Supply chain

FDI will bring the fresh ideas India desperately needs

Straight talk

FDI will bring the fresh ideas India desperately needs

By RJ Whitehead

As foreign retailers gear up for entry into India now that foreign direct investment is a reality, it is fast becoming clear how the policy has the potential to offer wide-ranging benefits to Indian business as a whole. It just takes an open mind to consider...

Rabbi Moskovitz in his QC robe...

Kosher gains ground as global QC measure

By Shane Starling

Having foods and ingredients approved by Jewish rabbis may not seem a matter that would of great importance to non-Jewish food and supplement manufacturers – not so.

China to explore increased rice imports from India

China to explore increased rice imports from India

By RJ Whitehead

India’s newfound position as the world’s leading rice exporter has not escaped the attention of China, which may look to its western neighbour for increasingly greater rice supplies over the coming years.

Government heavyweights line up at food innovation summit

Indian agripolitics

Government heavyweights line up at food innovation summit

By RJ Whitehead

Speaking at an industry event in Haryana, the Indian minister for state for agriculture and food processing stressed that finding new ways to detect emerging food pathogens was crucial for the domestic economy’s “sunrise sector”.

India damned by food wastage report

India damned by food wastage report

By RJ Whitehead

A quantity of wheat equivalent to the entire production of Australia goes to waste each year in India, according to a new report on global food wastage.

Sustainable farming held up by funding and the environment

Sustainable farming held up by funding and the environment

By RJ Whitehead

A new study by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (Abares) has identified financial and environmental concerns to be the key drivers influencing the adoption of sustainable farming practices in Australia.

NZ gives aquaculture boost by domesticating mussels

NZ gives aquaculture boost by domesticating mussels

By RJ Whitehead

The New Zealand government has announced that it will support a seven-year, NZ$26m initiative to boost aquaculture by selectively breeding New Zealand greenshell mussels for the first time.

Malaysia slams France’s proposal for ‘Nutella tax’

Malaysia slams France’s proposal for ‘Nutella tax’

By RJ Whitehead

A French politician’s calls for a “Nutella tax” have been met with anger in Malaysia. Central to the terms of the proposal, which will be voted on in Paris this week, lies a 300% duty increase on palm oil imports to the country.

Why does everyone hate the Thai rice mortgage scheme?

Expert comment

Why does everyone hate the Thai rice mortgage scheme?

By Dr Samarendu Mohanty, International Rice Research Institute

The Thai rice mortgage scheme continues to receive a fair amount of media bashing even after completing its first anniversary last month. 

European salmon producers are increasingly seeing China as a lucrative export market

China's boom will fuel global seafood price growth

By RJ Whitehead

Whereas China is the key driver of the world’s seafood industry, by the end of a decade of growing affluence among its population, the country’s role will have changed dramatically, bringing wholesale changes to global prices of most major premium seafood...

Food retailers must face up to online in China

State of the industry

Food retailers must face up to online in China

By Richard Whitehead

According to China’s National Bureau of Statics, consumer goods sales between January and September this year totalled $2.4 trillion—an increase of 14.1% over the same period in 2011.   

India must innovate to realise food processing potential

State of the industry

India must innovate to realise processing potential

By RJ Whitehead

Food processing is regarded as a sunrise industry in India. However, while it is true that there has been rapid growth over the past few years, the fact remains that the levels of processing and value addition have remained significantly low.

Vietnam going all out for growth in seafood exports

Vietnam going all out for growth in seafood exports

By RJ Whitehead

The Vietnamese seafood industry is eyeing exports worth $10-10.5bn by 2020, according to a leading trade official, although judging by recent trends, this might be a difficult task.

Foreign investment needed for Australasia to become Asia’s food bowl

Foreign funds needed for Oceania to become Asia’s food bowl

By Ankush Chibber

The agri-food sector in Australia and New Zealand will have to overcome a host of barriers if it is to tap the opportunities presented by rapidly developing Asian countries, and the biggest of these hurdles is capital.

ADM set to snap up Australia's largest independent grains firm?

ADM gears up for $2.8bn takeover of GrainCorp

By Kacey Culliney

Archer Daniels Midland is in talks with Australian commodity giant GrainCorp after putting forward an offer just shy of US$2.8bn (A$2.7bn) for a cash takeover.

Officials fast to slow down grain waste

Officials fast to slow down grain waste

By RJ Whitehead

Government grain officials across China have joined a movement to “experience 24 hours of hunger” as part of a wider campaign to promote public awareness of food security and to curb grain waste.

Drought sees less monsoon crops but soybean hits record acreage

Drought sees less monsoon crops but soybean hits record acreage

By RJ Whitehead

According to the latest planting progress report from the Indian Ministry of Agriculture, this year’s acreage of monsoon oilseed crops is down significantly over last year, even though soybean planting reached a record high amid fear of drought.

Around 52,000 tonnes of palm oil fruit will come from Thai smallholders

Thai smallholders certified for sustainable palm oil

By RJ Whitehead

Independent Thai smallholders have become the first in the world to be RSPO-certified in a move that will significantly add to the global quantity of sustainable palm oil available on the market.

Middle-class now the primary consumer of beef in China

Middle-class now China's primary consumer of beef

By Ankush Chibber

China’s rapidly growing middle-class is driving growth in the consumption of beef and meat products, a new report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has revealed.

Sino-NZ study aims to produce more and bigger grains

Sino-NZ study aims to produce bigger grains

By RJ Whitehead

In another agricultural research collaboration between New Zealand and China, scientists have begun a joint study into how to improve seeds so that farmers can produce more and bigger grains.

Private agri-groups to develop SE Asian rice supply

Private agri-groups to develop SE Asian rice supply

By RJ Whitehead

Agribusiness companies from the Philippines, Myanmar and Thailand have formed a consortium to develop a Southeast Asian rice supply chain using the proprietary hybrid and premium rice technology.

The Food Alliance called into question food security under the terms of the green paper

Food advocate launches volley on Oz produce plan

By RJ Whitehead

An Australian food policy unit yesterday branded the country’s food system as “broken”, and blamed it for contributing to a raft of issues currently affecting society.

Chinese must make tough choices on corn and pork

Chinese must make tough choices on corn and pork

By RJ Whitehead

The author of a report suggesting that China’s corn imports are in line to explode by 2017, today cautioned that the government will have to walk a tightrope in balancing pork prices with domestic corn productivity.

Indian coffee growers suffering labour headache

Indian coffee growers suffering labour headache

By Ankush Chibber

India’s coffee industry is under severe stress due a shortage of skilled labour and must invest heavily in expanding its capabilities, a major industry association has said.

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