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☆ Ukraine raises grain deliveries to Black Sea ports - railways
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Valeriy Tkachov, deputy director of the commercial department at Ukrainian Railways, said on Facebook that over the last week the number of grain wagons heading to Odesa ports increased by more than 26% to 5,341 from 4,227. He said up to 970 wagons were unloaded at the ports' silos every day. Later, a senior agricultural official said the route - which runs along Ukraine's southwest Black Sea coast, into Romanian territorial waters and onwards to Turkey - would also be used for grain shipments. The UCAB agricultural business association said this month that Ukrainian grain agricultural exports rose by 15% to 4.8 million metric tons in October thanks to the new corridor. Ukraine's government expects a grain and oilseeds harvest of 79 million tons in 2023, with a 2023/24 exportable surplus of about 50 million tons.

Persons: Valeriy Tkachov, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Pavel Polityuk, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Ukrainian Railways, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Ukraine's Odesa, Ukraine, Russia, Black, Turkey

☆ Agrochemicals group Syngenta indicates $10 bln IPO likely next year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A logo is seen at the headquarters of agricultural chemical maker Syngenta in Basel, Switzerland January 30, 2020. "Given weak market conditions we expect that the company will IPO by the end of next year," a company spokesman said on Thursday after Syngenta reported its Q3 earnings. The IPO update came as Syngenta, which competes with U.S. company Corteva (CTVA.N) and German firms BASF (BASFn.DE) and Bayer (BAYGn.DE), reported its latest earnings. Syngenta, which recently announced a change of chief executive and chief financial officer, has been pursuing an IPO for nearly two and half years. Syngenta was bought by ChemChina in 2017 for $43 billion and folded it into Sinochem Holdings Corp in 2021.

Persons: Arnd, Syngenta, John Revill, Kirsti Knolle, Robert Birsel Organizations: Syngenta, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, BASF, Bayer, Shanghai Stock Exchange, ChemChina, Sinochem Holdings Corp, Thomson Locations: Basel, Switzerland, Swiss, Brazil

☆ South Korea declares war on bedbugs after surge in reported cases
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korea has become the latest country to declare war on bedbugs following a wave of outbreaks, with bathhouses, university dorms, and train stations across the country on high alert. Previously, the country had been practically free of bedbugs following past extermination campaigns, with just nine infestations being reported to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention (KDCA) since 2014. Meanwhile, pest control companies say they have become inundated with phone calls asking for help. “Bedbugs are developing resistance to the insecticides that we commonly use, so the most effective solution these days is heating. “Early and proactive responses are crucial.”In its “Bedbug Prevention and Response Guidelines,” the Seoul City Government advises people against bringing items with a risk of infestation into their homes.

Persons: “, ”, Eom Hae, Eom, Yoo, Lee, hasn’t, Lee Hee, ” Lee, It’s, Yang Nam, kyung Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korea Disease Control, South, bedbugs, Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul City Government Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, France, United Kingdom, United States, Pest, Incheon, City

☆ Lebanon Says Fires Destroy 40,000 Olive Trees, Blames Israeli Shelling
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Riham AlkousaaBEIRUT (Reuters) - Fires caused by Israeli shelling in south Lebanon have burned some 40,000 olive trees and torched hundreds of square km (miles) of land, dealing a serious blow to a major Lebanese crop, the agriculture minister said. The Israeli army denied the accusation and said the types of smoke-screen shell it uses do not contain white phosphorus. "These olives have not been harvested yet, meaning we lost the trees and the season," Hajj Hassan said. (But) we have olives trees that are 200 years old." Mohammad el Husseini of the south Lebanon farmers syndicate said the Lebanese government would not be able to compensate farmers for the losses, with the country four years into a devastating financial meltdown.

Persons: Israel, Abbas Hajj Hassan, Hajj Hassan, Dory Farah, Alma Alashaab, Mohammad el Husseini, Riham Alkousaa, Emily Rose, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Hezbollah, Hamas, Reuters, Agriculture, Agriculture Organization, FAO Locations: Riham, BEIRUT, Lebanon, Iran, Lebanese, Israel, Palestinian, Alma, Food, Olive, Beirut, Jerusalem

☆ Ukraine imposes new rules for food exports - government
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a grain terminal in the sea port in Odesa after restarting grain export, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, Ukraine August 19, 2022. An additional problem is the illegal concealment or delay of foreign currency proceeds on accounts outside of Ukraine. The government data showed that Ukraine's grain exports in October had almost halved year-on-year to 2.15 million metric tons from 4.22 million. Traders and farmers' unions have said blocked Ukrainian Black Sea ports and Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports on the Danube River are the main reasons for lower exports. Ukraine has traditionally shipped most of its exports through its Black Sea ports.

Persons: Valentyn, Pavel Polityuk, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Agrarian Register, Russia, Traders, Thomson Locations: Odesa, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Shipping industry could lose $10 billion a year battling climate change by 2050
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It is just the latest in a growing number of disruptions hitting the shipping industry as it battles the effects of climate change. A similar reduction in 2019 cost global shipping as much as $370 million, according to a study by RTI International. "We firmly believe that climate change poses a great threat to the shipping industry and the consumer overall. The impacts of climate change on ports alone, from damage to disruption, could cost the shipping industry up to $10 billion annually by 2050 and up to $25 billion per year by 2100, according to the RTI study, which was reviewed by the Environmental Defense Fund. Of all the transportation sectors, shipping is one of the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Persons: Narin Phol, Phol, Hakan Agnevall, Agnevall, It's, it's, Erica Posse Organizations: U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, RTI International, Maersk, North, RTI, Environmental Defense Fund, Wartsila, Shipping, CNBC Locations: Mississippi, Vicksburg , Mississippi, Panama, Vancouver, Canada, North America, Paris

Northrup is a subsidiary of Syngenta Seeds, which is owned by China National Chemical Company, or ChemChina, a Chinese state-owned company. Concern has been growing in many states about foreign ownership of farmland. Prior to this year, 14 states had laws prohibiting or restricting foreign ownership and investments in private farmland. Under the Arkansas law, if a company doesn’t divest of the land, the state can take action in court. The surge in state laws targeting land ownership by certain foreigners represents a “a political flashpoint” that Brown says stems from some highly publicized cases of Chinese-connected entities purchasing land near military bases in North Dakota and Texas.

Persons: Tim Griffin, Northrup King, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Northrup, ” Sanders, Griffin, Syngenta, Micah Brown, ”, Brown, David Lieb Organizations: —, Northrup King Seed, Republican, GOP Gov, Syngenta, China National Chemical Company, National Agriculture Law Center, University of Arkansas, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Associated Locations: — Arkansas, Craighead County, Arkansas, China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, North Dakota, Texas, Jefferson City , Missouri

☆ As Turkey intensifies war on Kurdish militants, Iraqi civilians suffer
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Lena Masri | Amina Ismail | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +23 min

Seventeen-year-old Samir Saado was finishing his cleaning shift at the village medical centre when an airstrike hit the building. Four members of the PKK-allied Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), who were guards at the clinic, were killed, local officials said. All five said the medical centre was hit by at least three strikes about three minutes apart. Reuters showed Zwijnenburg the footage of the red crescent symbol on the wall of the medical centre. Across northern Iraq, local people say they are powerless to prevent armed groups setting up in their villages and districts.

Persons: Samir Saado, ” “, “, ACLED, Tayyip Erdogan, Iraq’s, Mustafa al, ”, Tatyana Eatwell, Jonathan Lord, ” Lord, Saeed Hasan, Isa Khoudeda, Turkey’s, wailed, Wim Zwijnenburg, Zwijnenburg, Saado, Yazidis, Saado’s, ” Saado, Schlier Namiq, Tuta Qal, Aram Kakakhan, Kakakhan, Ismail Ibrahim, Namiq, Saddam Hussein, Namiq’s, Ryam Ziad, Ziad Khedr, Hassan Kashmoula, Ryam, Mustafa Anwar, Khedr’s, ‘ neutralised, Nidal Mahmoud, Khedr's, ” Mahmoud Organizations: Turkish, Turkish Defence Ministry, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, European Union, Syrian Democratic Forces, Islamic, Turkey’s Defence Ministry, Reuters, Anadolu, Human Rights, Defence Ministry, Unit, Justice, United Nations Human, NATO, Pentagon, ISIS, ., Coalition, United Nations, Mission, Middle East Security, Center, New, New American Security, Military, Islamic State, Tuta, Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government, SDF, ” Reuters, International Crisis Group, Crisis, “ Locations: Iraq’s, Sinjar, Turkish, Saado, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Kurdistan, Ankara, Northern Iraq, United States, PKK, U.S, Islamic State, Skeiniya, Germany, Turkish Government, Washington, New American, ”, Iran, Istanbul, Gaziantep province, Sabah, Europe, Greece, Iraq’s Sulaimaniya, Kurdish, Tuta, Ibrahim, Chamchamal, Chicago, Mosul, Iranian, Khedr

☆ The climate crisis is coming for your hoppy beer
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“One of the side motives of this study was to illustrate how climate change might be important for even those who think it doesn’t matter,” Trnka told CNN. Now, each of the basic ingredients of today’s beer — water, barley, yeast and hops – are threatened by global warming. Researchers used weather data and climate models to analyze how European hops have been and will be affected by climate change between 1970 and 2050, assuming precipitation decreases and temperature increases. Felix Kästle/picture alliance/Getty ImagesIn recent years, more consumers are preferring beer aromas and flavors that require higher-quality hops, according to the study. Since these hops are only grown in smaller regions, researchers say they’re put at even higher risk from climate change-fueled heat waves and droughts.

Persons: Miroslav Trnka, ” Trnka, “, Beer, I’m, ”, Douglass Miller, ” Miller, Felix Kästle, they’re, Mark Sorrells, Sorrells, Trnka, it’s Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, Change Research, Cornell University, Cornell University’s School, Integrative Plant Locations: Germany, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Pacific Northwest

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia could use sea mines to target civilian ships in the Black Sea, declassified intelligence warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Servicemen aboard the Romanian Navy King Ferdinand frigate observe smoke from a ship in a training drill in the Black Sea, near Constanta, Romania. Russia could use sea mines to target civilian ships in the Black Sea, the U.K. warned late Wednesday. The U.K. said newly declassified intelligence shows Russia may continue to target civilian shipping in the Black Sea, including by laying sea mines in the approach to Ukrainian ports. The U.K. previously warned that the Russian military had attempted a missile strike against a cargo ship in the Black Sea. "The U.K. assesses that Russia would lay blame on Ukraine for any attacks," the FCDO said in a press statement.

Persons: Romanian Navy King Ferdinand Organizations: Romanian Navy, Initiative Locations: Constanta, Romania, Russia, Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ Five new cargo vessels heading for Ukrainian Black Sea ports: MarineTraffic
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A cargo ship carrying Ukrainian grain, and another originating from Ukraine, sail at the entrance of Bosphorus, in the Black Sea off the coast off Kumkoy, north of Istanbul, on November 2, 2022. Five new ships are on their way to Ukrainian sea ports using a new corridor opened to resume predominantly agricultural exports, an alternative arrangement to the Black Sea grain deal blocked by Russia, the MarineTraffic database showed on Sunday. The MarineTraffic database showed earlier on Sunday that three cargo vessels left Ukrainian Black Sea ports after loading, the latest to sail since Kyiv set up a temporary "humanitarian corridor" after Russia quit a deal allowing safe passage for Ukraine exports. The database identified the five vessels heading toward the ports as Olga, Ida, Forza Doria, New Legacy and Danny Boy. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said last month that three cargo ships were heading towards Ukrainian Black Sea ports for further food and steel exports.

Persons: Olga, Ida, Forza, Danny Boy, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ying Hao, Moscow Organizations: Russia, United Locations: Ukraine, Bosphorus, Kumkoy, Istanbul, Russia, Ukrainian, Forza Doria, China, Egypt, Spain, Moscow, Kyiv, United Nations, Turkey

☆ Five new cargo vessels heading for Ukrainian Black Sea ports -MarineTraffic
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Liberia-flagged bulk carriers Eneida and Ying Hao 01 are seen in the sea as they leave the sea ports of Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Odesa, Ukraine October 1, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Five new ships are on their way to Ukrainian sea ports using a new corridor opened to resume predominantly agricultural exports, an alternative arrangement to the Black Sea grain deal blocked by Russia, the MarineTraffic database showed on Sunday. The MarineTraffic database showed earlier on Sunday that three cargo vessels left Ukrainian Black Sea ports after loading, the latest to sail since Kyiv set up a temporary "humanitarian corridor" after Russia quit a deal allowing safe passage for Ukraine exports. The database identified the five vessels heading towards the ports as Olga, Ida, Forza Doria, New Legacy and Danny Boy. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said last month that three cargo ships were heading towards Ukrainian Black Sea ports for further food and steel exports.

Persons: Ying Hao, Stringer, Olga, Ida, Forza, Danny Boy, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Moscow, Pavel Polityuk, Michael Perry, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Russia, United, Thomson Locations: Liberia, Chornomorsk, Ukraine, Odesa, Russia, Ukrainian, Forza Doria, China, Egypt, Spain, Moscow, Kyiv, United Nations, Turkey

☆ Five more cargo ships head for Ukraine's Black Sea ports -deputy PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Liberia-flagged bulk carriers Eneida and Ying Hao 01 are seen in the sea as they leave the sea ports of Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Odesa, Ukraine October 1, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Five more ships are on their way to Ukrainian sea ports using a new corridor opened to resume predominantly agricultural exports, an alternative arrangement to the Black Sea grain deal blocked by Russia, a top Ukrainian official said on Sunday. "5 new vessels are waiting to be loaded in Ukrainian ports," Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on the X social media platform. "Bulk carriers OLGA, IDA, DANNY BOY, FORZA DORIA, NEW LEGACY are going to export almost 120,000 (metric) tons of Ukrainian grain to Africa and Europe," he added. The three cargo vessels are the latest to sail since Kyiv set up a temporary "humanitarian corridor" after Russia quit a deal allowing safe passage for Ukraine's exports.

Persons: Ying Hao, Stringer, Oleksandr Kubrakov, DANNY BOY, FORZA, Kubrakov, Moscow, Pavel Polityuk, Michael Perry, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, FORZA DORIA, Ukrainian Navy, Russia, United, Thomson Locations: Liberia, Chornomorsk, Ukraine, Odesa, Russia, Africa, Europe, Moscow, Kyiv, United Nations, Turkey

☆ Global warming will hit Australian crop yields and GDP, treasurer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Harvesting machinery can be seen behind a wheat crop in a paddock located on the outskirts of the South Australian town of Jamestown, in Australia, December 1, 2017. Global warming is leading to hotter and more extreme weather in Australia, one of the world's largest exporters of agricultural products. "The latest analysis out of Treasury tells us that disasters and a warming climate have big, economy wide effects," Chalmers told an agricultural conference in Queensland dedicated to drought. "If further action isn't taken, Australian crop yields could be 4 per cent lower by 2063 – costing us about A$1.8 billion in GDP in today's dollars." ($1 = 1.5569 Australian dollars)Reporting by Peter Hobson; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Gray, Jim Chalmers, Chalmers, Peter Hobson, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Jamestown, Australia, Queensland, decarbonisation

☆ Cargo vessel sets off from Ukrainian Black Sea port - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Sept 26 (Reuters) - A cargo vessel set off from a Ukrainian Black Sea port on Tuesday after loading but remained close to the port, an industry source said, without giving any further details. The vessel was the latest to set off from a Ukrainian Black Sea port since Kyiv established a temporary "humanitarian corridor" hugging the coastline following Russia's decision to quit a deal that had allowed safe Ukrainian exports. Two bulk carriers left the port of Chornomorsk last week via the humanitarian corridor. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said last week that three cargo ships were heading towards Ukrainian Black Sea ports for further food and steel exports. The blockage of deep sea ports has already affected Ukrainian grain exports, which have decreased by 51% so far in September to 1.57 million tons from 3.21 million tons in the corresponding period last year.

Persons: Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ying Hao, Moscow, Pavel Polityuk, Timothy Organizations: United, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Kyiv, Chornomorsk, China, Egypt, Spain, Ukraine, Moscow, United Nations, Turkey, Russia

Hong Kong/Taipei CNN —China and the European Union have agreed to exchange information on export controls as part of efforts to dial down tension over trade imbalances and geopolitical issues. I am glad that we made progress in addressing some market access issues,” Valdis Dombrovskis said in a statement. Hours before meeting He on Monday, Dombrovskis said China’s trade practices have forced the European Union to become more assertive in its dealings with the world’s second largest economy. China recently slapped export curbs on two semiconductor materials in a warning shot to Europe and the United States, after they imposed restrictions on China’s access to advanced chipmaking equipment. Moscow has become increasingly dependent on Beijing since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with trade between Russia and China soaring this year.

Persons: rebalancing, ” Valdis Dombrovskis, Dombrovskis, ”, ” Jorge Toledo, it’s, ” Dombrovskis, — Laura Organizations: Taipei CNN —, European Union, European Commission, EU, Union, Tsinghua University, China, Reuters Locations: China, Hong Kong, Taipei, Taipei CNN — China, Beijing, ”, EU, Europe, United States, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia

☆ Taiwan lobbies Australian lawmakers on supporting its bid for Pacific trade pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday called on Australia to support its bid to join a pan-Pacific free trade pact during a meeting with a group of visiting Australian lawmakers. The CPTPP is a landmark trade pact agreed upon in 2018 by 11 countries including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. "We look forward to the continued strengthening of economic and trade cooperation between Taiwan and Australia," Tsai said in comments released by her office. "We also hope that the Australian government and parliament will support Taiwan's accession to the CPTPP to jointly promote economic growth and sustainable development of the Indo-Pacific region." "Protecting the free and open Indo-Pacific region is the common goal of Taiwan and Australia."

Persons: Tsai Ing, Tsai, Don Farrell, Ben Blanchard, Kirsty Needham, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Trans, Pacific, Taiwan, Australian Trade, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, Australia, China, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, Britain, Taipei, Sydney

☆ Some soft commodity prices are surging, adding to consumer woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Futures contracts on orange juice, live cattle, raw sugar and cocoa each hit their highs for the year this month. The higher prices add another layer of pain to consumers' wallets at a time when stubborn core inflation, excluding food and energy, stood at 4.3% in August. The juice futures market reached a record $3.50 per pound this month. Meat prices have been driven by shrinking U.S. cattle herds, continued beef demand, plus higher input costs for labor and fuel. Shoppers are bearing the brunt of the higher prices as the world's largest food companies try and pass along their rising input costs.

Persons: Paul Caruso, It's, Darwei Kung, Kung, François, Xavier Roger, Grame David Pitkethly, Ben, Jerry's, Pitkethly, We've Organizations: Ancora, U.S, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Shoppers, Barclays Consumer Staples Conference, Barclays, Unilever Locations: Florida, Brazil, Mexico, India, Thailand

☆ Russia curbs gasoline and diesel exports to ease shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Russia has introduced a temporary ban on exports of gasoline and diesel to all countries except four ex-Soviet states in order to stabilize the domestic market, the government said Thursday. “Temporary restrictions will help saturate the fuel market, which in turn will reduce prices for consumers,” the Russian government said in a statement. In recent months Russia has suffered shortages of gasoline and diesel. Wholesale fuel prices have spiked, although retail prices are capped to try to curb them in line with official inflation. Traders say the Russian fuel market has been hit by factors including maintenance at oil refineries, bottlenecks on railways and the weakness of the ruble, which incentivizes fuel exports.

Organizations: Economic Union, Kremlin, Traders, ” Locations: Russia, Soviet, Moscow, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, “, breadbasket, ” Russia, Saudi Arabia

☆ Russia imposes temporary restrictions on fuel exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Temporary restrictions will help saturate the fuel market, which in turn will reduce prices for consumers," the government said in a statement. Government officials have said that the plans are intended to restrict fuel exports only to those who make the oil products, in order to avert a large-scale fuel crisis; a prohibitive duty on fuel exports has been considered. Wholesale fuel prices have spiked, although retail prices are capped to try to curb them in line with official inflation. Traders say the fuel market has been hit by factors including maintenance at oil refineries, bottlenecks on railways and the weakness of the rouble, which incentivises fuel exports. Russia exported 4.817 million tons of gasoline and almost 35 million tons of diesel last year.

Persons: Maxim, Vladimir Soldatkin, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Kremlin, Traders, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, breadbasket

☆ US, Norway to launch Africa agriculture fund, commit $70 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The United States and Norway will pledge a total of $70 million on Monday to launch a fund, reported here for the first time, to help farmers and agricultural businesses in Africa, a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) spokesperson said. BY THE NUMBERSThe fund aims to reach a total of $200 million through additional contributions from donors and has the potential to benefit nearly 7.5 million people, the spokesperson said. USAID and Norway will each commit an initial $35 million. The fund has the potential to support 500 small- and medium-sized agricultural businesses, 1.5 million smallholder farmers and nearly 60,000 private sector jobs. The fund aims to spur hundreds of millions more dollars in commercial financing by reducing the risk of investing.

Persons: Mor Kabe, Zohra, Samantha Power, Power, Daphne Psaledakis, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, of International, General Assembly, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Notto, Diama, Thies, Senegal, United States, Norway, Africa, Norwegian, Russia, China, Europe, West Africa

Spanish farmer Miguel Moreno was an early adopter of so-called cover crops. Spain's drought-hit olive oil production slumped to 663,000 tonnes last year, less than half the average of 1.45 million tons recorded in the previous four harvests, according to the government. In January, it began subsidising farmers who use cover crops as part of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). She said the company was pushed both by customers such as Walmart in the U.S. and by regulation to buy olive oil from producers using sustainable practices. Ecology professor Manzaneda is also coordinator of EU-funded project SOIL O-LIVE and is testing methods for coaxing Albacete's degraded earth back to health.

Persons: Chiclana de Segura, Jon Nazca, Andrea Ronca, Miguel Moreno, Angel, Dcoop, Gonzalo Delacamara, Emilio Gonzalez, Antonio Manzaneda, Manzaneda, Olive, Syngenta, Luis Miranda, Domingo, Marco Trevisan, Dean, Simone Rech, Catalonia's Cava, Sebastiano Conti, Charlie Devereux, Antonella, Corina Pons, Keith Weir, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Southern, VILLANUEVA DEL ARZOBISPO, Farmers, European Union, of Nutrition, Plant Science, IE, Water, University of Cordoba, University of Jaen, European, Walmart, Swiss, Syngenta, EU, TECH, Smart, Milan Polytechnic, University of Brescia, of Agricultural Sciences, Catholic University of Piacenza, Thomson Locations: Olive, Chiclana, Jaen, Spain, ROME, Italy, Madrid, European, France, Germany, Mantua, Andalusia, European Union, U.S, ITALY, Treviso, Venice, Sicily

☆ If a single farm produced all the food wasted in the US, it would be the size of California and New York combined. We're the culprits.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The land used to produce food that's wasted in the US totals the size of California and New York. If all that food came from a single farm, it would be about the size of California and New York combined. Some states don't allow food to be donated after the quality date has passed — another source of unnecessary food waste, advocates say. Thinking about food waste at every mealMelgar is focused on policy goals like setting standards around food-date labels because changing consumer habits can be tough. "I'm thinking about food waste every time I have a meal, every time I go grocery shopping," Melgar said.

Persons: Danielle Melgar, aren't, Melgar, Danielle, It's, Dana Gunders, Emily Broad Leib, Broad Leib, there's, Gunders, —, it's, she'd, who's Organizations: Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Food Law, Clinic, Harvard Law School, US Department of Agriculture Locations: California, New York, Wall, Silicon, Michigan, San Francisco

☆ Russia sticks to demands on Black Sea grain deal, rejects UN bank proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FILE PHOTO-Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov speaks during the annual end-of-year news conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia December 19, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 9 (Reuters) - Russia said on Saturday it was sticking to its conditions for a return to the Black Sea grain deal which it quit in July. In particular, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia needed its state agricultural bank - and not a subsidiary of the bank, as proposed by the United Nations - to be reconnected to the international SWIFT bank payments system. The Black Sea deal was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022 to enable Ukraine to export grain by sea despite the war and help ease a global food crisis. Since quitting the grain deal, Russia has repeatedly bombed Ukrainian ports and grain stores, prompting Kyiv and the West to accuse it of using food as a weapon.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Nikolsky, Peskov, Tayyip Erdogan, SWIFT, Mark Trevelyan, Ros Russell Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Kremlin, United Nations, SWIFT, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Turkey, Ukraine, Africa, Europe, SWIFT, Luxembourg

☆ Russia faces domestic fuel crunch, braces for more shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Traders said that the fuel market has been hit by a combination of different factors including maintenance at oil refineries, infrastructure bottlenecks on railways and the weaker rouble which incentivises fuel exports. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday that there were no fuel shortages. FUEL CRUNCHTraders said the shortages on the retail market followed by a sharp rise of wholesales prices. The state caps the retail prices, ordering the sellers to raise prices of gasoline and diesel only in line with official inflation. For the past two months commodity exchange diesel prices jumped on average by more than a quarter to 67,000 roubles ($700) per ton.

Persons: Alexander Natruskin, Alexander Novak, Andrei Neduzhko, Vladimir Soldatkin, Guy Faulconbridge, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Traders, Kremlin, CRUNCH Traders, Industry, Wholesale, Russian Railways, Thomson Locations: Moscow, MOSCOW, Russia, Russia's, Krasnodar region, Adygea, Astrakhan, Samara, Russian, Rostov, Krasnodar, Stavropol

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