Politics & Markets:

What happens if soya imports stop?

Europe depends on imported ingredients for many feeds. Reliance on soybeans is especially strong because without this material there would be a serious shortfall of feed protein for the EU livestock production sector.  What might happen if soya and maize imports were stopped because new GM varieties in America had not been officially approved in time by the EU? A study by the EU Commission Indicates that maize would represent no problem in such a situation but that a stop to soybean imports would have devastating results for pig and poultry farmers.

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Milk price: The driving forces in the market

Since July 2007 the world market price for milk has topped 60 US$ per 100 kg, a development that even back in the spring of that year hardly anyone could have expected. Torsten Hemme and Uwe Latacz-Lohmann reckon that the reason tends to lie with a »weak« production sector rather than »strong« consumer demand.

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Pigmeat: China's market myth

The whole world is talking about the sales opportunities represented by the Chinese market. But this country’s pigmeat imports actually represent only a tenth of shipments to Japan. The most important export market for Europeans is and remains Russia. On the whole the current world market for pig meat is a growing one with the USA and Brazil set to profit most.

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Agribusiness:

The wide world of farmland rents

Worldwide, farmland rental laws and customs vary just as much as the production conditions and traditions. If there is a trend then it’s the change from traditional sharecropping to cash rents. In times of higher grain prices more thought is also being given to intracontractual rent adjustment possibilities.

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Russia: Ploughing millions into black earth

Russia includes a great variety of different agricultural conditions and just as many types of farm. Western levels of yield can only be achieved in a small proportion of areas but despite this good product prices and great readiness to invest – from foreigners too - mean Russian agriculture continues with its dynamic development.

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Research & Innovation

Bioenergy: International exchange for clearer view of the future

Worldwide numerous ways of producing bioenergy are now being discussed. But there’s still need for more research so that the best ideas can be further developed. On individual farms the economic and political conditions applying will be main considerations in deciding on suitable bioenergy enterprises with the most important factor being the continued economic viability of the farm business.

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Climate change: Farmers as CO₂ traders

US farmers using no-plough cropping techniques to fix CO2 can make money from the result at the Climate Exchange. Under European conditions, however, the system appears to have its limitations.

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