Cotton was 2017’s star crop; funds bullish in 2018
THE longest winning streak in two decades propelled cotton to 2017’s biggest increase among crop commodities, and hedge funds are ready for more gains...
Americans to eat record amount in 2018
FOR ALL THE BUZZ about pea protein and lab-grown burgers, Americans are set to eat more meat in 2018 than ever before.
To be precise,...
Fukushima looks to top-tier sake to beat stigma, lift economy
IN AN AREA OF JAPAN still decimated by a nuclear disaster, sake is giving cause for hope.
For the past five years, the sake brewers...
Food security deteriorating in conflict-hit Mideast, Africa — UN
FOOD SECURITY in the Middle East and North Africa “is fast deteriorating” because of conflicts in countries from Syria to Yemen, the United Nation’s...
End of 47-year Japan rice program signals ramen wheat boost
THE END of Japan’s four decades of rice market control could be good news for noodle lovers.
That’s because rice farmers may plant alternative crops...
Florida orange industry hit by hurricane, disease
HIT by Hurricane Irma and a citrus ailment known as “Yellow Dragon Disease,” Florida orange growers are bracing for potentially the worst harvest in...
Russia eyes Saudi wheat market dominated by European suppliers
MOSCOW is lobbying Saudi Arabia to open its rapidly growing market to Russian wheat, giving it another destination to offload a record harvest and...
‘Chocolate capital’ title for Davao City pushed in Senate
DAVAO CITY — The Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao (CIDAMI) has asked Senator Cynthia A. Villar, who chairs the Senate committee on agriculture...
Hurricanes, heat waves, fires ravaged planet this year
FIERCE HURRICANES, heat waves, floods and wildfires ravaged the planet in 2017, as scientists said the role of climate change in causing or worsening...
Belgian company in talks to buy US fruit giant Dole
BELGIAN FRUIT and vegetable company Greenyard said Tuesday it was in advanced negotiations to buy US giant Dole, one of the world’s leading producers...
California may usurp Florida as US orange king
IT’S BEEN A miserable few years for Florida’s orange crop. And now to add insult to injury, California is gearing up to steal the...
Villar urges more extensive coconut-cacao intercropping
DAVAO CITY — The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and cacao industry stakeholders should strengthen links to maximize the potential of existing coconut farms for...