Global Agriculture, Food & Nutrition updates - 24Nov'2015 !

1. Tyson Foods is recalling more than 50,000 pounds of chicken wings because of an “off odour” scent, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS).

2. Campbell Soup Company is recalling 355,000 cans of SpaghettiOs Original due to a potential choking hazard posed by pieces of red plastic found in some cans.

3. Six players – Danone, Raisio, Unilever, Cargill, BASF and Arboris – have formed a group to propel cholesterol-lowering plant stanols and sterols science into the media and policy spotlights to raise awareness of the multi-billion global euro category.

4. High-resolution accurate mass mass spectrometry capabilities can take food safety testing to ‘another level’, according to Thermo Scientific.

5. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded $2 million in grants to support research on nutrition education and obesity prevention for disadvantaged children and families at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Utah State University.
 

India Agriculture, Food & Nutrition updates - 24Nov'15 !

1. The 4th National Convention on Millets being organised by the Millet Network of India on November 25 & 26, 2015 in collaboration with Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad.

Venue:
Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS)
Begumpet, Hyderabad - 500016, Telangana,INDIA.
Tel No: +91-40-2340 2789, 2341 6780, 2341 6610/11/12/13.
Fax: 91-40-2340 6808; Mail to : post@cess.ac.in

2. As per a key member of NITI Aayog, the decline in share of cooperatives in total farm credit is a cause for concern and needs to be corrected. Also financial inclusion in the sector has three dimensions – geographical distribution of farm credit, more long-term credit, and larger role of cooperatives.

3. Representatives from poultry industry in Asia will gather in Hyderabad for three days from November 25 to discuss the status of the industry, challenges and opportunities. About 700 delegates from 40 countries would attend the conference.

4. Odisha Government asks Centre to reduce crop loan interest due to drought.

5. There is an imperative need to usher in another green revolution in the agricultural sector to optimise production by adopting sustainable farming techniques, according to Andhra University Vice-Chancellor.

6. Israel is offering the latest technology to farmers to improve production and there is scope for increasing vegetable and fruits production in Tamil Nadu by four times, as per Acting Consul General of Israel.

Global Agriculture, Food & Nutrition udpates - 23Nov'15 !

1. USDA injects $56m to improve Ghana poultry sector and the funding is targeted at improving poultry health and feed stocks.

2. Cultivian Sandbox leads $5 million raise for Los Alamos-based data analysis company Descartes Labs,  to convert a glut of agriculture data into useful information for precision agriculture.

3. USDA (U.S.Department of Agriculture) commits $350m to preserve farmland.

4. While investors from China and several other countries has shown interest, Australia blocks sale of S Kidman & Co Farm Lands to foreign investors.

5. Malnourished children in Kenya are to receive €4.5m nutrition supplements as part of a UNICEF-backed programme.

6. After an “exhaustive and rigorous scientific review” the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally given AquaBounty Technologies the green light to introduce the first genetically engineered (GE) animal (Salamon Fish) to the human food supply.

7. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that glyphosate, a herbicide used on food crops, is unlikely to cause cancer and recommends raising safety levels.

8.  In fiscal year (FY) 2015, U.S. agriculture and related exports to China totaled $25.9 billion, comprising approximately 16 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports.

India Agriculture, Food & Nutrition udpates - 23Nov'15 !

1. Faced with fodder shortage in the country which is about 35.6 per cent of green fodder and about 10.9 per cent of dried fodder, Indian Agriculture Minister said the government will bring out a national fodder policy to boost domestic production.
2. Indian farmers have grown winter-sown crops on 24.22 million hectares so far this year, down 12.6 percent from a year earlier.
3. According to latest estimates, Agriculture accounts for about 15 percent of India's $2 trillion economy, with three-fifths of its 1.25 billion people depending on it for their livelihood.
4. India's sugar production rose by 33 per cent to 7.61 lakh tonnes till November 15th in the current marketing year on higher output.
5.  The Government proposes to merge all existing schemes in the fisheries sector with an outlay of Rs 3,000 crore.
6. With less than a month to go for the 10th WTO ministerial meet in Nairobi, a substantial package acceptable to all members looks increasingly elusive. The informal session on agriculture negotiations failed to narrow the differences between members on a range of issues viz. Elimination of subsidies by end of 2018 for developed & by 2021 for developing countries, Objections raised by Australia on Sugar subsidy credits issued by USA to India. Also a consensus on special safeguard measures for poor farmers made by the G-33 group needs to be arrived at. 

India Agriculture & Food updates - 20Nov'15 !

1. Torrential Rains impact in 5 districts of Andhra Pradesh is estimated at 3000 Crores and the state govt requested the centre for an immediate relief of 1000 crores.

2. High levels of environmental pollution have been blamed for being among the causes for elevated vitamin D deficiency in India after a study found that three-quarters of the population did not produce enough of the compound.

3. India’s breakfast cereal market has grown over 22% per year since 2009 as America’s cereal industry awaits a full recovery.

4. The Central Agriculture Minister asked Drought affected states of Bihar, U.P, Odisha, Jharkhand, Telangana and Andhra to submit memorandum to seek relief.

5. Maharashtra government to provide 40 Lakh energy efficient agri pumps to it's farmers by 2019, in an aim to reduce power bills to farmers to a low cost of 85 Paise per unit.

6. The 43rd annual session of International Pepper Community (IPC), an inter-governmental organisation for the promotion of pepper production and trade by the pepper producing countries, will be held at Mysuru from November 22 to 25.

7. Prices of agricultural commodities have shot up by as much as 25 per cent since the merger of Forward Markets Commission FMC) with Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi) six weeks ago.

8. Thailand trade team visits coconut farms in Tamil Nadu. 

 

Global Agribusiness, Food & Nutrition round up - 20Nov'15 !

1. Private companies from China and other countries have shown significant interest in acquiring Kidman Farms, Australia’s biggest agricultural land holdings.

2. Water Management Platform SWIIM Raises $3m Series A from Aussie Family Office.

3. Descartes Labs Raises $5m Series A for Artificial Intelligence Analysis of Agriculture Imagery.

4. General Mills coughed up $820m to buy Annie’s last year. But it has also signaled its intention to invest in brands at an earlier stage in their development via its 301 Inc venturing arm and a recent tie up with equity crowdfunding site CircleUp.

5. Irish dairy and ingredients giant Ganbia is acquiring Californian protein bar specialist thinkThin for $217m (€200m).

6. Swisslog has won a €43m order with Almarai dairy, in Saudi Arabia, to automate its distribution logistics for its operations in Al Kharj, to be completed by 2018.

7. Fonterra is to sell its 50% stake in DairiConcepts, its joint venture with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), to the US dairy giant.

8. The number of ill people in the E. coli outbreak from Chipotle restaurants has been cut from 50 to 37, by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

9. The tie-up between AB InBev and SABMiller could be a threat to Global public health, particularly in emerging markets such as Africa, say scientists while AB InBev pledges positive impact.

10. USDA announced the availability of $350 million to help landowners protect and restore key farmlands, grasslands and wetlands across the nation through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), created by the 2014 Farm Bill.

11. International GPS technology giant Trimble is set to acquire the assets of privately held AGRI-TREND, a Canadian-based company operating the largest network of independent agricultural consultants in North America.

12. One of the biggest startups, AgBiome, has raised over $50 million from venture capital investors to advance its natural fungicide product for use in organic farming, including a $34.5 million investment from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation back in August 2015.

13. Tel Aviv University and Peking University have executed a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint research institute for food security in China’s Shangdong Province.

Global Agriculture, Food & Nutrition updates - 19Nov'15 !

1. Countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (Japan, China etc) currently account for up to 42 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports, totaling $63 billion.
2. Obese people are absorbing less vitamin E when they actually require more to help counteract the effects of metabolic stress, say researchers.
3. A number of specific foods including potato chips, refined grains, processed meats, and soda are all associated with excess weight gain, finds new research.
4. UK palm oil imports were 72% sustainable in 2014 – up from 55% in 2013, according to an annual progress report from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
5. Around the world, more than 3.8 billion adults (52%) had an unhealthy weight in 2014 – 39% were overweight and 13% were obese. A healthy weight is not about the quantity of the kilos in relation to height, but about the quality of these kilos in relation to the body composition.
6.ADM has opened a premix plant in Nanjing, making it the agribusiness group’s third livestock industry targeted facility in China.
7. Most of China’s nine major lysine manufacturers, which between them account for over 61% of the global market, are back up and running, but nearly all of them are still on a go slow, said Chinese based analyst firm CCM.
 

India Agriculture & Food news - 19Nov'15 !

1. The Central Govt has decided to pay a production subsidy of ₹4.50/quintal directly to cane farmers in the 2015-16 season to ensure they get timely payment of arrears amounting to over ₹7,000 crore owed by sugar mills. The move is expected to cost the exchequer about ₹1,147 crore.
2. Potato output to take a hit this season (U.P, West Bengal & Punjab) over bad weather, lack of interest among farmers, prices might as well go up soon.
3. The spike in tomato prices to over Rs 60 per kg due to disrupted supplies from rain-hit South India is "temporary" and rates are expected to ease in coming days, government said.
4. As per an ASSOCHAM study, sugar prices may rise next year as its production is expected to come down, while at the same time farmers are shifting to other crops.
5. Over 5,366 tonnes of pulses have been offloaded in the markets so far out of a total 1.32 lakh tonnes seized from hoarders in raids conducted by the states, a move aimed at boosting supply and easing prices.

6. Continued Torrential rains in the Coastal Andhra Pradesh region (Nellore District) affected 900 crores worth Aquaculture segment.

Global Agriculture, Food & Nutrition updates - 18Nov'15 !

1. AgFunder targets $5m raise for maker of VetGun.

2. Blue Road seeks $500m in first agri buyout fund.

3. Whilst seafood sales are going swimmingly, the chilled processed meat category is under pressure globally, although volume declines could be tempered by value gains, says Euromonitor International.

4. The European Commission has approved the acquisition of The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) and Cobega (Spain) for joint control of Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) in the UK.

5. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that glyphosate, a herbicide used on food crops, is unlikely to cause cancer and recommends raising safety levels.

6. Nearly three quarters of the food and drink marketing seen by children in Scotland is for junk food, according to new research that the Scottish Government will use to push for stricter UK-wide advertising rules.

7. Novozymes has launched a tool to quickly detect the lactose content of milk, allowing producers in emerging markets without costly lab equipment to tap into the free-from trend.

8. Italy’s antitrust agency is investigating seven olive oil producers due to concerns about the quality of products supposed to be the ‘extra virgin’ variety.

9. 3M Food Safety has launched a molecular detection assay for Salmonella and has already gained AOAC PTM certification.

10. Guidelines beefing up potential penalties for food safety and hygiene offences in England and Wales will come into effect from next year.

11. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ) have renewed their memorandum of scientific cooperation on data collection and sharing related to risk monitoring and assessment.

12. Leatherhead Food Research (LFR) is relocating its headquarters from Leatherhead to a new heritage site near Epsom in a £9M move.

13. Many Finnish children are exceeding safe intake levels of heavy metals from food and drinking water, although exposure is falling, says a new study from the Finnish food safety authority, Evira.

14. Irish dairy and ingredients giant Ganbia is acquiring Californian protein bar specialist thinkThin for $217m (€200m), as it boosts its bar presence.

15. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued three final rules related to Produce Safety, Foreign Supplier Verification Programs and Accredited Third Party Certification under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

16. The £71bn takeover of SABMiller by AB InBev is likely to result in further consolidation among the remaining brewers, a leading expert on large-scale mergers has claimed.

17. The world packaging machinery market will grow by 4.9% over the next three years to reach €40.3bn in 2018, according to Ucima, the Italian Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Association.

18. Tyson Foods is recalling more than 50,000 pounds of chicken wings because of an “off odour” scent, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS).

20. Irish dairy and ingredients giant Ganbia is acquiring Californian protein bar specialist thinkThin for $217m (€200m), as it boosts its bar presence.

21. Around the world, more than 3.8 billion adults (52%) had an unhealthy weight in 2014 – 39% were overweight and 13% were obese. A healthy weight is not about the quantity of the kilos in relation to height, but about the quality of these kilos in relation to the body composition.

22. Neogen Corporation has developed a test to detect E. coli O157:H7 which provides results within 12-24 hours.

23. U.S.D.A Deputy Agriculture Secretary and Ghanaian Minister of Food and Agriculture plans to announce two Food for Progress agreements to support agricultural development and trade within Ghana's poultry sector.

24. USDA announced $4.8 million in grants for 74 projects spanning 39 states to support efforts to connect child nutrition programs with local farmers and ranchers through its Farm to School Program.

India Agriculture & Food updates - 18Nov'15 !

1. Grama Bharathi is conducting a conference on Natural Farming for IT & Other professionals who want to involve in farming directly or indirectly. Shri. Subhash Palekar, chief proponent of natural farming would be conducting this event. The objective of the conference is three folds:

•To learn the farm ecosystem and the impact of chemical residue in the agricultural products
•To learn the techniques of natural farming and implement it
•To establish a network of farmers and consumers
http://gramabharthi.org/cnfit/

DATE & TIME: November 28 and 29 , 2015 8 AM to 6 PM [Both days], Breakfast-Lunch provided
VENUE: Sardar Patel Auditorium, Keshav Memorial Institute of Technology [Adjacent lane to Deepak Theatre], Narayanaguda, Hyderabad.

2. India's breakfast cereal market has grown at an annualised rate of just over 22% since 2010, with Kellogg's, Bagrry and PepsiCo Quaker together capturing more than three-quarters of the market.

3. In the latest twist in the long drawn out Maggi noodle saga, India's food regulator FSSAI has petitioned the supreme court to quash an earlier ruling to lift a ban on the popular instant noodles brand.

4. Torrential rains in Andhra Pradesh state resulted in 2.5 Lakh hectares of Paddy crops loss in the twin Godavari districts.

5. India stands at 80th position as per 2015 Global Hunder Index of 104 nations and 12 Crore Hectares of Land has undergone deterioration as protection/preventive measures needs to be taken, the President of India is quoted as saying in 29th Anniversary of Govind Vallabh Pant agricultural university.

6. With an Investment of Rs.1505 crores, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural university will be scaled up to International standards, the Chief Minsiter of A.P is quoted as saying. Also steps will be taken to dig 1 Lakh agriculture bores with a fund increase of Rs.25K to 50K per bore.

7. Barring an extreme weather event, India - the world's second-biggest sugar producer and the top sugar consumer is set to cement its position as a net exporter because of remunerative sugarcane prices.

8. About 60 companies and 500 delegates are expected to participate in the India International Coffee Festival 2016 that will be held in Mumbai from 2016-January 19to 23.

India Agriculture News - 16Nov'15 !

1. India and Brazil signed an MOU agreement to engage in collaborative projects for raising productivity of cattle and buffaloes in a meeting between agriculture ministers(National Dairy Development Board -NDDB and EMBRAPA) of the two countries in New Delhi.
2. Rice prices may surge in the coming months as stocks are depleting fast on the back of deficient rains and fall in output, a study by industry chamber ASSOCHAM said, urging the government to closely monitor prices and stocks as the domestic demand for rice is huge.
3. With crop output decreasing due to heavy rains, Tomato prices reached an all time high of Rs.90 per kilogram for High/Superior grade Tomatoes in Asia's largest Tomato market of Madanapalle in Andhra Pradesh (INDIA). The range of Tomato prices varied from Rs.36 to Rs.90 for low to high quality grades in two telugu states of A.P and Telangana.

4. Due to depression in South of Bay of Bengal, Moderate to Heavy rainfall is being observed in Tamilnadu, Pondicherry, Rayalaseema Regions of A.P in India and the cyclonic trend is expected to continue for the next 2 days.

 

India Agriculture, Food & Nutrition updates - 14Nov'15 !

1. Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) has inserted Bt 1 (Cry1AC Mon531) into a desi variety to solve the two important problems that the farmers face – reduce the duration of the crop and avoid hybrids that guzzle scarce moisture in rain-fed areas.
2. The total area of pulses sown under Rabi crops as on November 13, 2015, is 123.28 lakh hectares," Agriculture Ministry said in a statement.
3. The state-run Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) purchased 87 lakh bales (of 170 kg each) in the 2014-15 marketing year.
4. The Telangana government is preparing ground to give approvals to multinational seed giants to conduct field trials of genetically modified crops (GM Crops).

5. The excess rainfall regime over South Peninsula, including Tamil Nadu, is expected to sustain for another 10 days to at least until November 22, according to latest projections. Apart from Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, South Interior Karnataka and Kerala fall under this region.

Global Agriculture, Food & Nutrition udpates - 14Nov'15 !

1. Blue Road seeks $500m in first agri buyout fund.
2. The Swedish investment firm Kinnevik sells Polish farm business company Rolnyvik for more than $46m, but holds on to agri investments in Russia.
3. AgFunder targets $5m raise for maker of VetGun.
4. Chinese foreign agri investment will recover says Rabobank exec.
5. The European Commission has approved the acquisition of The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) and Cobega (Spain) for joint control of Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) in the UK.
6. Fonterra has started production at its whole milk drying factory in Pahiatua (P3), New Zealand - the first of its kind to be built on an earthquake fault line.
7. Foodborne Salmonella outbreaks accounted for 3,301 illnesses, 225 hospitalizations and 30 deaths, according to an analysis of a reporting system in Canada.

8. Food produced in Israeli-occupied territories, considered illegal under international law, must be clearly labelled as such in EU countries - a decision that has provoked strong opposition from Israel.
9. The Swedish Food Safety Authority (NFA) has urged consumers not to buy products containing DMBA – a novel substance used to replace the banned stimulant DMAA.
10. Novozymes has launched a tool to quickly detect the lactose content of milk, allowing producers in emerging markets without costly lab equipment to tap into the free-from trend.
11. The former CEO of McDonald’s Don Thompson has joined Beyond Meat, the US-based company which aims to replace animal protein with plant protein.
12. Food manufacturers remain sharply divided over FDA proposals to crack down on added sugar, with General Mills and other big names such as Kellogg and Unilever strongly opposed; and Nestlé, Mars, and KIND LLC in favor.
13. Major food commodity prices rose in October, spurred by weather-driven concerns about sugar and palm oil supplies, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
14. A study suggests consumers have positive emotional responses to yogurts that are vanilla-flavored or low in fat.
 

INDIAN Region Agriculture, Food & Nutrition updates - 11Nov'15 !

1. Indian government allowed 100 per cent FDI in five plantation crops, mainly coffee, rubber, cardamom, palm oil tree and olive oil tree via automatic route.

2. India's National Collateral Management Services (NCML) said it has signed a pact with AFGRI, South Africa's largest agri-business company, for collaboration  into areas like cross-border trade flow, grain management and marketing, trade finance and collateral management, inspection, testing and certification, geo mapping, weather intelligence and crop estimation

3. $90m Nestlé plant opens in Malaysia;

4. China and India’s grocery markets are set to grow in double digits to US$2.4tr by 2020, according to the latest forecast by food and grocery researchers IGD.

5. Signature International, which already has a production facility built to European standards in the city of Nashik 200 miles north of Mumbai has plans to build 20 flatbread manufacturing plants across the Indian subcontinent within the next five to 10 years.

6. SEAF India fund sees strong US and SE Asia interest targeting to raise $150m. The fund will invest $20m to $25m in small and medium enterprises, including food supply and other agribusinesses in India.

7. The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has entered into three partnerships (CNHFA, UNIDO, CNCA) involving China to boost food safety.

Global Agriculture, Food & Nutrition updates - 11Nov'15 !

1. The 119,000 acre acquisition of Lousiana timberland from the $662m Molpus Fund IV  brings acreage managed by the firm to 1,875,000.

2. Barclays Kenya launches agribusiness unit.

3. Syngenta and DSM team up to bring more biotech into agri.

4. SmartVet has developed a disruptive platform to deliver medication to livestock. Since its product launch in 2014, the company has experienced rapid market adoption with sales of $7M in FY2015.

5. The global bioplastics production capacity is set to increase from around 1.7 million tonnes in 2014 to approximately 7.8 million tonnes in 2019, according to the European Bioplastics association.

6. The chocolate market will exceed $26bn in the US by 2018, according to a recent report.

7. USDA will invest $8 million in the Ogallala Aquifer Initiative (OAI) in Fiscal Year 2016 to help farmers and ranchers conserve billions of gallons of water annually while strengthening agricultural operations.

8. Since the start of the Mississippi River Basin Initiative in 2009, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has worked with more than 600 partners and 5,000 farmers to make conservation improvements on more than 1 million acres in the region.

Indian Region Agriculture updates - 08Nov'15 !

1. China and India’s grocery markets are set to grow in double digits to US$2.4tr by 2020, according to the latest forecast by food and grocery researchers IGD.

2. India's fast food sector continues it's lightning growth, with ASSOCHAM estimating it will grow reach Rs.25000 crore (US$3.8bn) by 2020.

3. Apac cheese market to leap to $15.5bn by 2021.

4. India will screen genetically modified (GM) cotton hybrids on sale in the country to identify the varieties that are resistant to whitefly, a pest that recently caused extensive damages to crops.

5. DestaGlobal, an online marketplace aimed at providing agri-input to farmers, has raised ₹13 crore from its US-based investor Ron Boehm.

6. Indian dairy sector’s wait to enter Russia grows longer , with Russian standards body seeks a meeting with Indian experts on quality issues.

7. The greenhouse rental service is becoming increasingly popular among Haryana farmers, who are growing 6 million seedlings annually by paying a nominal fee to an Indo-Israel vegetable centre at Gharaunda near Karnal.

8. Machine-to-machine (M2M) communications can help save up to 18 to 20 per cent of product cost in agriculture and bring in revolutionary changes in sectors like transport, healthcare and public distribution.

Global Agricutlure, Food & Nutrition Roundup - 08Nov'15 !

1. Gladstone acquires $4m-worth of Florida farmland.

2. Organic crops are more profitable, but take-up is slow. Organics make up less than 1% of US corn and soy acreage despite higher returns.

3. The commercial distribution of agriculture technologies, and how to get them in front of farmers, is one of the main hurdles that agtech companies and their venture capital partners face, according to speakers at the World Agri-Tech Investment Summit in London this week.

4. ExactTarget Co-Founder Chris Baggott to Create $1bn Company Using Uber and Food Trucks.

5. Rabobank estimates that Agtech companies will Attract Over $4bn in Investment in 2015.

6. The UK government's Agri-Tech strategy was identified a key national industry and was awarded £160 million in funding by the Treasury department.

7. Chilean fund Sembrador raising $50m for permanent crops in Colombia.

8. A study suggesting men consuming two or more sugary drinks per day are more likely to suffer heart failure does not provide conclusive evidence, say medical professionals while industry calls it 'unhelpful'.

9. Eagle Product Inspection has partnered with J-Pak, in Africa, to distribute its x-ray inspection systems for applications including bakery, dairy, snacks, confectionery, cereals and grains. It can also detect contaminants in powdered tea, coffee, baby formula milk powder, fruit juice, plastic bottles of milk, glass bottles and cans of lemonade.

10. Major food commodity prices rose in October, spurred by weather-driven concerns about sugar and palm oil supplies, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

11. The abandonment of the one-child policy in China is expected to grow sales of infant formula by 10-15%, with 1.5-2 million more babies likely to be born each year in the country.

12. Cargill plans to close its chocolate plant in Lititz, Pennsylvania axing 130 jobs in January 2016 as it restructures its manufacturing footprint in its chocolate and cocoa business.

13. A number of specific foods including potato chips, refined grains, processed meats, and soda are all associated with excess weight gain, finds new research.

14. Fears of job losses following the merger of Kraft and Heinz appear to have been realised, as the food giant announced factory closures and job cuts in North America.

15. Helping small-scale farmers and producers in developing countries to access the global marketplace can help to boost nutrition and development, say the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

16. Italian milk and wheat company Newlat has acquired Kraft Heinz’s infant and health foods manufacturing plant in Parma for an undisclosed sum.

17. Nomad has completed its acquisition of Findus becoming the largest frozen food in Western Europe, it announced yesterday.

18. World's biggest rice brand Uncle Ben's and Food giant MARS pledged to sustainable source 100% of their rice by 2020.

19. $90m Nestlé plant opens in Malaysia;

Global Agriculture, Food & Nutrition roundup - 1stNov'15 !

1. Tesco has agreed to the £250M sale of 14 land development sites across southern England, in a further sign that the supermarket race for space has come to an end.

2. Ukraine’s largest poultry producer, MHP, plans to acquire 100,000 hectares (ha) of agricultural land and several businesses inside and outside of the country.

3. The EU plans to offer a €40 million subsidy programme to the Zimbabwean meat and livestock sector, aimed at resuscitating a struggling industry whose processors are operating at well below capacity.

4. Russian meat giant Miratorg is to invest RUB160 billion (US$2.5bn) on production projects in the next five years in an effort to double its pork and beef capacity and increase its international standing.

5. Tetra Pak has launched a new high-capacity extrusion line, considered to be highest in the world, for large scale production of ice cream sticks and sandwiches. It can produce up to 43,200 ice cream products per hour; with the lowest system cost.

6. The Global Dairy Trade (GDT) Price Index declined by 3.1%  - the first fall in the average price on the platform since the beginning of August.

7. Canada has lifted a ban on beef and processed beef from 19 EU member states which has been in place since the 1996 BSE scare.

8. The EU paid up to six times too much for fish under its flagship ‘fishing partnership agreements’, a new report by the Court of Auditors has said.

9. Nestlé has expansion opportunities in developing markets in Asia and Latin America for its leading confectionery brand KitKat, according to the company’s head of chocolate countlines.

10. US Marshals have seized about 5,000 cases of ready-to-eat frozen Jonah crab products processed by Rome Packing due to food safety concerns.

11. An over-simplistic image of impoverished, malnutritioned Africa is being used to push the case for genetically modified organisms (GMOs), a senior Harvard professor has warned.

Global Agriculture Investment roundup - 1stNov'14 !

1. US forms taskforce constituting a group of more than 2 dozen stakeholders will deliver recommendations for exemptions and streamlining measures by 20 November for unmanned drone registrations.

2.  Backed by 280 investors in the first six months of this year, Agtech companies raise record $2bn in first half of year.

3. The 'Seed 2 Growth' venture fund hopes to expand access to healthy, sustainable food through investment in new innovators in agri by raising a capital of $125m fund.

4. Bill Gates-backed Beyond Meat raises $17m Series E and Obvious Ventures, the VC firm set up by Twitter founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone, is understood to be the investor.

5. American Farmland Company launches $55m IPO, offering 6m shares at $8.00 each, but the stocks fell on the first day of trading.

6. Established food and agri businesses must ensure innovative technologies are harnessed with more investment in Agtech, as per Rabobank.

7. Korean venture firm backed by Korean messenging app giant Daum Kakao buys 33% in hi-tech farmer Manna CEA,  moving into controlled environment farming with its new deal.

8. Louis Dreyfus Group, one of the world’s largest agricultural commodity traders, has teamed up with emerging markets firm Bamboo Finance to launch  $50m sub-Saharan Africa fund.

9. Oman and Japan launch $400m agri fund.

10. Australia eyes institutions for $1bn infra and agri fund.

11. An unnamed Chinese-Israeli investor group is expected to add to the $4m Agrinnovation close

-Courtesy: AgriInvestor