EU-Colombia trade agreement signed.

EU-COLOMBIA AGREEMENT SIGNED

With 503 millions inhabitants, Europe can count on almost three times more consumers than nations like Mexico or Russia.

The European GDP per capita is of 34.000 dollars, it’s 4 times higher than the Colombian one.

Overall, Europe is the biggest importer in the world. Thanks to the trade agreement that will be effective in short times between the EU and Colombia, the products of the latter Country will be able to enter the big European market at lower rates.

Once the agreemend will be in effect, customs on fresh fruit imports will go from 8.8% to zero. Last year, Europe imported 262.6 millions of dollars of fresh fruit, 39.7 of which concerned imports coming from Colombia.

This new agreement will prove to be an excellent opportunity.

Source: Freshplaza

Bananas could take the place of potatoes in some developing countries

Bananas could replace potatoes in warming world.

Bananas could take the place of potatoes in some developing countries

Climate change could lead to crops from the banana family becoming a critical food source for millions of people, a new report says.

Researchers from the CGIAR agricultural partnership say the fruit might replace potatoes in some developing countries.

Cassava and the little-known cowpea plant could be much more important food crops as temperatures rise.

People will have to adapt to new and varied menus as traditional crops struggle, say the authors.

 “Start Quote

When the farmers see the problems they are having with production, they really are willing to shift”

Bruce Campbell CCAFS

Responding to a request from the United Nations' committee on world food security, a group of experts in the field looked at the projected effects of climate change on 22 of the world's most important agricultural commodities.

Blooming bananas

They predict that the world's three biggest crops in terms of calories provided - maize, rice and wheat - will decrease in many developing countries.

They suggest that the potato, which grows best in cooler climates, could also suffer as temperatures increase and weather becomes more volatile.

The authors argue that these changes "could provide an opening for cultivating certain varieties of bananas" at higher altitudes, even in those places that currently grow potatoes.

Dr Philip Thornton is one of those behind the report. He told BBC News that while bananas and plantains also have limiting factors, they may be a good substitute for potatoes in certain locations.

"It's not necessarily a silver bullet, but there may be places where as temperatures increase, bananas might be one option that small-holders could start to look at."

The report describes wheat as the world's most important plant-derived protein and calorie source.

But according to this research, wheat will face a difficult future in the developing world, where higher prices for cotton, maize and soybeans have pushed wheat to marginal land, making it more vulnerable to stresses induced by climate change.

One substitute, especially in South Asia, could be cassava - which is known to be tolerant to a range of climate stresses.

But how easy will it be to get people to adjust to new crops and new diets?

Bruce Campbell is programme director of the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security research group (CCAFS) which co-ordinates work among leading institutions around the world. He told BBC News that the types of changes that will happen in the future have already happened in the past.

Protein under pressure

"Two decades ago there was almost no rice consumption in certain areas of Africa, now there is. People have changed because of the pricing: it's easier to get, it's easier to cook. I think those sort of shifts do occur and I think they will in future."

About bananas

• There are hundreds of types of banana plants but not all actually produce fruit
• They grow on plants that are giant herbs and are part of the Musaceae family
• Plantains are starchy like a potato, not sweet like a regular banana
• Organised banana plantations have been traced back to China in 200 AD
• Alexander the Great brought them back from India after his conquest in 327 BC
• Over the centuries they have been called banna, ghana and funana

Source: Dole

One of the big concerns among researchers is how to tackle the need for protein in the diet. Soybeans are one of the most common sources but are very susceptible to temperature changes.

The scientists say that the cowpea, which is known in sub-Saharan Africa as the "poor man's meat" is drought-tolerant and prefers warmer weather and could be a reasonable alternative to soya. The vines of the cowpea can also be used as a feed for livestock.

In some countries, including Nigeria and Niger, farmers have already moved away from cotton production to growing cowpeas.

There are also likely to be developments in animal protein sources says the report, including a shift to smaller livestock.

"This is an example of something that's happening already," said Dr Campbell. "There's been quite a shift from cattle keeping to goat keeping in southern Africa in face of droughts - when the farmers see the problems they are having with production, they really are willing to shift.

"Change is really possible. It's not just a crazy notion."

Source: Matt McGrath Science reporter, BBC World Service

Ecuador to set new price for bananas next year.

Five representatives of the Ecuadorian banana producers and an equal number for the exporters will meet in Machala, El Oro province, Ecuador, in the next few days to set next year's price for a box of the fruit.

Rafael Correa's government, through the minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Javier Ponce, should issue a statement about the meeting's final decision.

Julio Cruz and William Ramón, for Guayas; Wilfrido Macías for Los Ríos and Noemí Capa, along with Giovanny Coronel, for El Oro, will debate the proposals to be presented to the vice minister Luis Valverde, representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries, to hear any alternatives.

Raúl Lara Carrión, president of El Oro's Chamber of Banana Producers, subsidiary of the National Federation of Chambers, formed by Guayas, Los Ríos and Cañar, said that a statement concerning the new price is being prepared by a special commission led by the head of the Agronomists Association, Kléber Navarro.

The official price this year is set at 5.50 dollars. Producers are aiming for an increase, but until the Machala meeting takes place no details regarding the decision will be announced.

There are high expectations for a new price, according to the Chamber of Producers, because it has remained stable for four years and small and medium growers are eager for changes to be made in this regard.

It was made clear that any proposal to be brought to Machala by the producing provinces will have to include improvements for the sector. Other associations aspiring for beneficial agreements at the meeting are keeping up to date with the news.

Source: Diariopinion.com
www.freshplaza.com

Publication date: 10/30/2012

MSC increase his rates of 1500$ for 2013.

MSC MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING COMPANY - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GENERAL RATE INCREAS

Current levels of Reefer Rates are inadequate to offset the very high and increasing operating costs being incurred and increases to Reefer rates in all trades will be necessary in order to provide sustainable levels of income in the future.
In view of the need to safeguard further investment in this important sector and to continue to provide a high standard of service to the Reefer Trade, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. will be applying increases of USD 1500 per container (20ft & 40ft) to all current reefer rates worldwide with effect from the 1st of January 2013.

source: MSC Press Release

Is there more space for Brazilian fruits in Europe?

The European Union is the world’s largest fruit importer. In 2011, the EU spent 7.7 billion Euro on the purchase of 19 main fruits obtained from outside the economic union, according to the data from the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat).
Market analysts from the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics (Cepea/Esalq-USP) calculated that, of this amount, Brazil received only 6.07%, equivalent to 468.9 million Euros (CIF - value at destination ports). That total is far less than that earned by countries such as Costa Rica, South Africa, Ecuador and Colombia, which are the biggest trade partners of the EU for the 19 fruits considered.
Data processing and analysis done by Mayra Monteiro Viana, Letícia Julião, Aline Soares and Guilherme dos Santos, from Hortifruti Brasil team/Cepea, shows that due to the economic crisis, the EU spent less in 2011 than in 2008 with the import of the fruits analyzed. European production also declined in recent years, indicating that European consumption of these products has reduced since the beginning of the economic crisis. However, the evaluation of Hortifruti Brasil/Cepea analysts indicates that the inherent health appeal of fruits maintains a positive scenario for countries that exports fruits to the EU, such as Brazil.
Aware of these opportunities for growers and traders, analysts of Hortifruti Brasil evaluated the performance and potential of 11 major fruits in Brazilian exports (grape, melon, mango, apple, banana, tahiti lime, papaya, watermelon, orange, fig and avocado) for the European Union. Together, these 11 products accounted for no less than 99% of the total value obtained by Brazil with fruit exports last year, according to data from the Brazilian Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex).
For this analysis, the team regrouped data provided by the Export Helpdesk, concerning imports of the European Union, in three study periods: 2003-05, 2006-08 and 2009-11. The fruits were also classified as off-season, tropical and exotic (from the European point of view). The principal factor of analysis was the gain or loss of Brazilian participation in the EU imports of each fruit compared to other relevant suppliers. The complete analysis is available in the October/2012 issue of the Hortifruti Brasil magazine: http://cepea.esalq.usp.br/hfbrasil/
Below the subtitles of the analysis:
Off-season fruits
- European market continues receptive to Brazilian melons
- Despite the high production, Brazilian exports of fresh oranges are not expressive
- Increases the European import of watermelon and Brazil can gain market
- Brazil loses position in European imports of grape
- Opportunities with the export of Brazilian apples depend on the supply of the UE
Tropical Fruits
- Increases demand for avocados and Brazil has the potential to benefit from this market
- Brazil is the largest exporter of mangoes to the EU but sustain participation is a challenge
- Banana is the most imported tropical fruit by Europe, but Brazil has not gained importance
Exotic Fruits
- Brazil is the second largest fig provider for EU
-  Tahiti lime: still exotic, but in search of consolidation
- There is potential, but exports of papaya lost space
Publication date: 10/26/2012
Source: freshplaza.com

China acogerá foro ministerial de Agricultura con A.Latina y Caribe en junio

Pekín, 20 oct (EFE).- Ministros de Agricultura de China y de países de América Latina y el Caribe se reunirán el próximo junio en el país asiático para participar en un foro de cooperación que tiene como objetivo asentar proyectos en conjunto en esta área, adelantó hoy el viceministro chino de esta cartera, Niu Dun.

Niu hizo este anuncio durante el "Diálogo de Embajadores sobre la Cooperación en Agricultura China-América Latina", celebrado este sábado en los alrededores de la Granja de Demostración China-Chile, ubicada en la ciudad de Tianjin (noreste), antesala al encuentro que se celebrará a nivel ministerial en 2013.

En esta reunión de embajadores, promovida por el Ministerio de Agricultura chino y la Embajada de Chile en Pekín, Niu puso fecha a una de las iniciativas que el primer ministro chino, Wen Jiabao, propuso en su viaje a Latinoamérica en junio.

Se espera que en el citado encuentro, adelantó Wen en su viaje y hoy repitió el viceministro chino, se acuerden objetivos comunes cómo conseguir que el comercio agrícola supere los 40.000 millones de dólares en los próximos cinco años, de los actuales 18.000.

Además, China también trasladó su intención de crear un fondo de emergencia alimentaria de 500.000 toneladas de alimentos, de los que la potencia asiática aportará 250.000, anunció hoy el viceministro Niu.

"Desde China pensamos que, en el mundo, las crisis de seguridad alimentaria son un gran problema y representan un desafío para nuestro país y también para Latinoamérica", explicó a Efe posteriormente Niu, quien también apuntó como otros temas relevantes el "cambio climático" y la inversión en "biomasa".

El foro ministerial también debatirá la creación de entre 5 y 8 centros de investigación agrícola, el intercambio de hasta 500 expertos, y otros proyectos de inversión en tecnología e innovación en este área.

A modo de antesala del debate, que se producirá el año que viene entre los ministros de cada país, hoy los embajadores latinoamericanos y del Caribe mantuvieron un diálogo en el que expusieron sus propuestas, pero también sus diferencias sobre el futuro encuentro ministerial.

Tras evidenciar su contento porque China lleve "el diálogo a la práctica", el embajador de Chile, Luis Schmidt, el primero en intervenir como coimpulsor del encuentro, incidió en la importancia de la volatibilidad de los precios y de apoyar iniciativas para reducir las barreras a la importación.

"En el sector agrícola no se puede permitir que los precios de los alimentos se vayan a las nubes o se distorsionen como ocurre actualmente por proteger barreras arancelarias y países en particular", explicó Schmidt en declaraciones a Efe.

El punto de inflexión del encuentro corrió a cargo del embajador de Brasil en Pekín, Clodoaldo Hugueney, representante de un país potente productor de productos agrícolas, quien alertó de que se estaba "corriendo demasiado".

"Sería interesante que el proceso que se adopte no sea empezar a formalizar propuestas una tras otra, sino proponer a cada paso nuevas ideas y nuevas cuestiones. El foro puede ser un instrumento de gran importancia, pero ya se está buscando definir no sólo la fecha, el local, sino también el temario y los resultados finales. Creo que es un poco prematuro", indicó.

Y lanzó una pregunta a los presentes: "¿Por qué no hacer el encuentro, por ejemplo, en América Latina?". source: EFE
image: http://www.theglobalist.com

Pay attention to Latin America's Ambitions

PAY ATTENTION TO LATIN AMERICA’S AMBITIONS

Latin America is becoming the leading geographic area among the international fruit and vegetables growers; Mediterranean producers should pay attention to what’s going on in that area. To the extraordinary Central America’s little Countries that already have a leadership in the international export of bananas (the world’s most eaten fruit) and pineapples (the fruit that increased the most in consumption in Italy and Spain), we must also take in consideration the ambitions of big Countries like Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru and Colombia. Among the BRIC Countries, Brazil has the prerequisites for becoming the first agricultural power in the world.

It is true that after several years of strong growth, in the last quarters Brazil is going through a less favourable period. As for today, the “Brazilian Miracle” is part of the non-flattering situation of the credit blast as economic engine. Unlike China, who set its target on exports, Brazil has bet on families’ consumption. However, nowadays this model is showing all its limits and risks with a booming of non-paid refunds of loans. The national consumption no longer appears to be able to sustain the growth.
If the real Latin American giant slows down (but be careful, its agriculture has exceptional potentials), Peru’s fruit and vegetables exports are constantly increasing. According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETEUR), we can observe an annual growth of 27%; Between the year 2000 and 2011 fruit and vegetables exportations registered a rise in value from 101 millions to about 1 billion dollars, with a wide diversification of supply.
Minister José Luis Silva thinks that if exports will continue on this path, then Peru could become the leading fruit and vegetables exporter. Peru’s agricultural exports this year should grow remarkably, hitting +15%; they benefit firstly from the free trade agreements the Country has made with China, Japan and the United States but also from favourable prices for products such as asparagus, mangoes and grapes. United States are the main market where Peru delivers its products, absorbing 23% of the total exports of fruit and vegetables; other export destinations include The Netherlands (13%), Colombia (7%), Germany (6%), Spain (6%) and Ecuador (5%). Last year, this Southern American Country exported 842 millions tons of  fruit and vegetables, for a value of 1.1 billions of dollars. The most exported products were, in valuable order: grapes (299 millions of dollars), asparagus (289 millions of dollars), avocadoes (164 millions of dollars), mangoes (117 millions of dollars), bananas (69 millions of dollars) and lemons (66 millions of dollars). We mustn’t forget that Peru is the leading exporter of asparagus, the second most important exporter of avocadoes and it ranks third in organic bananas exports. The surfaces dedicated to the various crops are growing. As for grapes, the website Agraria.pe says that the Country’s cropped areas have increased by 20% in recebt years, reaching 12,000 hectares. The Red Globe variety represents 60% of the exported grapes. Juan Carlos Brignardello, Managing Director of Viticola SA, hopes to increase the exports towards Asia, particularly China, and Europe, particularly Germany.
It’s no accident that Peru will be the partner country of Fruit Logistica 2013, taking place next year on 6-8 February in Berlin. Christian Göke, Manager of Messe Berlin, says: “I’m happy that Peru will be there with its variety of high quality fruit and vegetables, enjoying more and more international fame. Fruit Logistica is the most suitable place to increase fresh producte exports, since it’s here that all the players of the fruit and vegetables international sector gather”.
We have described Peru’s situation to better explain why Mediterranean growers must pay attention to the productive and commercial evolution of Latin America. The productive system of today is so flexible, to the point that it can overcome the seasonal production barrier: in practical terms, this means that the two hemispheres’ production could more and more overlap instead of being distinct. Seasons are more and more changeable because of the most various elements: early and late varieties are used by growers to open the path to new markets, growing systems are more and more sophisticated; in many Countries, there’s the possibility to grow in different productive areas for climate, altitude etc.
Expectations for an entirely globalized market seems thus to be more and more closer and real. Today’s Latin America appears to be more efficient and commercially aggressive than China itself.

Antonio Felice
Green Med Journal managing director
article: http://www.greenmed.eu 

image: http:www.wikipedia.org