Wheat Declines on Pakistan Wheat Speculation as Country Lifts Export Ban

By Jae Hur
Wheat dropped for a second day in Chicago on speculation Pakistan may export the grain after a shipment ban was lifted and as a price advance to a four-month high attracted sellers. Corn and soybeans fell for the third day. >>> More

Clearing mango orchards for more profitable crops

Published on December 8, 2010 by admin   ·   No Comments
By Mohammad Hussain Khan
DECLINING profitability is forcing mango orchard owners in Sindh to shift to other crops that are of short duration and offer better returns. Cases of chopping mango trees are being reported from areas that are traditionally known for mango production. >>> More

A Study of Prioritisation of Information Related Needs of Farmers

Published on December 6, 2010 by admin   ·   No Comments
A Study of Prioritisation Plugging information gaps through ICTs
Sapna A Narula
Assistant Professor
TERI University,New Delhi, India
narulasapna@gmail.com
ICTs offer great potential for economic growth and social empowerment of farmers by linking agricultural supply chains to national and global markets. >>>> More

Agriculture teachers are in high demand

Chuck Miller didn’t let his students get by with just tossing out the phrase “hybrid vigor;” he challenged two of them to tell the class what it meant.>>>>More

Govt to face loss of $130/tonne on wheat export

* Delayed decision by ECC will cause further loss to national exchequer

By Razi Syed
KARACHI: The government will suffer a loss of $130 per metric tonne on wheat export as prices of the commodity in the international market are hovering around $275 to $290 per metric tonne. >>>> More

FAO Food Price Index Hits 28-Month High

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization revised upward its monthly food price index to a 28-month high due to higher global prices of cereals, sugar and vegetable oils. >>>> More

Tanzania plans better irrigation with ICTs

Joash Nyitambeis
Tanzania’s Ministry of Water and Irrigation has developed an ICT strategy, which includes using GIS, radio and cell phones, to deliver irrigation and water services. Joash Nyitambeis head of the ICT unit at the Ministry shares the national ICT plan. >>> More

Remote sensing and cell phone technology deliver water management information

 
Richard Soppe
Irrisat-SMS combines satellite data, information from local weather stations and feedback from farmers to deliver daily, detailed irrigation scheduling advice via SMS. >>>> More

Agriculture booms while oil traders suffer: Trading houses




To an outsider, the commodities market has just had a great year: higher prices for most raw materials, relatively low volatility and falling inventories. >>> More

India Likely To Allow More Sugar Exports If Output Over 24.5M Tons

Published on November 30, 2010 by admin   ·   No Comments
India is likely to allow more sugar exports if its output exceeds the government’s estimate of 24.5 million metric tons in the current marketing year, a senior food ministry official said.>>>> More

NA body asks minister to resolve PARC chairman issue with PM

Published on November 30, 2010 by admin   ·   No Comments  
By Ijaz Kakakhel
ISLAMABAD: Like its previous three meetings regarding seeking the status of PARC incumbent chairman Dr Zafar Altaf, whose tenure expired on August 11 this year — the NA committee on Food and Agriculture has once again asked the Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture to take up the said issue with the Prime Minister (PM).>>>> More

Agriculture income exempted but inputs taxed: RGST

IT is to some extent true that RGST is not a new tax rather a reformed form of General Sales Tax, which had already been in place for the last 20 years and the government is only trying to reform and extend its scope, but the positive aspect of these reforms still go wasted, as agri income will not come under tax net despite the claim of the government that all sectors, which were previously exempted from the GST, will now be included in the tax network.>>>> More

Cotton Has Biggest Weekly Drop Since 2009 on China’s `Tough Love’ Policy

Published on November 27, 2010 by admin   ·   No Comments
Cotton futures tumbled in New York, capping the biggest weekly drop since February 2009, as China broadened efforts to curb speculative trading in farm products and cool inflation. Orange juice also fell. >>>> more

Nine PhD scholarships within agriculture, innovation and development

Published on November 15, 2010 by admin   ·   No Comments
Agricultural Transformation by Innovation (AgTraIn) is a three-year world-class Joint Doctoral Programme offered by a consortium of six European partner institutions, which all have significant experience in research-based agricultural development.>>>>

Commodities Retreat On Worries Of China Rate Hike

Published on November 15, 2010 by admin   ·   No Comments
Commodities tumbled across the board, part of a wider market selloff as worries grow that China will take additional actions to slow its surging economy.
Data from China released Thursday showed inflation rising faster than anticipated, which could force China’s central bank to raise interest rates or take other steps to slow growth. Grains and metals had risen on the report Thursday but they backtracked Friday along with crude oil and equities markets. Cotton and sugar, which fell from multi-year highs earlier this week, saw additional declines.>>>

Bullish onion and red chilli markets

WHILE Sindh’s new crops of onion and red chilli have started arriving in local markets, their prices are not coming down.
The prices of vegetables including onions shot up after the floods, which damaged tens of thousands of acres under onion crop in the province. Meanwhile, red chilli crop also suffered huge loss in lower Sindh due to recent winter rains and shortage of water at the time of sowing. >>>>>>

World’s first robot milker unveiled

THE world’s first robotic rotary dairy which maximises milk production while minimising labour is to be unveiled in NSW.
The prototype is being hailed as revolutionising Australia’s dairy industry, with the potential to significantly increase productivity and change the lifestyle of farmers.>>>>> More

Shareholder demands to shape modern agriculture

By Laura MacInnis
(Reuters) – Increasing investor demand for agricultural land and the funneling of big money into farms is raising questions about whether small, family-sized operations can survive. >>>> More

Gold, Agriculture Are `Safest Long Positions

Precious metals and agricultural commodities may extend gains in the coming months as tight supplies and a declining dollar boost demand, according to Deutsche Bank AG. >>>>>> More

UN Concludes Workshop to Strengthen ICTD Education in the Asia-Pacific

 
UN Information Communication Technology Hub for Asia-Pacific looks to strengthen coverage of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) in Higher-Learning Institutions
Incheon, Republic of Korea (UN ESCAP Information Services) – Over seventy governments and higher-learning institution participants from the Asia-Pacific region concluded a curriculum enhancement workshop organized by the United Nations Information Communications Technology (ICT) capacity development hub. >>>>> More

USDA estimates to push up global cotton prices

By Seshadri Ramkumar
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday, November 9th projected lower global cotton production, consumption and ending stocks for 2010/11. The supply constraint was greeted by the market with a 500 point upward rally in the New York ICE Futures for December shipment. The New York ICE Futures settled at $1.512/pound with an increase of 5 cents since last settlement. >>>>> More

GRAINS-U.S. wheat drops on dollar, weather outlook

* Wheat falls to near one-week low on dollar, weather
* Soy down 0.4 pct, falls from 26-month peak
* Corn extends losses, down 0.7 pct to a two-week low
* EU wheat weaker, follows U.S. down
(Adds European session, updates prices, dateline pvs SINGAPORE)
By Michael Hogan
HAMBURG, Nov 10 (Reuters) – Chicago wheat futures slid almost one percent on Wednesday to a near one-week low as a firmer tone for the dollar and an outlook for rains in U.S. winter crop areas weighed on the market. >>>>> More

Wall Street bets on commodities trader

By Gregory Meyer in New York
George Soros and other Wall Street investors are backing a US commodity merchant that is clawing its way into the ranks of the industry’s top trading houses. >>>>>> More

Commodities Soar As Surging Demand Meets Dwindling Supplies

A broad array of commodities hit multiyear highs as producers of metals and agricultural goods are finding it increasingly more difficult to meet robust demand. >>>>> More

Soft Commodity Technicals by Reuters

Published on November 10, 2010 by admin   ·   No Comments  

WHEAT
SINGAPORE, Nov 10 (Reuters) – The CBOT wheat December contract is expected to retrace further to $6.90 per bushel as the sharp drop on Tuesday is likely to continue. >>>>>> More

Agricultural Futures Climb On USDA Report, Led By Soybeans, Cotton

U.S. soybean futures surged to a 26-month high Tuesday as federal forecasters cut estimates for this year’s harvest in a crop report that showed tightening supplies across agricultural commodities. >>>>>>> More

Gold hits record in rush to commodities

SOFTS HIT HIGHS
Raw sugar futures on ICE set a 30-year high on Tuesday while arabica coffee climbed to a 13-year peak. The sugar market has surged in recent months, with prices more than doubling since May, as expectations for a rise in output failed to materialize due to bad weather, sparking concern over low stocks.
March raw sugar futures on ICE rose to a peak of 32.68 cents a lb, a 30-year high for the benchmark front month, before easing back to 32.63 cents. >>>>>> More

Agriculture, farmland attracting “impact investors”

* Impact investing standards developed
* Africa a key area of investment interest
By Carey Gillam
BOSTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) – Investors eyeing  agriculture in Africa, Latin America and other global markets are increasingly merging their pursuit of profits with a philanthropic zeal that promoters say will pay benefits over the long term. >>>> More

Pro Farmer’s After the Close 11/8/10

Soybean futures favored a weaker tone today as traders evened positions ahead of tomorrow morning’s USDA reports. Soybeans closed 7 to 9 cents lower, with meal and soyoil seeing spillover support. Strength in the dollar also supplied pressure to the market, but gold posted a new all-time high today, giving the outside markets a mixed influence today. >>>>> More

Director Market Research-Financial Services

Chicago, IL (United States) – Permanent
Description
Overview:
The CME Market Research team provides insights into a variety of enterprise issues through a combination of large scale studies, utilizing research partnerships and analyzing internal customer intelligence. Market Research needs to become more integrated with strategic decision making across the organization. To accomplish this, we need a Director of Market Research to be fully dedicated and immersed in the business.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> More

Scenes from the Obama Visit: Agricultural Exposition

Jonathan Weisman, The Wall Street Journal’s White House reporter, is traveling with U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama during their three-day India visit. Here is his reporting from Mr. Obama’s visit on agricultural innovations in Mumbai. >>>>>> More

Suddenly, Corn Costs More. Why Not Corn Flakes?

 
The price paid to farmers for a bushel of corn averaged $4.78 in October, up from $3.61 in the same month last year.
For months, prices paid to farmers for corn, wheat and soybeans have been shooting up. But so far, grocery prices have held steady for consumers. >>>>>>>>>> More

Soft Commodity Technicals by Reuters

 
WHEAT
SINGAPORE, Nov 8 (Reuters) – A bullish target at $7.61-¼    for the CBOT wheat December contract has been established, as an upward wave “c” is progressing.  >>>>>>>>>>>> More

Increase in DAP prices

WITH the advent of the wheat sowing season, di-ammonium phosphate price has started rising. Over the last two weeks, its price jumped by around Rs700 per bag from Rs2,500 to Rs3,200.

Growers may have to take an estimated hit of Rs14 billion for 20 million bags on the DAP head alone.
Coupled with this burden is a steep rise of Rs5 per litres in diesel price. Diesel is used during November when wheat sowing starts. According to farmer bodies’ estimates, the consumption is around two billion litres.>>>>>> More

Wheat Advances as Dry Weather Threatens

 

Wheat Advances as Dry Weather Threatens U.S. Crop Development
Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) — Wheat futures advanced as dry weather in the growing regions of the U.S. threatened crop development in the world’s largest exporter. more >>>>>>>>>>>

Need to examine causes of mango death syndrome highlighted

Pakistan, Oman, Brazil and South Africa are facing similar problem of severe crop losses due to mango sudden death syndrome disease which needs collective and constant efforts to examine and identify the genetically resistant germplasm as in Pakistan it is grown on an area of 164,000 hectare with a production of 1.80 million tones.   more >>>>>>>

Asia Grain Outlook: Prices Inching Towards 2008 Highs

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)–Food prices are gradually moving towards record highs of 2008 due to tight supply, weather concerns in major exporting countries, strong demand in China and a continuing ban in India on wheat and non-basmati rice exports.  more >>>>>>>>>>>

Agriculture becomes the next big thing

What might Canada’s next great growth industry be? Smart phones, oil sands technology, aerospace, alternative energy, nuclear power, biotech? Each of those industries has a “been there, done that” feel about them, even if a couple of them could keep thriving for years to come. Agriculture is the one industry you might not even consider putting on the list. more >>>>>>>>>>>>

Involve Agricultural Economy for Overall Growth

India’s growth story is incomplete, unless there is development in rural areas of the country with increased agricultural productivity, President Pratibha Patil said today.

USDA Sticks To Tame Food-Price Inflation Outlook

The Agriculture Department is standing by its forecast for unusually tame food-price inflation this year but warned that the broad rally in farm commodity prices since midsummer will take a bigger bite out of consumers’ wallets next year.

Soft Commodity Technicals by Reuters

Soft Commodity Technicals by Reuters

Posted by admin on Oct 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment

 WHEAT
SINGAPORE, Oct 27 (Reuters) – CBOT wheat’s December contract is expected to pull back towards the middle channel line support at $6.80 as strong resistance is seen at $7.00-1/2.
A further confirmation on the break of the middle channel line is needed.
Wheat failed to overcome the resistance at $7.00 -½   – the 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement level on the fall from $7.22-¼   to $6.55 – and as a result, it may fall further.

>>>>more

Soft Commodity Technicals by Reuters

WHEAT:

SINGAPORE, Oct 21 (Reuters) – CBOT December wheat <WZ0> is technically neutral between $6.73 and $6.93, with an escape from the range needed to determine its next directional move.

Record crop set for better returns

Martin Roth
Be selective when investing in the agribusiness sector to avoid disappointment.

 

Rising prices, growing demand and some global shortages have combined to propel the agribusiness sector into the investment spotlight. However, despite what appear to be excellent fundamentals, a paucity of quality stocks means local investors must be selective if they wish to become involved with this theme.

Small farmers want change in agricultural

Africa is hungry, with 240 million people undernourished.

Now, for the first time, small African farmers have been properly consulted on how to solve the problem of feeding sub-Saharan Africa.

Their answers appear to directly repudiate a massive international effort to launch an African Green Revolution funded in large part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

USDA to pay American Indian farmers

American Indian farmers who experienced discrimination in federal farm programs will share up to $680 million under a legal settlement announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

The government gives priority to the development in the Agricultural Sector

Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture  K.E.Karunarathne  said that the government  has given prominence to the development of the agricultural sector. In the year 2005 ,  Sri Lanka has imported  85 percent of its requirement of corn.  However  by last year,  Sri Lanka was able to produce  85 percent of its  corn requirement.  

ROC agricultural minister takes center stage at APEC

ROC Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Wu-hsiung underscored measures for dealing with food and climate crises, as well as Taiwan’s contribution in this regard at the first APEC Ministerial Meeting on Food Security, which closed its doors in Niigata, Japan Oct. 17. 

Sugar Technicals from Reuters

   

SINGAPORE, Oct. 18 (Reuters) - New York sugar is expected to retrace to a range between 25.42 cents and 26.12 cents per lb as indicated by its wave pattern and a Fibonacci retracement analysis.

A five-wave completion is seen on the rise from 22.49 cents to 28.36 cents, and the current correction is expected to drive the price down to a range formed by the 38.2 percent and 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement levels.

 A bearish divergence that has formed on the RSI indicator confirms the completion of the five-wave cycle.

Resistance is at 27.80 cents, a break above which would temporarily invalid the bearish outlook.

Wheat Technicals from Reuters

   

SINGAPORE, Oct 18 (Reuters) - CBOT wheat's December contract may rise towards $7.25 per bushel, as a consolidation that started from $7.39-¾   could have completed.

A descending wedge was broken at its upper trendline resistance of $7.06.

The contract then found strong support at $6.95, which is sandwiched between $6.88-½   and $6.98-⅜   - the 61.8 percent and 50 percent Fibonacci retracement levels on the rise from $6.57 to $7.39-3/4.

A fall below support at $6.95 would be very bearish, as it may extend to $6.69.

Soybean Technicals from Reuters

   

SINGAPORE, Oct. 18 (Reuters) - A bullish target at $12.26 per bushel for the CBOT soybean November futures contract has been aborted as a five-wave cycle could have been completed at the Friday high of $12.04-1/4.

A bearish target has been established at $11.42-1/4, the 38.2 percent level, as per a Fibonacci retracement analysis, on the rise from $10.42 to $12.04-1/4. 

A minor support is observed at $11.66, the 23.6 percent level, but it could be too vulnerable to hold the fall.

Resistance is at $11.90, a break above which would slightly extend its gain to $12.00.