Asia's elite are drinking more wine, champagne and imported beer as
their growing spending power makes them increasingly important for
the luxury goods industry.
Beverages with a healthy twist are booming within the Chinese
beverage market according to a report from global beverage research
specialists Canadean.
Australian wheat production may reach less than 10 million metric
tons this year, less than half of normal, due to drought and
late-season freezes, according to industry experts.
If the Chinese government gives in to mounting international
pressure to revalue its currency, it could spell the end of cheap
exports, a move that many anticipate would have a knock-on effect
on raw materials costs for the food industry....
Environmental campaign group Greenpeace is warning that the food
supply in the Philippines could be at risk from illegal GM rice
contamination originating in the US and China, with potentially
damaging costs to manufacturers in extraction.
Thailand is likely to start developing genetically modified crops
in order to maintain its competitive edge in the global food export
business, said an official from a government science body last
week.
China's biggest wine producer Changyu has set up an alliance with
Canadian ice wine maker Aolos to build what is expected to be the
largest ice wine estate in the world.
Thailand's food exports will increase significantly next year
thanks to improvements in product quality, as well as improving
economies in its main export markets, predicts the
government-backed National Food Institute (NFI).
South Korea has begun to recall tons of agricultural produce grown
on land near disused mines, after a survey found high levels of
lead and cadmium contamination.
Wine consumption in South Korea is set to reach record levels this
year, as consumers learn of the grape beverage's health benefits,
suggests a new report.
Chinese confectionery firms are spotting the opportunities involved
in targeting the country's only-children, who are commanding an
increasing share of their parent's rising incomes.
