Section » Agriculture

Ecuador: Small Village Fights Large Palm Oil Firm

mongabay.com In 2000, palm oil company Energy & Palma bought some land in the district of Esmeraldas in northern Ecuador. This land is home to the Afro-Ecuadorian community of Wimbi, a town of some 400 people settled in the 19th century.
The situation came to a head in 2015 when judges in the provincial court of Esmeraldas ruled in favor of the company and ordered the evacuation of Wimbi residents. In 2016, Energy & Palmas began clearing the land for an oil palm plantation.
Wimbi community members refused to leave, forcing the company to vacate the area and agree to not develop it. Residents say that the land sale, although legal in the eyes of the court, is invalid as only one person in the community agreed to it. Energy & Palmas retains its land rights.
Researchers say Afro-Ecuadorian communities have lost over 30,000 hectares of ancestral land since the 1990s. They found palm oil companies have used several tactics in order to acquire land, including buying it through intermediaries, buying from the community directly, invasion, and using pressure and threats. Read Full Article

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Ecuador: Amendment in Law Gives Free Pass to Genetically Modified crops

GROUP PLANS NATIONWIDE STRIKE OPPOSING SEED LAW Scienceline.org – Changes in Ecuador’s ‘seed law’ angers and frustrates scientists An amendment that gives a free pass to genetically modified crops causes legal turmoil Burning soy seeds lit up the city streets of Guayaquil, Ecuador, last May as dozens of farmers, activists and Indigenous people protested a […]

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Mexico: Avocado Mafia (Opinion)

Your article (Taco alarm bells ring as avocados go out of reach for Mexicans, 7 August) misses the point about what is the nature of the problem and who is responsible. A farm in the west of Mexico that I owned until a few years ago simply could not get its product on the market […]

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Brazil expects record grain harvest in 2017

efe.com reported Brazil, one of the world’s largest agricultural producers, will have a record grain harvest of 240.3 million tons in 2017, up 30.1 percent from last year, the government said Tuesday. Read Article INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED SPANISH VOCABULARY – READ THIS BOOK

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Ecuador: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus outbreak

portafolio.co / The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) reported an outbreak of the disease known as ‘Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus’ in the town of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, central Ecuador province. Because of the evil, said the entity, it was necessary to sacrifice the seven infected animals in the outbreak, presented […]

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Ecuador: Effects found in children from exposure to flower pesticides used in rose industry

Dread of roses: Neurobehavioral effects found in children exposed to flower pesticides PRESS RELEASE University of California – San Diego Ecuador exports a lot of Mother’s Day bouquets, leaving behind evidence of harm to children’s mental functions due to pesticides used to boost harvest Ecuador is the third largest producer of cut flowers in the […]

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Brazil: Concerns over Beef Exports

gulfnews.co …. Brasilia: President Michel Temer, confronting a corruption scandal tarnishing Brazil’s lucrative meat industry, met on Sunday with executives and foreign diplomats to assuage health concerns tarnishing a sector responsible for $12 billion (Dh44 billion) in annual exports. The hastily called meetings, following raids by police on Friday investigating whether companies paid bribes to […]

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Amazon Forest under threat from soya crops

theguardian.com reported….Celso Carlos has made a modest living for 10 years growing manioc and coconuts and rearing poultry on a few hectares of lowland in Brazil’s northern Amazon. But three years ago, out of the blue, Carlos was told by an Amapá state judge that he had to move because his land had been bought […]

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Alpacas Being Used To Help Secure Water Supply for Quito Ecuador

(Thomson Reuters Foundation)DAILYMAIL.CO.UK – High on Ecuador’s Andean plains, the Comuna Espejo co-operative is counting on a recent delivery of 20 woolly alpacas to keep its moist grasslands in better shape than the sheep that normally graze there – and in turn help secure water supplies to the nearby capital city of Quito. “Little by […]

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Iran, Ecuador exploring expanding agricultural ties

In a meeting between Ecuador’s Ambassador to Tehran Germán Alejandro Ortega Almeida and the country’s Commercial Attaché in Iran Guido Zambrano with officials from Iranian Agriculture Ministry including Hooman Fathi, the general director of Bureau of International Affairs and Specialized Organizations, and Changiz Esfandiari, the general director of Agricultural Industries Office, proper grounds for enhancement […]

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Warning Pacific South America: Vampire Bat Rabies Outbreak Expected 2020

Scientists warn of threat to livestock, human health and wildlife conservation in near future. ibtimes.co.uk reported an outbreak of vampire bat rabies is expected to hit parts of South America within the next four years, scientists have warned. Using genetic evidence and models indicating viral spread, researchers have stated countries on the Pacific coast should […]

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Peru: Biopiracy threat to ancestral products

intercontinentalcry.org reported The production and consumption of natural Andean and Amazonian ancestral products in Peru is threatened by the “biopiracy” of foreign companies who have filed over 11,690 patents for the domestic produce of the region, effectively poaching the natural heritage of the country. The resources are said to be rich in nutrients and vitamins […]

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Ecuador: Mango exports up significantly

Ecuador Mango exports up 40 million dollars metroecuador.com.ec/freshplaza.com reported mango exports generate between 35 and 40 million dollars per season (between October and January). This product is highly appreciated by the international market, especially in the United States, which buys 91% of Ecuador’s supply. The VI International Congress of Ecuadorian Mango, which will be attended […]

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Ecuador: Banana Growers lower production, not able to meet contracts to customers

Ecuador: “A 30% drop in banana production takes a big toll on the growers” Freshplaza.com reported although Ecuador was not affected by the El Niño phenomenon, the current weather conditions have caused a drop in the productivity and availability of bananas from local producers. “The situation is difficult for many growers who have been unable […]

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Ecuador: Puerto Bolivar destined to become largest container terminal in Latin America

joc.com reported a Turkish port operator is determined to transform an Ecuadorian port, most well-known as one of the world’s largest shipment points for bananas, into the largest container terminal in Latin America. Yilport Holding, a subsidiary of the Istanbul-based Yildirim Group, has secured the rights to Puerto Bolivar in Machala City, Ecuador, a city […]

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Ecuador: Small Banana Exporters Facing Challenges

Ecuador: “Transnational companies complicating business for banana producers” Less fruit, more demand Freshplaza.com reported Banana production in Ecuador has declined significantly because of climate change, but this is not the only obstacle that small producers and exporters have to face every day to market their fruit. Walter Manina, from Ecuador’s Banana Company (CBE), spoke about […]

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Peru: 50,000 alpacas succumb to freezing temperatures

dailymail.co.uk / AP reported SAN ANTONIO DE PUTINA— Life for the thousands of indigenous families raising alpacas and sheep in Peru’s southern Andes has become a nightmare amid a bitter cold wave that has killed tens of thousands of their animals and sickened their children. Temperatures have fallen to minus 23 Celsius (minus 9.4 Fahrenheit) […]

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Ecuador: Grassroots groups fighting against GMO seed companies

telesurtv.net reported – At stake is not just the future of small and sustainable agriculture in Ecuador, but also the food sovereignty of all humanity. Ecuador’s campesinos and civil society have launched a campaign to protect food sovereignty against transgenic firms, as they seek to impose intellectual property rights on seeds which campesinos have been […]

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Venezuela at risk of famine according to chamber group

miamidiario.com reported at the end of the first quarter of this year most companies affiliated with the Venezuelan Chamber of Industry Food ensures that accounts with an average of only 15 days of inventory of raw materials and inputs, national and international matters, affecting severely continuity of production. The union said in a statement that […]

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Ecuador: Earthquake impacts shrimp business, prices going up

Shrimp prices from Ecuador have gone up after the impact of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the country on April 16. The earthquake caused several hundreds deaths and generated billions of dollars of damages, particularly in Pedernales, located in Ecuador’s central Pacific Coast. Sources told Undercurrent News previously that 80% of producers pools in […]

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Escaped Cobia from Ecuador showing up in Colombia, Panama waters

INVASIVE COBIA SPREADS TO PANAMA smithsonianscience.si.edu reported Cobia, a promising fish for aquaculture, lives throughout the world’s oceans except in the Central and Eastern Pacific. In August 2015, a large number of young fish escaped from offshore cages in Ecuador. Cobia have recently been reported from the Colombian and Panamanian Pacific coast, indicating their rapid […]

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Ecuador: Banana producers face increased competition from other L.A. countries

freshplaza.com reported there is currently a worldwide oversupply of bananas. Traders in Europe, Russia and the U.S. pointed out that prices are low due to a large supply. In China, prices fell because of a large domestic crop and increased imports. In Latin America, several countries started producing bananas, creating new competitors for Ecuador. In […]

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U.N. declares ecuador free of illegal crop cultivation

QUITO, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) — An official with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Thursday declared that Ecuador is free of illegal cultivation, with no evidence that coca, poppy or marijuana plants being sowed in the country last year. READ ARTICLE

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No reported disease (TR4) of bananas in Latin America

bloomberg.com reported TR4 (Panama disease Tropical Race 4) enters the plant’s roots and spreads, invading vascular tissue. The first symptom is irregular yellowing of older leaves, which later turn brown and dry out. The disease poses no threat to humans. Growers from across Latin America met in March to create a regional defense effort and […]

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Ecuador: Shrimp farming and the destruction of mangroves, social and enviromental conflict

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Ecuador bans imports of poultry products from U.S., fear of bird flu

thepoultrysite.com reported Ecuador bans imports of all poultry products from the United States, reports the USDA. On 16 April 2015, Agrocalidad – Ecuador’s sanitary authority – suspended imports of US-origin live fowl, poultry meat and poultry products and eggs/egg products in response to APHIS reports of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the States of […]

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Ecuador: Blackberries, Raspberries may be headed to U.S. market

thepacker.com reported Fresh blackberries and raspberries from Ecuador will be given access to the U.S. market under a new proposal from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA said it will consider comments on the proposal until June 23. Potential imports of blackberries raspberries from Ecuador aren’t expected to be heavy, according to the USDA. […]

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Brazil a huge market for banned pesticides

dailytimes.com.pk reported the farmers of Brazil have become the world’s top exporters of sugar, orange juice, coffee, beef, poultry and soybeans. They’ve also earned a more dubious distinction: In 2012, Brazil passed the United States as the largest buyer of pesticides. This rapid growth has made Brazil an enticing market for pesticides banned or phased […]

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FDA in U.S. issues warning letters to two Ecuadorian seafood processors

foodsafetynews.com reported that two seafood processors in Ecuador received warning letters. The Guayaquil-based Star Company S.A. was subjected to FDA inspection last June 2-3, 2014, and was afterwards provided with a copy of the FDA 483 form containing inspector observations. Star Company responded in writing on July 4, 2014, with corrective measures it planned to […]

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Ecuadorian firm wins G.A.P. award for exports of rare Physalis fruit

Ecuador’s Tankay scoops GLOBAL G.A.P award Tankay, the social enterprise company from Ecuador, scooped the GLOBALG.A.P. award this year for the innovative use of of Physalis. More popularly known as ‘Golden Berry’, Physalis is a rare fruit that is rich in vitamin C and calcium. The GLOBALG.A.P. Summit took place in Abu Dhabi for the […]

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Brazil’s purchase of Chiquita, impact on Ecuador

freshplaz.com reported China’s great interest in Ecuadorian bananas, the market growth in the United States and Guatemala’s imminent position as the second largest exporter were just some of the issues discussed. But the issue that recently rocked the banana sector has been Chiquita’s acquisition by the Brazilian companies Cutrale and Safra. “It could be a […]

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Peru: 11 regions declare state of emergency for coffee rust disease

Peru has declared a state of emergency in 11 regions against the disease coffee rust (_Hemileia vastatrix_). It follows the detection of new cases in various areas across the country. The Ministry of Agriculture has issued a decree. Read Article – registration

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Severe Drought Affecting more than half a million people in Honduras

bbc.com reported more than half a million people in Honduras have been affected by a severe drought, the Red Cross has said. It said the most vulnerable families were in danger of hunger because of the loss of crops, higher food prices and lower incomes for farmers. The Red Cross said some families were selling […]

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Part-time Expat peddling Organic Dark Chocolate Bars from Ecuador – 260 dollars each

chicagobusiness.com reported….Will people pay $260 for a fair-trade, organic dark chocolate bar? Jerry Toth hopes so. Mr. Toth, 36, a former Wall Street analyst who was born in Winnetka, moved to Ecuador in 2002, following a girlfriend. There, the two helped develop a 1,000-acre forest preserve in coastal Ecuador and worked with nearby farmers to […]

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How Many Cuy (Guinea Pigs) are there in Ecuador?

How Many Cuy (Guinea Pigs) are there in Ecuador? agronegociosecuador.ning.com reported The guinea pig production in Ecuador is generally a rural activity located in the Ecuadorian highlands, where the traditional farming system predominates – familiar to produce meat for consumption, with low production levels. The estimated population is 15 million head of guinea pig, the […]

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How Many Cuy (Guinea Pigs) are there in Peru?

You know how many there are guinea pigs in Peru? elcomercio.pe reported according to the National Agricultural Census conducted in 2012, more than 12 million of these species throughout the country. According to the latest National Agricultural Census conducted in 2012, in our country there are over 12 million guinea pigs. The regions have the […]

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Colombia: Farmers sue oil giant BP in the UK

theguardian.com reported more than 100 Colombian small farmers are taking on oil giant BP in the UK high court on Wednesday in one of the largest cases in environmental legal history. The farmers say the British company Equion Energia, formerly BP Exploration (Colombia) Ltd or BPXC, was negligent in the construction of the Ocensa oil […]

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Latin America may face seriuos risk situation due to climate change by 2030

(IPS) reported – “We could be the last Latin American and Caribbean generation living together with hunger.” The assertion, made by Raúl Benítez, a regional officer for the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), shows one side of the coin: only 4.6 percent of the region’s population is undernourished, according to the […]

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Colombia: Coffee harvest up substantially in 2014

portafolio.co reported 12.1 million sacks of coffee Arabica mild occurred between October 2013 and 2014 September (year coffee). In the same period of the previous year, the harvest was 9.9 million bags of 60 kilos. Exports also increased. in the run of the year (January-September) the coffee harvest in Colombia grew 16 percent and stood […]

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Colombia: Expert warns climate change may threaten coffee crops

lainformacion.com reported -pests and diseases as the bit, rust and the ojo de gallo could reappear with force as a result of the drastic changes in the climate, today warned a scientist in the 25th International Conference on coffee science ended Friday in the Colombian city of Armenia. pests and diseases as the bit, rust […]

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Ecuadorian Flower Grower Looks to Africa for further expansion to Europe

allafrica.com reported an Ecuadorian investor said he has begun introducing state-of-the-art technology to the Ethiopian floriculture sector which is suitable to the European flower market. Owner and General Manager of the Ecuador-based cut flower group Bellaflor, Mauricio Castillo, said besides its proximity to the European market, the lower transportation cost for flowers has made Ethiopia […]

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Bi-National Committe states Colombia can fumigate coca crops closer to Ecuador’s border

colombiareports.com reported a bi-national committee has concluded that Colombia can fumigate coca crops closer to Ecuador’s border, Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported on Friday. The technical committee, composed of both Colombian and Ecuadorian government officials, said that the current 10-kilometer buffer zone in place since 2005 can be reduced by half to 5 kilometers. The […]

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Argentina beef may begin beef exports again to the U.S. market

quilmespresente.com reported the inspection and health of animals and plants (APHIS) issued two rulings favorable to Argentina, which recognizes the territory of Patagonia as “region free of FMD without vaccination”. That would allow that farmers in the area to export almost automatically. If all goes well, would open a new commercial phase between Argentina and […]

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Mexico: Prices for basic basket of food up from 100 to 157 percent, fruits, vegetables largest increases

publimetro.com reported the price of the products of the basic basket reported increases of 100 and up to 157% between the main cities of the country, especially in fruit and vegetables. The Federal consumer Attorney (Profeco) said that, in the week of 25 to 29 August, the price of the Hass Avocado recorded cost 25 […]

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Severe Drought in Latin America Impacting Crops

NPR.ORG reported Parts of Latin America are severely parched. The drought is fueling clashes, forcing rationing, decimating crops and affecting travel through the Panama Canal. LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO, BYLINE: “The Worst Drought In The Last 30 Years Ignites 47,000 Forest Fires In Bolivia.” “Government Begins Emergency Water Rationing In Venezuela Amid Drought.” Here’s another one – […]

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Panama: Two Cases of Hantavirus Reported

critica.com.pa reported 2 new cases of [a] hantavirus [infection] were confirmed by the Ministry of Health in Los Santos [province], one in San Jose de Las Tablas and the other in Tonosi. Nahir Cedeno, Regional Health Director in Los Santos, stated that these cases were a 27-year-old young man and a 70-year-old man, both of […]

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Ecuador takes measures to attack obesity rates

elcomunista.net reported the Ecuadorian Government has imposed a system of labelling for processed products which alerts on the content of fat, salt and sugar. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert for the rates of obesity and overweight in Ecuador. The Government activated a series of public policies to combat it. On Tuesday the […]

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Central America: Food Crisis Looming for 2015 due to projected low harvests, drought, coffee rust

fews.net reported as a result of projected poor harvests in 2014, the reduction in coffee-sector income for day laborers, and a more rapid than usual increase in the prices of some staple foods, extremely poor households across large areas of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador will experience a rapid deterioration in their food security […]

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Ecuador: 95% of food manufactures have changed food labeling to adapt to new rules

andes.info.ec REPORTED…95% of large and medium-sized companies that manufacture food in Ecuador adjusted to the new rules of graphic labeling on nutritional content, which was demanded by the Ministry of Health in 2013. According to the National Regulatory Agency, Health Surveillance and Control (Arcsa), there are 10.102 processed foods nationwide, corresponding to large, medium, small […]

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Mexico: Cartels move into lucrative poaching business for Asia market

latino.foxnews.com reported first it was moving marijuana and cocaine across the border. Then, it was human smuggling. Now, it appears Mexico’s drug cartels are getting involved in the lucrative – and slightly peculiar – business of trafficking the bladders of exotic fish to Asia. News of this fishy business began surfacing in June following the […]

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Ecuador: Exports of Shrimp up sharply

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Michael Ramsingh – August 20, 2014 reported Ecuadorian shrimp exporters capitalized on a banner summer production season this year with July shipments to major markets at record totals. In the US, Ecuadorian volumes were also at record totals for the month– particularly for smaller sized shrimp; but the overall share of Ecuador’s shrimp […]

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Ecuador claims not to need permission of EU to export agricultural products to Russia

rt.com reported Ecuador doesn’t need anybody’s permission to export agricultural products to Russia, which now has a big gap that needs to be filled after it banned supplies from a number of western countries, said President Rafael Correa. “I want to immediately say that we don’t need to get anybody’s permission to sell products to […]

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Mexico: Monsanto loses GM permit, victory for beekeepers

theguardian.com reported…Sweet victory for Mexico beekeepers as Monsanto loses GM permit Evidence convinced judge of threat posed to honey production in Yucatán – but firm will almost certainly appeal against ruling. A small group of beekeepers in Mexico has inflicted a blow on biotech giant Monsanto, which has halted the company’s ambitions to plant thousands […]

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Spain Minister Issues alert if Russia Replaces agricultural purchases from Spain with Latin America

elperiodico.com reportedThe ‘minister’ of Agriculture of the Government of Catalonia, Josep Maria Pelegri has warned of the risk that Russia replace product purchases in Europe and Catalunya with the production of Latin American countries if a “fast” solution is not found the As approved by the Russian Government to prevent the export of European goods […]

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Russia Plans Increased Imports of Agricultural Products from Latin America

ria.ru reported Russia’s agricultural watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, said it will hold consultations on Thursday with several Latin American countries on expansion of their food supplies to Russia. “Meetings with diplomats from Ecuador, Brazil, Chile and Argentina will be held on August 7. They will focus on possibility of expanding food supplies from these countries to the […]

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Beef from Costa Rica approved for sales to Russia

ticotimes.net reported Costa Rica’s cattle industry meets all health requirements for exporting to Russia, according to Russia’s Federal Administration of Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control.The approval, currently granted only for meat and milk powder, was issued after Russian experts conducted evaluations of infrastructure at local export companies and investigated the country’s vigilance of animal diseases, Costa […]

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Honduras conflict between poor farmers and rich landowners

slate.com reported…We’ve come to report on the continuing conflict between poor farmers and rich landowners around Taujica, a small town in Honduras’ Bajo Aguán region, a five-hour drive from the world’s murder capital, San Pedro Sula. The roads we drove to get here, lined with lush vegetation, cut through mountains and hug the Caribbean Sea. […]

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Guatemala: 40,000 families affected by drought caused by El Niño

Some 40,000 families have been affected by the drought caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon in Guatemala, Agriculture, Ranching and Food Minister Elmer Lopez said Tuesday, citing preliminary figures. The lack of rain has damaged corn crops in some 28 cities in eight provinces located in the so-called Dry Corridor in the country’s east […]

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Rust More Aggressive in attacking Guatemala’s coffee crop

npr.org reported Francisco Anzueto, of Guatemala’s Coffee Board, , says coffee rust has been in the region a long time. But recently, it has become more aggressive. It’s due to climate change, Anzueto says. Temperatures are up, and the fungus thrives in hot weather. It attacks the leaves of coffee trees, eventually choking off nutrients […]

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Tyson to sell Poultry operations in Mexcio, Brazil

(Reuters) – Tyson Foods Inc (TSN.N) said on Monday it would sell its Mexican and Brazilian poultry businesses to JBS SA (JBSS3.SA) for $575 million and use the proceeds to pay down debt from its pending $7.7 billion purchase of Hillshire Brands Co. (HSH.N) Tyson, the world’s second-biggest meat processor behind Brazil’s JBS, also reported […]

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Poultry Feed and Additive Market Continues to Grow Latin America

The Latin American poultry feed and feed additive market report defines and segments the market with analysis and forecast of revenue. http://www.micromarketmonitor.com/market/latin-america-poultry-feed-2230161347.html. (PRWEB) July 29, 2014 The Latin American poultry feed and feed additive market report defines and segments the market with analysis and forecast of revenue. The poultry feed and feed additive market in […]

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Latin America: Agroecology may bring food security

theguardian.com reported a home-grown, alternative approach to farming is bad news for pesticides, monoculture and food poverty in Brazil…..Central-west Brazil, where most live on soybeans and maize, consists mostly of monocultures. In 2013, the region farmed a record volume of soybeans and maize, producing over 78.5m tonnes. However, most of it is not used to […]

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Ecuador: Banana Producers Concerned over El Niño arrival

freshplaza.com reported Gustavo Marún, president of the Regional Corporation of Ecuadorian Banana Producers, said that, despite winter being good for the banana sector, they were worried about El Niño’s arrival. According to him, the sector is holding meetings with the mayors of Los Ríos, Guayas and El Oro to discuss irrigation systems in low areas […]

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Ecuador: New Virus Detected in Papaya Crops

freshfruitportal.com reported Ecuadorian scientist Diego Quito Ávila has identified a new virus in papaya plantations that had not yet been reported internationally, through the process of plant virology. As part of the Prometheus Project (Proyecto Prometeo in Spanish), a government initiative, he has been working closely with commercial growers to determine how this new virus […]

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U.N. reports coca growing areas decrease in Bolivia, Peru, stable in Colombia

bbc.com reported figures released by the United Nations suggest the area planted with coca – the raw ingredient for cocaine – has diminished in Peru and Bolivia. Peru is the world’s top grower of the crop, and Bolivia is the third largest. In Colombia, the second largest grower, the amount of land sustaining coca bushes […]

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Ecuador: El Nino phenomenon could impact worldwide Banana shipments

profit.ndtv.com/Thomson Reuters reported El Nino, a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific, can trigger floods and drought in different regions, hitting production of key foods such as rice, wheat and sugar. Weather forecasters are increasingly predicting it will return in 2014 for the first time in five years. “On land, the volumes of food […]

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Guayusa Tea popular among Indigenous of Ecuador, now being exported

petergreenberg.com reported…Guayusa is cherished by locals for its health benefits: Ecuadorian native tribes traditionally drink the tea early in the morning as a communal ritual. A cup is believed to have as much caffeine as one cup of coffee, with double the antioxidants of green tea. While it’s not marketed as an appetite suppressant, Ecuadorian […]

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U.S. steps up effort to assist coffee farmers fight rust disease, fungus

According to the washingtonpost.com … The U.S. government is stepping up efforts to help Central American farmers fight a devastating coffee disease — and hold down the price of your morning cup. At issue is a fungus called coffee rust that has caused more than $1 billion in damage across the Latin American region. The […]

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Lack of trade pact with South Korea, hurting Ecuadorian businesses

Ecuador, the small South American country is the only Andean Community Nation (CAN) that has yet to sign a trade pact with Korea. Other CAN members are Colombia, Chile and Peru. Worries already have become a reality as the Ecuadorian producers of 15 commodity goods were hit hard after Korea’s FTA with Chile and Peru […]

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Latin America standing up to Monsanto on GMO’s

The market with the biggest potential for growth, as far as corporate agriculture is concerned, is putting its foot down and saying no. Chile, Colombia and a growing number of other Latin American countries are taking a stand against Monsanto and its ilk by rejecting advancements to further convert their sustenance to the patented seed […]

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Panama Disease not yet reached Banana crops in Latin America

nzherald.co.nz reported the TR4 strain of Panama disease, a soil-born fungus that attacks plant roots, is deadly for the Cavendish banana that makes up about 95 per cent of supplies to importers, including North America and Europe, Fazil Dusunceli, an agriculture officer at the FAO, said by phone this week from Rome. While the disease […]

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Ecuador reopens to beef imports from the U.S.

cattlenetwork.com reported…Ecuador recently became the latest market to reopen to U.S. beef exports, after being closed for more than 10 years due to BSE(Mad Cow Disease). Cheyenne Dixon, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) technical services manager, explains that U.S. beef exports to Ecuador now face very few restrictions, with muscle cuts and offal items from […]

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Mexico: Lime growers victims of extortion by criminal groups

bloombergview.com reported ….Why does Mexico, the biggest lime producer, also have the world’s most expensive limes? Ask the country’s crime bosses. Mexico’s mobsters are squeezing lime growers and no one seems to be doing anything about it. The racket goes like this: criminals in lime growing states block roads and extort a fee for every […]

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American Airlines develops new route for flower exports from Ecuador

cargonewsasia.com reported that American Airlines is working on a new route for flower exports from Ecuador. “We have developed a new service by aligning with an interline partner to move flowers from Quito to Miami,” said Carmen Taylor, managing director of cargo sales for Latin America. American Airlines has no wide-body aircraft on the Quito […]

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Honduras: peasant leaders urge World Bank to withdraw support for palm oil company

World Bank directors will be urged by Honduran peasant leaders and civil society groups to withdraw support for a major palm oil company accused of links to killings, kidnapping and the forced eviction of small farmers. The bank’s European directors, meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, will be handed a report by Human Rights Watch, published […]

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Cuba loosens grip on food production, farmers regain control of land

theguardian.com reported that…As the state loosens its grip on food production, Cuban farmers and independent co-operatives will need support to help solve the country’s agriculture crisis. Last year, Cuba spent over $1.6bn (£1bn) on food imports, an unsustainable amount for an economy that has been struggling since the end of the cold war and the […]

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Soil Borne Fungus could threaten banana crops in Latin America

qz.com reported that the Tropical Race 4 strain of Panama disease, has slowly but steadily ravaged export crops throughout Asia. The fact that this vicious soil-borne fungus has now made the leap to Mozambique and Jordan is frightening. One reason is that it’s getting closer to Latin America, where at least 70% of the world’s […]

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Colombia: evaluation of pesticide residues in honey

Abstract To assess potential exposure of bees to chemicals contaminants, pesticides and other management practices of local beekeepers and farmers, four Colombian regions were surveyed and residue concentrations were determined on some pesticides used and others banned for honey. A total of 61 honey samples were collected and analyzed during 2011. Residual levels of selected […]

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Ecuador: banana exports falling

freshplaza.com reported that the world’s main banana importers are looking for new opportunities; the goal is to find countries that still have something Ecuador lost: a preferential treatment from the market with the highest prices, the European Union. In 2013, Ecuador exported a total of 256 million boxes of bananas worldwide; barely 2.9% more than […]

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Ecuador exported 253 million boxes of bananas 2013

Freshplaza.com reported that Ecuador exported 253 million boxes of bananas, 5 million more than in 2012. This amount, however, didn’t meet the producers’ expectations, as they thought there would be a higher increase in sales during 2013. Last year’s banana exports are still lower than the peak reached in 2011, when exports amounted to 285 […]

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Ecuador: Cocoa bean output up 13 percent in 2013

bloomberg.com reported…Ecuador, where the fatty beans used to make chocolate have been grown since pre-Columbian times, is surpassing Brazil as Latin America’s top cocoa producer after boosting planting and offering education programs for farmers. Cocoa-bean output rose 13 percent last year to 220,000 metric tons and the South American country is poised to become the […]

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Argentina to regulate prices of many supermarket staples

msan.co.nz reported that Argentina has negotiated a new inflation-fighting gambit – regulating prices of nearly 200 supermarket staples – scheduled to go into effect on January 1, the Commerce Department says. The move echoes a 60-day price freeze on mass market supermarket items last February that failed to slow the country’s heavy inflation. Read Article

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Ecuador: Christmas holidays celebrated with turkey

worldpoultry.net reported turkey consumption in Ecuador is a seasonal thing, mainly Christmas. And the season has started with the increase in turkey production and a decrease in imports. According to the National Poultry Farmers Corporation (CONAVE), in 2012 the national turkey production reached 9,492 metric tonnes (mt), or 86% more than the 2006 level of […]

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Los Rios Province Ecuador: Clandestine slaughterhouses shut down

Conditions precarious and unhealthy, meat traders operated cattle in camalès clandestine in the cantons Baba and Vinces of Los Rios province. Authorities of Agrocalidad gave with them during an operation. The ticket machines cut the meat on the floor near other animals and together with the mud. According to Jorge Chagerben, owner of a tercena, […]

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Puerto Bolívar Ecuador: Banana exports through port increase ten percent

Ecuador: Banana exports through the port of Puerto Bolívar increase by 10% The activity at the port of Bolivar, in southern Ecuador, increased by 10% with the addition of a fifth 240 meters by 98.5 meters dock, which required an investment of $ 51.2 million dollars. The provincial director of the Ministry of public works, […]

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Mexico: Judge blocks new GMO crops temporarily

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Ecuador: Water Supplies Increasingingly Scarce Along the Coast, possible rice shortage

POSSIBLE SHORTAGES OF RICE IN THE FUTURE / RED ALERT Expreso.ec reported that water is becoming scarce in the coastal areas of the country. The seals begin to ration irrigation fluid to the plots. Rice shortage foreseen Never happened before in America Lomas, Fig Tree, The Matte and San Jacinto. For the farmers of these […]

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Ecuador – Colombia Ministers meet along border inspect increase in coca growth

ecuavisa.com reported that the ministers of Colombia, Juan Carlos Pinzon, and Ecuador, Homer Arellano , with defense officials, security and military, yesterday visited the border area to contain growing coca (the raw material for cocaine) and determine the action to follow. The heads walked a stretch of 10 kilometers from the Colombian side, where aerial […]

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Carchi Ecuador: 20,000 poppy plants destroyed by military

More than 20,000 poppy plants burned by soldiers in Carchi Plants were camouflaged in bean crops. Authorities reported second time crop of poppy plants have been discovered in Carchi Eluniverso.com reported that a farmer of 48 years was arrested Tuesday morning in the San Joaquin Look Canton, South Carchi because cultivation of beans between two […]

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Ecuador drops suit against Colombia regarding aerial fumigation

READ THIS BOOK BEFORE MOVING TO ECUADOR latino.foxnews.com reported Colombia and Ecuador have settled the suit Quito filed five years ago with the International Court of Justice over the effects on Ecuadorian citizens, crops and livestock of Bogota’s aerial fumigations of coca near the two countries’ shared border, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said Thursday. […]

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Loja Ecuador: 124 tonnes of onions seized, infested with pests, flies, larvae, fungus

Ecuador: Agrocalidad buried onions that had been affected by pests Freshplaza.com reported The Ecuadorian Agency for Agro Quality Assurance, Agrocalidad, buried 1,200 bags of onions seized in recent days, after detecting various pests that threaten crops in Loja and Ecuador. The report indicated that authorities found pests, such as fruit flies, larvae, and even a […]

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Commodities firm stops buying cocoa from Ecuador

individual.com reported that-Commodities trading house Armajaro Trading Group Ltd. said Monday that it has stopped buying cocoa from farms in Ecuador and is reviewing the rest of its operations there. Armajaro opened its office in Ecuador in 2009 to cocoa from growers’ groups and to export the beans to the U.S., Europe and Japan, according […]

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Over half of food in Ecuador produced by cooperativas

plenglish.com reported that 55 percent of the food consumed in Ecuador at the city level is produced by people who participate in a popular and solidarity economy, the cooperatives, a sector that represents the 26 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). The 71 percent of the economic enterprise of the sector is developed in rural […]

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Paraguay: 120 thousand hectares wheat destroyed by frost past week

elnuevoempresario.com reported that over 120 thousand hectares of wheat were destroyed by frost in the last week in parts of the country, reported the Agricultural Coordinator Paraguay. The organization endorsed a figure close to $ 150 million losses, especially in the department of Alto Paraná, for there meant the loss of 50 percent of the […]

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Brazil orange growers bracing for tough season

High production costs have orange growers in Brazil, the world’s top orange juice exporter, bracing for a tough citrus season, despite last season’s record harvest and high juice prices. “The orange market is going through its worst moment in two years: world consumption is stagnating, production costs are rising and processors are getting more and […]

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President of Brazil Visits Ethiopia to Celebrate African Union

Globo reported on May 25, 2013 that President Dilma attended the 50th anniversary celebration of the African Union. In Ethiopia, President Dilma met with Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, to sign acts of bilateral cooperation in income transfer, air services, education, science and technology, as well as agricultural development. According to Dilma, Brazil wants to […]

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Ecuador shrimp industry finding barriers to to access in five international markets

Ecuador’s National Aquaculture Chamber (CNA) reports significant barriers preventing the access to all or part of shrimp trade for Ecuadorean producers. Exporters have reported complications in Argentina, China, South Korea, Egypt and Brazil, reports El Universo. Brazil is not accepting shipments from Ecuador because it still has a sanitary barrier on Ecuador, arguing that it […]

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Brazil: Eight Arrested Rio Grande do Sul for producing, selling adulterated milk

Revistaepoca.globo.com reported on May 8, 2013, the Public Ministry of Rio Grande do Sul (RS-MP), initiated Operation Milk Plywood to combat the adulteration of milk by five milk transportation companies transporting about 100 million liters of milk between April 2012 and May 2013. Targeted brands included Italac, Good Taste, Mumu, and Latvida. Eight suspects have […]

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Central America: Major job losses due to coffee rust fungus epidemic

Laprensa.com.ni reported that the epidemic of coffee rust caused losses amounting to $ 550 million in Central America and the Caribbean and the decline of 441.000 jobs in the 2012-2013 harvest, according to estimates included in the final report of the International Prices Coffee. The Central American countries were the hardest hit, according to the […]

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Ecuador: Military seize weapons, drugs, coca plants in border region with Colombia

Elcomercio.com reported that the operations were performed between Esmeraldas and Sucumbios. In the last 10 days, the military seized from drug to fuel, firearms and explosives in those border areas. Even the soldiers found a field of four acres with about 8500 coca plants. In this last operation soldiers intervened three detachments. It happened last […]

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