Kansas AND  Taiwan sign $266-mn wheat agreement
The officials of Kansas State and Taiwan have signed an agreement under which Taiwan would import $266 million-worth of hard red winter wheat over 2 years, the bulk of it from Kansas farmers. The was part of a larger trade mission by Taiwanese officials and business leaders to the US, expected to lead to agreements covering $2.7 billion in agricultural products. Taiwan is the ninth-largest export market for products from Kansas, according to the State Department of Commerce. The wheat agreement covers about 62.5 million bushels of wheat for 2004 and 2005.

TOBACCO CROP IN SOUTH CAROLINA AFFECTED BY RAIN
After suffering from a drought-like situation last year, the tobacco farmers in South Carolina are now facing the problem of too much water. Record rainfall early in the growing season cut tobacco leaf production to the lowest in 106 years and damaged quality in some areas, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Yield is expected to fall 6 percent below last year because of too much rain..

In the tobacco belt, which includes the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia and Florida, production is expected to be 1,966 pounds per acre, a drop from last year’s 2,105 pounds per acre and 2001’s yield of 2,432 pounds per acre.

Brazil allows farming of GM soyabean for 2nd year
Ceding to pressure from farmers and Monsanto, Brazil, the world’s second-largest soyabean producer, has agreed to allow the cultivation of gene-altered soyabeans for a second year. Farmers in Brazil have been planting Monsanto’s roundup ready soyabean seeds smuggled from Argentina for several years because they produce more beans and cut costs by requiring less pesticides and herbicides.

Monsanto, the GM crop major, has been fighting to legalise gene-altered crops permanently so it can collect royalties from soyabean farmers in Brazil who use it’s seeds. About 10 per cent of the 52 million metric tonnes of soyabeans produced by Brazil annually is already grown from gene-altered seeds, according to industry estimates.

South Africa hit by worst drought in 100 years
With half of South Africa in the grip of a severe drought, forecasters have warned that the biggest drought disaster in 100 years might be looming. This has put the spotlight on invasive alien vegetation, which consumes 7 per cent of South Africa’s water. These alien plants destroy usable land, consume precious water resources and the affect the naturally occurring flora and fauna. It is estimated that 10-million hectares of South Africa’s land surface is currently affected and the alien vegetation is spreading at a rate of 5 per cent a year.

China to resume livestock imports from south Korea
China has lifted its ban on the import of Korean livestock, nearly a year and a half after a few cases of foot-and-mouth disease were reported in the country. According to the Ministry officials, China recognised South Korea as “a foot-and-mouth disease free zone” on September 29, 2003 and will resume the import of bovine and pig meat and meat products from Korea.

China’s ban was put in place in May last year, when some cases of the infectious virus were reported in the Gyeonggi Province. The country prevented South Korean cloven-hoofed animals, such as cows, pigs and sheep, which are affected by the disease, as well as products derived from them, from entering the country.

Dwarf vegetables DEVELOPED in japan
Scientists at Syngenta, the Swiss company, have come up with a variety of dwarf vegetables to cater to Japan’s growing population of single people. The Japanese retail giant Aeon will be offering quarter-size cauliflowers and half-size radishes to singles in the 270 Jusco stores across the country from November. The dwarf radish is 8 to 10 inches long – half the usual size. Naoko Ueda the spokeswoman for Aeon said the company decided to launch dwarf vegetables after a successful sales trial of half-sized radishes, which proved a hit with customers in the Tokyo area.

Gates foundation gives $25 mn for agri tech 
To combat the malnutrition problems in the developing countries and to improve the nutritional quality of staple food through new agricultural technology, the US-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has decided to render an assistance of $25 million.

The $25 million aid will be routed through the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), which is one of the 16-agri research institutes under the apex global body, Consultative Group of International Agriculture Research (CGIAR).

The grant will also support HarvestPlus, a global research initiative to breed and disseminate crops for better nutrition, which is being spearheaded by the International Centre for Tropical Agricultural Research and IFPRI. Using bio-fortification, agricultural and nutrition scientists will work together to breed crops that provide higher levels of micronutrients such as iron, xinc, and Vitamin A.

Mexico Closes Border to Livestock Trade with US
Mexico has closed its borders to livestock trade with the United States after the US officials quarantined a herd of cattle with blisters that could be symptomatic of the foot-and-mouth disease.   The stalling of trade will aggravate the already tense relations between the US and Mexico. The Mexican government earlier this year imposed tariffs on US beef after Mexican farmers complained that there was a surge in American beef imports. The US shipped 1,06,000 heads of cattle to Mexico last year.

Monsanto to develop improved corn varieties 
Monsanto is teaming up with industry leaders – General Motors and the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition to deliver improved corn for the US ethanol industry. The collaborative effort is expected to provide a major boost to the US ethanol industry, through Monsanto’s Fuel Your Profits programme, by generating a multi-million dollar investment over the next 2 years. This investment will be aimed at fuelling ethanol profits from corn planting to ethanol processing.

Scientists Say Warming Could Cut Crop output
Some of the 1,000 scientists at a World Climate Change Conference in Moscow have said that global warming could slash Russia’s crucial grain harvests if President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders refuse to endorse UN’s Kyoto pact. Some say that agricultural output in the key southern grain areas could be hit by a forecast decline in rains even though a warmer climate will extend growing areas further north. Recently, Mr Putin said he needed more time to decide whether to ratify the pact, which hinges on Russian ratification to take effect.

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