Page 343 of articles about markets-economics

The EU remains the leading trader in the world. In terms of imports it far exceeds its nearest rival, the US and is also the world’s leading exporter since 2003. In 2006 the EU had turned into a small net exporter of agricultural products. However this proved short-lived (see MAP brief June 2008), with the EU once again showing a deficit in its agricultural trade balance for 2007 and the trend has continued in 2008. This MAP examines what lies behind the evolution in the trade balance.

Russian meat production including by-products of the first grade grew by 9.8% to 1.5m tons in he first half of 2009, if compared with the same period last year, Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) reports.

Pork has been many Koreans' favorite source of protein for many years but its consumption has declined sharply over the past few months since the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza A.

European farmers and agri-cooperatives have estimated the 2009 cereals harvest in the EU-27 at 309.4 million tonnes.

While May was expected to be the month in which U.S. pork exports were most affected by A-H1N1 influenza, the impact has not been as negative as some analysts had predicted, according to an analysis of USDA statistics by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Canada's federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Agriculture held their annual meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake this week to discuss issues affecting the sector and their ongoing support for farmers and the agricultural and agri-food sector across the country.

Thailand’s Department of Internal Trade (DIT) at the Commerce Ministry has revealed a new formula to calculate pork prices locally after mounting complaints from consumers on high prices. Under the new method, wholesale pork price is set at a farm-gate price plus 10% while the retail price is the wholesale rate plus 7%.

USDA Price forecasts for 2009 are lowered for cattle and hogs. The hog price forecast is also lowered for 2010.

United States trade officials have gained substantial ground in recent days to reduce the number of states suspended from exporting pork to Russia due to A-H1N1 influenza. But even when the influenza-related suspensions are fully removed, the U.S. must still resolve the issue of having more than 30 pork plants delisted by Russia for other reasons – a problem that has severely limited the flow of exports over the past several months.

The Harper Government is investing $20 million to build a vital link in the traceability chain that tracks Canadian livestock from the grocery store back to the original farm gate.

According to figures published by Estacom, between January and April 2009, the Spanish exports of meat and meat products increased by 2.4%, reaching a total value of 916.53 million euros. The sector shows a positive balance of trade of 526 million euros with a coverage rate of 235%. Despite this increase the only positive movement during these three months was for pig meat which increased by 13.6% up to 509.7 million euros and for the sale of meat based products.