believes artificial intelligence will eventually improve his greenhouses tomato yields by 20%.
“It’ll be better for the environment and for the customer,” Almeida said.
Farms are increasingly using technology to grow crops, from task-tracking systems that monitor watering and seeding to drones that capture aerial images.
So far, NatureSweet’s weekly harvests have grown 2% to 4%. This may seem modest, but the results makes a big difference when growing millions of pounds of tomatoes a year.
To use the method, NatureSweet installed 10 cameras in greenhouse ceilings. The cameras continuously take photos of the crops below. Prospera’s software has been trained to recognize trouble, such as insect infestations or dying plants.
Previously, some of NatureSweet’s 8,000 employees were tasked with walking through the greenhouses to identify struggling plants. But the process was slow and expensive. NatureSweet did this only once a week.
The cameras from Prospera monitor the plants 24/7 and provide instant feedback.
Prospera’s founder Daniel Koppel previously researched how to predict crop yields from satellite photos — insights that can be used to trade commodities on Wall Street. Instead, he built his own business, figuring it would have a greater global impact.
NatureSweet has also experimented with using the cameras to forecast when plants are ready to be harvested.
Although Almeida said that aspect of the technology is still a work in progress, improved efficiency is apparent. He estimated NatureSweet’s headcount would have to grow by 4% without it.
The company announced this week it raised $15 million from investors such as Qualcomm Ventures and Cisco Investments to fund expansion. Prospera plans to track more crops, including peppers and potatoes, as well as monitor plants outside greenhouses.
Source: CNN. Date: 2017-08-24
Chinese high-yielding hybrid rice to be launched in Pakistan
China is all set to commercially launch a hybrid rice variety in Pakistan which has 18 tons per hectare yield or more than 150 maunds per acre.
The revolutionary rice seed was recently developed by the Chinese researchers under the guidance of world’s leading agriculture scientist Professor Yuan Longping, who is commonly known as father of hybrid rice in the world.
The new rice variety would help Pakistani farmers to significantly increase per acre yield and hence the country would be able to export more rice to other countries, including China, in future.
“We will be happy to share the seed variety with Pakistan which is our great friend,” said the octogenarian Professor Yuan in a rare conversation with a group of journalists. The sitting with him was jointly arranged by the Guard Agriculture Research and Services (Pvt) Limited, pioneer in introducing hybrid rice in the country, and China’s top agriculture research company, Yuan Longping Hi-Tech Industries.
Shah Rukh Malik and Rizwan Yousaf, Guard Group’s executives, said, “Currently, China imports 30 per cent to 40 per cent of rice from Pakistan. The new rice variety will help country to enhance rice exports to the neighbouring country in the years to come.”
Hybrid rice variety is being cultivated in some parts of Sindh and Balochistan as the fields in tropical districts of Pakistan are highly friendly for paddy farming. The Guard Group in collaboration with Chinese researchers is making efforts to develop the hybrid variety for Punjab’s regions and at the same time it has launched awareness programs for Sindh and Balochistan farmers to increase the area under hybrid rice.
The average production of presently sown hybrid rice in China and Pakistan is around 7-8 tons per hectares, almost 15 per cent high than the conventional rice’s yield. Terming new variety his lifelong dream, Professor Yuan said the seed was the toughest ever in commercial large scale trials in terms of yield.
The father of hybrid rice is highly regarded in China as well as in the world for his contribution in ending the food crisis in the globe. The United Nations (UN) Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the UN World Intellectual Property Organization, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) honoured him with different titles and awards during past four decades. He received the 2004 World Food Prize for his breakthrough achievement in developing the genetic materials and technologies essential for breeding high-yielding hybrid rice varieties. He continues his innovative scientific work as Director-General of the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. He is widely acknowledged as the first person to discover how to achieve fast growth with greater yield and stress resistance. In 1964, he happened to find a natural hybrid rice plant that had obvious advantages over others and in 1973, he successfully cultivated a type of hybrid rice species having 15 per cent 20 per cent more yield than the conventional ones.
As area of hybrid rice in the country is about 200,000 hectares ( around 450,000 acres), Professor Yuan believed it could be significantly increased. He encouraged young Pakistani researchers and agriculture scientists to take benefits from the Chinese expertise in the field of agriculture science. He believed Pakistan was good country and had great potential of growth and development.
The Guard Group also organised the visit of ISKY chemicals company which is one of the world’s largest exporters of agri chemicals. Founded in 1994, ISKY is a major supplier of sulphur and related chemicals to Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe and Oceania. The company management offered its full cooperation to Pakistan in the field of agriculture science.
Source: The Nation. Date: 2017-08-24
US objects to EU-China quality food labelling pact
US meddling and counterfeit Chinese trademarks are threatening to unpick the bilateral agreement between Beijing and Brussels on geographical indications of food products.
According to documents from the Greek ministry of agriculture, the negotiations between the European Union and China for mutual recognition of 200 food products protected by geographical indications (GIs) – 100 from each side – will have to reconcile the EU’s quality schemes with 25 homonymous trademarks already registered in the People’s Republic of China.
Beijing wants to keep its trademarks, despite the protection accorded to products labelled under the GI quality scheme in the EU. GIs offer consumers certainty about the authenticity of the food products they buy, certifying their geographic origin and the techniques used to make them.
To defend their quality labels, Greece, Italy and the six other countries with the largest number of GI products in Europe (France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Hungary, Romania) are willing to support a large-scale legal action of European consortiums in China, seeking the elimination of the counterfeit trademarks.
Eight member states of the European Union will take legal action against China over 25 counterfeit trademarks on the Chinese market that mislead consumers on the origin of products protected by the EU’s geographical indications.
The European Commission, which leads negotiations with Beijing, simply stated that its “objective is to achieve the best possible result, even for producers who are facing competition from products already registered as trademarks in China and not originating in the EU”.
US enters the mix
The matter has been further complicated by interference from across the Atlantic. The Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN), the US dairy industry’s arm to counter the spread in the world of European GI labelling system, filed a formal objection in Beijing to the “generic names threatened by the EU-China agreement”.
Examples of trademarks already in use in China include Feta, Asiago, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, Cheddar and the adjective “Romano” for Pecorino.
The CCFN has used a procedure that is “common practice in the recognition of geographical indications”, explained Massimo Vittori, director of the organisation OriGIn, which protects consortiums around the world.
“It allows third parties to file objections to the request for protection by submitting a statement, provided that it is duly motivated. In this case, the complaint was envisaged in the context of a bilateral negotiation and it is very likely that its assessment will take place in the finalisation of the agreement, scheduled for the end of the year.
“We are convinced that these assessments will be made on the basis of exclusively legal reasons, and are therefore optimistic about the full recognition in China of all the European geographical indications on the list.”
The European Commission will not block member states’ attempts to sue China over its use of counterfeit trademarks and has insisted a future bilateral deal with the Asian superpower will bring “significant benefits” for Europe’s quality food producers.
The European Commission confirmed the timing and the general approach. EU executive officials recall how generic objections should be “justified on the basis of objective evidence” (supported by consumer surveys, dictionary entries and other forms of proof).
The burden of proof is initially in the hands of those who submit the objection and “the principle of territoriality applies”: the demand for generic names “applies exclusively to the territory covered by the agreement, in this case the EU and China”.
In short, American claims of generic denomination of products will not stand up so easily in the People’s Republic.
Source: Euractiv. Date: 2017-08-24
