Demand strong, but record-high costs hammer poultry producers

Demand strong, but record-high costs hammer poultry producers
Demand for poultry products remains strong, but high production costs continue to put a strain on producers' pocketbooks. John Anderson, agricultural economist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said production costs have soared to historic levels because of high feed prices and climbing diesel fuel prices. "The biggest factor facing poultry and other livestock industries is record-high feed prices. We have never been in a feed-price situation as difficult as this," Anderson said.

Conservation Tillage Systems in a Changing World

Conservation Tillage Systems in a Changing World
July 29-31, 2008
Tifton, Georgia
The 30th Southern Conservation Agricultural Systems Conference and the 8th Annual Conservation Production Systems Training Conference are being combined this year to bring together producers, extension and NRCS personnel from Georgia and the Southeast in a three-day meeting. The theme of the 2008 combined conference will be Conservation Tillage Systems in a Changing World. The conference will provide practical information on precision agriculture technologies and information on new and developing technologies.

Food Summit to Convene

Food Summit to Convene
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is convening a High-Level Conference on World Food Security June 3-5 in Rome. The objective of this conference is to assist countries and the international community in finding sustainable solutions by identifying the policies, strategies and programs required to safeguard world food security. Heads of State and Government and ministers will discuss the current global food situation with soaring food prices, how climate change affects agriculture, and how agriculture can contribute to reduce climate change.

Livestock dominates agric sector

SEROWE - Livestock production is reported to be dominating the agricultural sector though pastoral farming was in the past bedeviled by frequent droughts and diseases.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), Dr Motshudi Raborokgwe, said the livestock sub-sector contributed about 80 per cent of the agriculture’s share of Gross Domestic Product.

He said at the Sandveld Ranchers Association farmers’ field day at Xarojena ranch over the weekend that Botswana was likely to remain heavily dependent on livestock production as a source of food, income, employment and as an investment opportunity.

He mentioned the beef sector’s strong linkages with the BMC, which is entrusted with export monopoly, adding the commission was faced with challenges that include the outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD), the European Union requirements (EU) on beef sale, the age of the plant and low throughput.

BMC has the capacity to slaughter 1 200 cattle a day but he said it only managed 650, which is 54 per cent capacity utilisation, with the same cost of slaughtering 1 200 cattle. He blamed the situation on some factors, erratic arrival of cattle.

Another challenge, according to Dr Raborokgwe, was that of low weights.

“Animals are received in very poor conditions and our markets prefer cuts from animals that weigh more than 200kg,” he said.

He however said the national herd was valued at more than P2 billion. Though BMC is a business competing internationally, it is unable to recruit the best personnel in the market because of salary constraints.

“We are not able to compete with the mines and the private sector in Botswana because BMC pays government salaries leading to accountants, engineers and computer specialists departing for the mines,” he said. “We have to be prepared for competition and move from a protected industry to open competition.”

Dr Raborokgwe said citing other obstacles outside the BMC such as low productivity of the national herd, difficulties for farmers to get permits to sell to the commission and rampant FMD outbreaks. He complained about poor physical infrastructure that supports the beef industry.

“The capital costs to start livestock farming are very high, especially when utilities like water, telecommunication and electricity are not supplied,” he added.

Dr Raborokgwe termed selling to the BMC a hassle because a farmer has to coordinate transport, go through the veterinary officers and the police before accessing the commission.

“Consumers who buy our beef are worried about the welfare and environmental issues”, saying the commission has to meet their demands before they buy beef.

He however explained that the BMC had managed to increase cattle prices and had quota and duty free access to the EU market.

US offer to cap farm subsidies may not find favour with India (23 September 2007)

New Delhi: The latest US offer to cap its trade distorting farm subsidies between 13-16.4 billion dollar a year is not likely to find favour with India, which feels "it is the first phase of a drawn-out battle" between rich and poor countries in the Doha Round of talks.

"The US has not offered much and there is still a long way to go," a senior official associated with the current round of trade talks in Geneva said here.

The American negotiators offered to accept a limit of 16.4 billion dollars a year on trade distorting subsidies in talks on agriculture, which began from September 3 and have been adjourned till end of first week of October.

Earlier, the US had maintained an adamant stand on retaining the subsidy limit below 22.5 billion dollars per year.

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The fresh round of talks began after the WTO came out with separate drafts on agriculture and industrial products. The proposals on agriculture, considered to be a compromise formula, were mooted by New Zealand Ambassador Crawford Falconer.

India had described these proposals as good basis for negotiations. However, the latest US proposal is believed to have not gone well with the Indian negotiators who find that the cap on subsidies by the US does not cover many items.
Officials said the Chair on agricultural negotiations is expected to refine his first draft around October 8.

Significantly Brazil, a key member of G-20 grouping along with India, has welcomed the fresh US offers on agriculture.

"It is a good step forward," Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim stated on September 21.
US President George Bush is likely to meet Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in New York next week. The two leaders are expected to discuss the progress of the global trade talks and the role of the US, EU, Brazil and India.

With the US making forward movement in agriculture, it along with the EU, expects the developing countries to make concessions in opening the market for industrial goods under the Non-Agricultural Market Access.

They want India and other developing nations to reduce the import tariff on industrial goods to a level between 19 and 23 per cent. However, India is not likely to oblige them to that extent, till the developed countries open their cards in regard to farm subsidies.