06 Foreign News @ AGROBiz | November-December . 2024
Growing exports
06 Foreign News @ AGROBiz | November-December . 2024
Bird flu crosses over
IN A first for the United States , H5N1 bird flu has been detected in a pig , raising alarm among experts concerned about the virus ’ s potential to adapt and spread .
Since pigs can carry both human and animal influenza viruses , they are known as “ mixing vessels ”, - increasing the risk of gene swapping that could produce a virus more infectious to humans .
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) Consultant and Epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina : “ If a pig is infected with human and bird flu strains , then the virus can switch genes .
“ And when this happens , the virus could become more adaptable to human spread and then become a pandemic .”
The discovery was made on a backyard farm in Oregon , where mixed livestock and poultry shared resources like water and shelter , conditions that heighten the risk of cross-species virus transmission .
The US Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) confirmed one positive case out of five pigs tested ; other results were either negative or pending . Notably , the infected pig showed no symptoms of illness .
While the USDA ’ s genomic sequencing of infected poultry has not shown any genetic changes in the H5N1 virus that would increase transmissibility to humans , health officials remain on alert .
According to the CDC , 39 human cases of bird flu have been reported in the ongoing outbreak , primarily affecting farmworkers with close contact with sick animals .
An investigation is underway to understand how the virus reached the pigs .
While Jetelina noted that the overall risk of further transmission is currently low , she emphasised the need for vigilance , especially as flu season approaches , to prevent further opportunities for the virus to evolve .
Global rice relief
RICE prices have started to decline globally after India , the world ’ s top rice exporter , lifted its restrictions on non-basmati rice exports in September 2024 .
This policy shift is anticipated to ease inflation pressures in ricereliant regions such as Southeast Asia and Africa , where import costs have surged .
As of last week , the benchmark Thai rice price dropped to US $ 529 per tonne — a decrease of 8 per cent from the previous month and 21 per cent lower than the peak seen in January 2024 .
India ’ s restrictions , initially imposed in July 2023 , aimed to safeguard its local supply and control rising prices amid supply challenges . Poor harvests have driven prices up by over 30 per cent , but the Indian government ’ s recent decision to lift the ban is credited with cooling international rice prices .
When India paused exports , it contributed to an over US $ 100 rise in the benchmark price early in the year .
According to the US Department of Agriculture ( USDA ), India ’ s role in the global rice market is substantial , accounting for 37 per cent of the world ’ s rice exports , totalling 20.25 million tonnes in the 2022-23 period .
As production is expected to increase this year , the USDA projects a 1.7 per cent rise in global rice output for 2024-25 , reaching a record 530 million tonnes .
Moreover , India ’ s harvest is anticipated to grow by 3 per cent due to favourable rains , further boosting supply .
Nevertheless , the lower prices bring hope for inflation relief in import-dependent countries like the Philippines , Nigeria , and Indonesia .
The Philippines , where rice heavily influences the consumer price index , already reduced import tariffs in June 2024 to counter soaring costs . Experts also expect that the price drop will contribute to lower inflation and improve household purchasing power across affected regions .
Growing exports
EGYPT has seen a 32 per cent rise in agricultural exports in 2024 , with total exports reaching US $ 4.1 billion during the first ten months of the year .
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation , this marked a significant increase of US $ 1 billion compared to the same period in 2023 . The total volume of agricultural goods exported surpassed 7.1 million tonnes .
Among the top exports , citrus fruits lead with 2.2 million tonnes , followed by potatoes at 0.9 million tonnes . The country aims to push this figure further , setting a goal to export 10 million tonnes of fresh produce alongside other food products .
This growth is being driven by large-scale agricultural development projects , including the New Delta project , which is expanding Egypt ’ s agricultural area by more than four million acres .
Currently , 2.2 million acres of
this land are already in use .
In addition to land expansion , Egypt has strengthened its export infrastructure by launching a new shipping service that connects the Dekheila port in Alexandria to Russian ports in Novorossiysk and St Petersburg .
The service , operated by Global Logistics in partnership with Fox Shipping , will make two weekly trips , providing faster delivery to Russian markets .
With the capacity to carry up to 700 refrigerated containers per week , the service aims to support the growing demand for Egyptian agricultural goods in Russia .
This new shipping initiative is also part of Egypt ’ s broader plan to enhance its agricultural export sector and establish itself as a critical player in the global food trade , especially in the Russian market , which has seen rising demand for Egyptian produce .