Month: April 2020

According to Reuters, Egyptian authorities are discussing the possibility of changing the terms of international tenders for the purchase of wheat. Suppliers will have to offer prices not on the basis of FOB, as it is now (and a separate tender for freight rates), but immediately on the basis of C & F, ProAgro Group reports with reference to agrotimes.ua.

 

 

The state agency GASC is also considering the possibility of paying for grain at the next international tender with letters of credit with immediate payment upon presentation of the relevant documents for shipment instead of the deferred payments currently in force.

 

 

It is anticipated that payment of letters of credit should be made through Islamic Trade Finance Corporation.

 

 

In addition, GASC, for the purpose of control, will invite suppliers to disclose price estimates by providing data on FOB prices and sea freight rates.

 

 

Last week, the GASC announced a tender for the purchase of wheat and immediately canceled it because of the disagreement of the participants with the new tough conditions.

Ukraine increased its exports of chicken to the EU countries to 9.7 thousand tons, which is 18.7% more than in the same month last year.

 

However, Ukraine has reduced its imports of poultry meat from the EU by more than a quarter. It is worth noting that Ukraine retained third place among the top chicken exporters in the EU, second to Thailand – 26.4 thousand tons and Brazil – 27.4 thousand tons. At the same time, Ukraine reduced poultry meat imports from the EU by 26.3% in January to 11.8 thousand tons. Ukraine is also the third largest importer of European chicken, behind Ghana at 16.5 thousand tonnes and the Philippines at 21.4 thousand tonnes.

Deliveries of sunflower oil in March 2020 decreased by 14% to 490 thousand tons compared to 570 thousand tons in March last year.

 

 

This was reported by analysts at Barva Invest, writes Refinitiv Agriculture on Telegram.

 

 

Since the beginning of 2019/20 MY, the export of sunflower oil from Ukraine has decreased by 2.15%.

 

 

According to the data of Barva Invest, the export deliveries of sunflower oil from Ukraine through seaports for the period September 2019-March 2020 amounted to 3.19 million tons compared to 3.26 million tons for the same period last year.

 

Recall that over 2 months of 2020, Ukraine produced 1.1 million tons of unrefined sunflower oil, which is 15.7% higher than the same period in 2019.

In March, the export of Ukrainian honey increased to 6.9 thousand tons, which means + 43% to the volume of the previous month, as well as + 18% to March 2019.

 

 

This was shared by Anna Burka, a consultant to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on her Facebook page.

 

 

“The total export volumes for the first quarter of 2020 amounted to 14.9 thousand tons (with a total value of $ 24.5 million), exceeding the indicators of the same period in 2019 and 2018 by 16% and 47%, respectively,” the expert said.

 

 

The main importers of Ukrainian honey in January – March were Germany (22%), Belgium (18%) and Poland (17%).

 

 

Anna Burka emphasized that at the same time, prices for Ukrainian honey on the foreign market are not encouraging.

 

 

“In March, the average price of export contracts remained virtually unchanged compared to February and amounted to $ 1.62 / kg. (- 12% against March 2019 and – 27% against the same month of 2018), ”she summed up.

On March 24, 2020, the Turkish Ministry of Trade issued a communiqué No. 31078, which establishes supervision of the import of certain agricultural and food products through the exporter registration system.

 

 

This requirement will apply to foreign exports of nuts (almonds, walnuts and cashews), peanuts, sunflower seeds, sunflower oil and other related products, tea, some types of peppers, bananas, garlic and a number of other products, EastFruit reports with reference to USDA data .

 

 

The Ministry of Commerce of Turkey requires registration of each batch of these goods in the monitoring center. Importers are also required to attach certificates of authenticity to the exporters with whom they do business.

 

 

Certification involves verification through the local chamber of commerce and the consulate of Turkey in the country of the exporter, and subsequent registration through the online system, adding the names of their Turkish business partners. Detailed instructions on the link.

 

 

The purpose of this innovation is to obtain more accurate information on the prices of certain goods and to combat the illegal trade in these goods. Although these requirements will officially enter into force on May 8, 2020, many importers are already asking their exporting partners to fill out the necessary documents in order to avoid cargo delays on the Turkish border.

In Ukraine, as in the world, there is no sphere left that the coronavirus pandemic has not touched. The agricultural industry is no exception.

 

 

This opinion was expressed by the chairman of the OS “Agrarian Union of Ukraine” Gennady Novikov.

 

 

He noted that quarantine and the spread of the disease revealed weaknesses in the system of government, the economy, business, and the social sphere. However, the situation carries not only an inevitable crisis, but also a number of opportunities.

 

 

“Now more than ever, it is a good opportunity for every business owner and manager to analyze the mistakes made and weaknesses. Stressful situations make the brain work faster, and any restrictions make people more flexible and inventive. So why not take advantage of this? ” – explains the expert.

 

 

According to Gennady Novikov, if we consider the problem on a large scale, then from an economic point of view, the negative impact on agribusiness is now almost the smallest, because enterprises that produce or sell food products are one of the few that continue to operate normally.

 

 

“There were tangible difficulties with the marketing of products except for fruit and vegetable producers during the closing period of food and wholesale markets. On the other hand, competition has declined (including due to import complications), and prices for these products have increased, and the farmers themselves have begun to think about cooperation, in particular with regard to logistics, ”he adds.

 

 

The expert emphasized that some manufacturers switched to online sales and began to sell their products through pages on social networks, announcement services, etc., and this implies the organization of their own delivery.

 

 

“I think this will not have a significant impact on last year’s harvest, however, this trend has a chance to strengthen in the new season, especially since the intermediary link has dropped out of the producer-consumer chain,” he explains.

 

 

Novikov notes that the sowing issue during quarantine worries everyone.

 

 

“Here problems arise in those farms that did not stockpile fertilizers, seeds, plant protection products or did not prepare equipment for field work, because now there are problems with supplies. And yet, most farmers have long made it a rule to prepare for the spring sowing in the fall, and whoever is not used to such a work planning, I think, will think about it in the future, ”the expert notes.

 

 

According to his forecasts, the problem with the provision of agrochemicals may still arise later if the quarantine is extended or their supplies are not established.

 

 

“As for the sowing organization itself, it is also somewhat easier for the agricultural sector than for many other sectors, because most employees work in a field where the risk of infection is minimal,” he explains.One of the biggest problems during the quarantine period, according to Novikov, is the actual lack of funding. Today, the forward programs of the State Food and Grain Corporation (SFGCU) have stopped. They work de jure, however, the employees of the institution were transferred to remote work, while the procedure for signing documents was not changed. Doubtful feedback comes from farmers and the program “Affordable loans 5-7-9%.”

 

 

“It is difficult to overestimate the negative impact of the pandemic on the domestic economy as a whole and on the agribusiness in particular, however, I admit that after overcoming the crisis we are waiting for a new intensive round of development. I am convinced that many farmers will think about cooperation, and not only with regard to logistics, but also storage and marketing. Many processes that have now been transferred to online will remain there, and the business will become more flexible and more stress-resistant. All this, of course, in the event that it is now possible to draw the right conclusions, ”concluded Gennady Novikov.

According to a new report by Piplsay, a consumer research firm, nearly half of Americans (47%) plan to consume vegetable milk regularly. This percentage increases to 56% in the age groups of millennials and generation X, reports milkua.

 

 

For the report, Market Cube research surveyed 30,694 adults. Among the participants who tried vegetable milk, the majority tried almond milk (46%), fewer participants tried vegetable milk from coconut (12%), soy (9%), oats (5%), rice (4%) and cache (4%).

 

 

“More and more people today abandon the usual dairy products and switch to herbal alternatives,” the report said.

 

 

Of all the participants, they tried dairy products of plant origin in general, 46% tried milk, 14% tried butter, 12% tried yogurt and 10% or less tried ice cream, cheese and probiotic drinks.

 

 

More than a third of respondents said that they use vegetable milk to increase nutritional diversity. Others avoid allergens (23%) and antibiotics (15%), take care of animal welfare and the environment (13%), and simply don’t like the taste of animal milk (10%).

 

 

 

Source: TRIPOLI

Since the introduction of quarantine in Ukraine, the demand for chicken meat has grown by an average of 20% in the domestic market.

 

 

This was announced by the press service of MHP Agroholding in a comment by Latifundist.com.

 

 

MHP specified that to a greater extent demand has grown for packaged products.

 

 

“MHP is a stable and socially responsible producer who understands the need to provide Ukrainians with high-quality, affordable and safe food. MHP did not raise prices for its products, ”the agricultural holding noted.

 

 

They added to MHP that they will continue to provide Ukrainians with the necessary volumes of chicken meat in order to avoid panic and shortages in the domestic market. In addition, MHP exports products to more than 80 countries.

 

 

Recall that the agro-industrial holding MHP took custody of the Vinnitsa and Cherkasy regions and allocated UAH 15 and 14 million for the fight against coronavirus, respectively. MHP also transferred UAH 55 million to the national fund for countering coronavirus.

 

 

Source: LATIFUNDIST. COM

The platform includes a quarantined exporter action plan, Covid-19 business risk assessment, links to sources for entrepreneurs, information on virus prevention, government business support tools, and business education programs.

 

 

In addition to these support options, the platform also publishes news about Covid-19 counteraction worldwide. Thus, every entrepreneur will find important information for himself: cases, ideas, useful sources and support programs from the state, as well as be able to get professional advice on export services.

 

 

The platform also contains information from central executive authorities (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ministry of Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine, Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, Ministry of Health of Ukraine, etc.) and public information from organizations that promote business and trade in Ukraine.

 

 

“Given the spread of the coronavirus and the sensitivity of all circumstances, all exporters’ planned processes and actions require some changes, and the business environment needs to be up to the challenge and make appropriate adjustments to its own strategies and business plans. To do this, we have prepared tips for exporters to minimize the negative effects associated with the spread of the virus, “- said the Export Promotion Office.

It is predicted that the agricultural sector will suffer the least, among other sectors of the economy, and the nominal and real prices for products may, as never before, diverge.

 

 

It is reported by ProAgroGroup. According to Andrei Yarmak, an economist at the FAO Technical Cooperation Department, in a situation where everything is very uncertain, it is very difficult to predict. But the basic values, even if we have the worst situation since the Second World War, will remain unchanged – food is needed daily, unlike everything else. The agricultural sector, despite the difficulties, is in the best situation of all.