Latest news with #agriculturalsector
South China Morning Post
9 hours ago
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Why are honeybees dying en masse in the United States but thriving in China?
While the US suffered its largest recorded collapse in its commercial honeybee colonies, China's bee population has reached a historic high, maintaining the country's long-standing position as the world's largest producer of apiary goods. Advertisement Around 62 per cent of managed colonies perished in a devastating wave of losses that swept across the US from June 2024 to January this year, to the alarm of the agricultural sector which relies on bee pollination for about one-third of its crops. Scientists from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) identified the culprit in June: viruses spread by parasitic mites that have developed resistance to Amitraz, the long-relied-upon miticide, leaving colonies defenceless against infestations, according to a report in the journal Science. In stark contrast, China saw a 25 per cent increase on the last survey to a record 15 million colonies last year, according to researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences' Institute of Apicultural Research (IAR). IAR professor Xu Shufa said that 'the fundamental difference lies in management practices'. Advertisement 'The US model relies on large-scale, clustered operations where single apiaries may contain thousands of colonies. Beekeepers typically transport hives to nectar-rich areas for extended periods, intervening minimally until honey harvest,' Xu said.
Wall Street Journal
7 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
China to Hit Canadian Canola With Nearly 76% Tariff as Trade Row Escalates
OTTAWA—The trade conflict between China and Canada escalated after Chinese authorities said they intend to impose a hefty tariff of about 76% on shipments of canola, a move Canadian farmers say would shut them out from the world's second-largest economy. The levy would be a blow for Canada's agricultural sector, as canola represents the biggest cash crop for farmers. Furthermore, the development marks another obstacle on the trade front for Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has sought to normalize ties with China with an eye toward removing Chinese tariffs on certain agrifood products.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wells Fargo Hikes Corteva (CTVA) Price Target Affirms ‘Overweight' Rating
Corteva, Inc. (NYSE:) is . On June 23, analysts at Wells Fargo reiterated an 'Overweight' rating on the stock and raised their price target to $82 from $79. Vlad Teodor/ The price target hike underscores Wells Fargo's confidence that Corteva is well-positioned to capitalize on positive trends in the agricultural sector. The bullish stance also stems from the company's strong performance in the first half of the year, which affirmed underlying growth. Wells Fargo affirms investors should take into consideration Corteva's strategic position in the industry. That's due to tailwinds in the industry that continue to present growth opportunities. Corteva, Inc. (NYSE:CTVA) is one of the leading companies specializing in organic food, seeds, crop protection products, and digital solutions for farmers. It provides a range of tools to improve crop yields and protect against pests and diseases. While we acknowledge the potential of CTVA as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 13 Best Blue Chip Stocks to Buy According to Analysts and 10 Most Undervalued Gold Stocks to Buy According To Analysts. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Herald
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald
SA's agricultural exports surge by 10% in Q1
In a year where trade has dominated the headlines since the US started imposing higher tariffs against its trading partners, agricultural export activity is worth paying close attention to. Encouragingly, the start of the year has remained positive for the sector. In the first quarter of 2025, SA's agricultural exports totalled $3.36bn (R59.5bn), up 10% from the same period a year ago, according to data from Trade Map. This is a function of both higher volumes of various product exports and better commodity prices. The products that dominated the exports list in the first quarter were mainly grapes, maize, apples, pears, apricots, cherries, peaches, wine, wool, fruit juices, nuts, dates, avocados, pineapples, and beef, among other products. While the ports remain a challenge and require further improvement and investment, the agricultural export season in the first quarter experienced less friction than in the recent past. From a regional perspective, the African continent maintained the lion's share of SA's agricultural exports in the first quarter of 2025, accounting for 45% of the total value. The products leading the exports list in the African continent were maize, maize meal, sugar, apples and pears, fruit juices, wine, soybean oil, sunflower oil, oilcake, and wheat, among other products. The EU was SA's second-largest agricultural market, accounting for a 23% share. Grapes, apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines, wine, apples, pears, wool, dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, mangos, guavas, fruit juices, and nuts were among the primary agricultural products SA exported to the EU in the first quarter of 2025. As a collective, Asia and the Middle East were the third largest agricultural markets, accounting for 16% of the total agricultural exports in the first quarter of 2025. The exports to this region primarily included apples, pears, grapes, apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines, citrus, strawberries, nuts, beef, lamb and wool, among other products. The Americas region accounted for 6% of SA's agricultural exports in the first quarter of the year. The main exported products include grapes, apricots, cherries, wine, fruit juices, nuts, apples, pears, and citrus. Given ongoing concerns about SA's participation in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) trade arrangement and the current higher tariffs imposed by the US, it is worth highlighting that SA's agricultural exports to the US were still 4% in the first quarter of 2025 (which is part of the 6% of exports to the Americas region mentioned above). The rest of the world, including the UK, accounted for 10% of SA agricultural exports in the first quarter of 2025. SA does not engage in one-way trade. The country imports various agricultural products. In the first quarter of 2025, SA's agricultural imports totalled $1.94bn (R34bn), a 19% increase year-over-year, according to data from Trade Map. The increase resulted from higher value and volume of major products SA imports, such as wheat, palm oil, rice, poultry, and whiskies. As we have argued before, SA lacks favourable climatic conditions for growing rice and palm oil and thus relies on imports of these products. Regarding wheat, SA imports nearly half of the annual consumption. Meanwhile, imports account for about 20% of the annual domestic poultry consumption. Given the current ban on Brazil's poultry imports, we may see an increase in volume from other regions, or a recovery in domestic production, as the local producers indicate. Subsequently, when we account for the exports and imports, SA's agriculture sector recorded a trade surplus of $1.42bn (R25bn) in the first quarter of 2025, down 1% from the previous year. In the current environment of heightened geoeconomic tensions, SA's export-orientated agricultural sector must work to maintain its current export markets and expand into new ones. The focus for both policymakers and agribusinesses and organised agriculture should be on the following aspects: First, SA should maintain its focus on improving logistical efficiency. This entails investments in port and rail infrastructure, as well as improving roads in farming towns. Second, SA must work diligently to maintain its existing markets in the EU, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Lastly, SA should expand market access to some key Brics countries, such as China, India, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Wandile Sihlobo is the chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of SA.
