Country News
Argentina: Argentine farmers are suspending grain sales for three days this week in order to protest government policies (including export quotas) that hurt their profits, reports Reuters. The strike will begin on Wednesday, March 11.
Cuba: An important U.S. agricultural delegation began three days of meetings on Monday in an effort to forge business contacts, according to Reuters. The 95-person delegation was composed of two former agriculture secretaries, numerous state agricultural officials and members from state farm bureaus. Cuba imports around $2 billion in agricultural products annually, and this mission is seeking to have U.S. exports make up $1 billion of that total. Exports in 2014 totaled $291 million, which was down from 2008’s high of $710 million.
Ukraine: Food and Agriculture Minister Oleksiy Pavlenko has announced that Ukraine will send a delegation to China next month in an effort to negotiate a new agreement that would double corn exports, reports Reuters. Exports to China in 2014 totaled nearly 1 MMT. Ukraine is expected to be the world’s fourth-largest corn producer in 2014/15, with total exports of 16 MMT (down from 19.9 MMT last year). The minister also indicated that he is seeking to increase trade with the EU to make up for sales traditionally destined for Russia.