Berita Arkib

WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Led by dilapidated tractors and a lonemule, dozens of black farmers on Thursday marched near the U.S.Agriculture Department to demand compensation for decades of racialdiscrimination that they claim has shut them out of billions of dollars infederal subsidies."This administration has turned a deaf ear to a group of people whodeserve restitution," said John Boyd, president of the National BlackFarmers Association.The farmers, who live mostly in the South, accuse the USDA of notabiding by a 1999 landmark agreement to pay producers who werediscriminated against. In the settlement, the department promised to payat least $50,000 to each affected black farmer.However, the protesters claim few farmers have actually received theirmoney after three years of waiting."Where's our 40 acres?" Philip Haynie, a Virginia farmer, toldreporters while pulling a mule. "We just want what we are entitled to. Wedon't want handouts, just to be treated fairly."The number of black farmers in the United States has steadily dwindledin the past decades, representing about 1 percent of American producers.The protesters claim USDA officials denied their applications for billionsof dollars in farm assistance because of the color of their skin.Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, who was in Oregon on Thursday withPresident George W. Bush, has said the administration was committed toensuring black farmers were fairly treated.

BOGOTA, Colombia, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Colombia, the world's fourth-largestproducer of palm oil, produced 276,700 tonnes in the first six months of2002, down 7.1 percent against the same period last year, a top industrygroup said on Monday.Production in the first half of 2001 reached 297,800 tonnes.The National Federation of Palm Oil Producers (Fedepalma) said exportsin the January-June period reached 58,792 tonnes, down 30.9 percent fromthe 85,064 tonnes shipped in the same period last year.Fedepalma blamed lower exports on less oil extracted and what it saidwere trade restrictions imposed by Venezuela and Mexico.Fedepalma estimates Colombia will produce 580,000 tonnes of palm oilthis year, of which 144,000 tonnes would be exported.Last year, Colombia's palm oil production rose to 547,200 tonnes, up4.4 percent against the 524,000 turned out in 2000.

Tuesday, August 20, 2002 (The Star) - Primary industries minister DatukSeri Dr Lim Keng Yaik hopes that the Sabah state government will deferincreasing the sales tax on the sale of crude palm oil as the oil palmsector has just recovered from poor prices of the last two years.At present, Sabah charges a five percent sales tax for every 1,000 tonnesor more of CPO sold while Sarawak charges 2.5 percent for sales of between1,000 and 1,500 tonnes and five percent for sales of more than 1,500tonnes.Speaking to reporters after meeting Sabah chief minister Datuk Chong KahKiat here today, Dr Lim said he hoped that the Sabah state governmentwould reduce the tax to be equivalent to those charged by the Sarawakstate government.He said the higher sales tax would put smallholders at a disadvantagebecause state governments in Peninsular Malaysia did not impose any salestax on CPO.“Plantation companies in Sabah had just recovered after what they sufferedin the last two years and I hope they will be given time to recover beforenew additional charges are to be considered. I hope the Sabah stategovernment will listen to my appeal which I am doing on behalf of the oilpalm industry in Sabah,” he saidWith one million hectares of land suitable for oil palm cultivation inSabah, he said additional charges might make potential investors hesitantto come to the state and in turn this would affect the future developmentof the crop. – Bernama

PARIS, Aug 22 (Reuters) - The European Union plans to allow Germanfarmers to receive hundreds of millions of euros in advanced aid tocompensate them for widespread damage caused by recent rains and flooding,EU officials said on Thursday.The decision, by the EU's grain management committee, still has to beofficially rubber-stamped by the European Commission, probably onWednesday, officials said.It will allow some 516 million euros in arable sector direct payments,due for the next 2002/2003 financial year, to be paid early.These aids are normally paid between mid-November and end-January, butnow they can be paid out between September 1 and mid-October, officialssaid.Officials said this effectively moved the money from the EU's 2002/2003budget to the current 2001/2002 budget. The EU's annual agriculture budgetruns from mid-October.

AMSTERDAM, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Rapeoil prices in Europe were expected toremain volatile in the near-term as the market digests the effect ofrecent bad weather and demand from the biodiesel sector, European traderssaid on Thursday.Nearby European rapeoil has gained around 13 percent since July 25 despitea pull-back in U.S. soyoil futures. September/October was offered onThursday afternoon at 545 euros per tonne fob exmill, up five fromWednesday evening.Bad weather has forced analysts to cut forecasts for global supplies ofrapeseed this season, but Europe would still see output rise by 300,000tonnes this season to 9.2 million and still have enough to export 700,000tonnes, industry newsletter Oil World said last week.Crop damage from the weather was not as serious as first expected withGermany's harvest seen unchanged and rains not hitting France's good crop,a German trader said."The German area was up so after the lower yield the harvest should beflat. There might be less in Sweden and Poland, but with a good crop inFrance there should be enough thoughout Europe," he said.Higher rapeoil prices was dampening demand from the biodiesel sector,leaving more for the food sector, the trader added. "These prices do notcalculate for biodiesel anymore, it's getting too expensive, so I thinkthey are taking less for biodiesel," he said.

HAMBURG, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Germany's rapeseed prices are beingsupported by hopes of more export deals while domestic consumers aremoving in and out of the market generating good business on individualdays, traders said on Thursday."There were rumours in the German market this week that Mexico wasseeking more German rapeseed but nothing seems to have come of it yet andit remains a rumour," one trader said.In early August a major French export house sold 24,000 tonnes ofGerman rapeseed to Mexico.This was loaded this week onto a ship in the east German port ofRostock for shipment to Veracruz in Mexico, traders said.Lower rapeseed/canola output in Canada and plus an expected reductionin the U.S. soybean crop has increased international purchase interest inEuropean rapeseed.Traders said Germany's market has seen start-stop business so far thisweek with buyers moving in to take advantage of dips in prices caused byweaker prices for Chicago Board of Trade soybean levels."German mills are currently relatively subdued in their purchases, butthey have been dipping in and out of the market," one trader commented."There have been a couple of days with brisk business levels.""German mills still have a substantial supply requirement but areawaiting price developments and they are concerned about uncertain futurerape oil demand," a trader said.Purchases by producers of bio diesel vehicle fuel from rapeseed havealso been low with bio diesel sales said to remain weak.First talks about advanced sales of Germany's 2003 rapeseed crop alsotook place this week.This year's German rapeseed crop is set to fall to around 4 milliontonnes against 4.2 million tonnes but traders said the market has come toterms with this and priced it in.Rapeseed for delivery in Hamburg in August was on Thursday quoted at260 euros, up about 14 euros on the week.

HAMBURG, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Palm oil stocks in the main Asian productioncountries of Malaysia and Indonesia are likely to fall on the year betweenSeptember and the end of December 2002, Hamburg-based newsletter Oil Worldsaid.The newsletter said it is significant that recent palm oil pricestrength occurred although Malaysian and Indonesian production isincreasing seasonally."Foreign demand for Malaysian and Indonesian palm oil is high and as aresult of insufficient production, palm oil stocks in Malaysia andIndonesia will decline below the year-ago level as of end September aswell as until end-December 2002," it said."Average palm oil yields are expected to be down from last year inMalaysia and Indonesia partly due to a decline in the biological yieldcycle following the (palm tree) stress resulting from high production inthe last two years."Other factors cutting output are recent dryness in several productionregions and Malaysia's replanting programme which involved 150,000 oldtrees being cut down up to the end of June this year, it added.

MANILA, Aug 22 (Reuters) - The Philippines said on Thursday it expectsprices of coconut oil in the world market to hit $500 per tonne CIF withan anticipated decline in production output in the country, the world'slargest shipper of the commodity.Danilo Coronacion, administrator of the Philippine Coconut Authority,told reporters that output of copra, or dried coconut flesh from which oilis extracted, is expected to fall to 2.3 million tonnes this year from2.85 million tonnes in 2001.Copra output would fall further to 1.5 million tonnes in 2003."There is a possibility it (coconut oil) might hit $500/tonne CIF dueto anticipated low production in the Philippines, global shortage insupply of fats and oil, and the anticipated decrease in supply in palmoil," Coronacion said.Coconut oil was quoted at $442.50/tonne CIF in Europe as of Wednesday.Analysts have said coconut trees produce smaller and fewer nuts aftertwo years of good output.

08/19/2002(Financial Times Information Limited) - Indonesia expects toexport five million tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO) during `02, of which1.4m tonnes to India alone, the largest edible oil importer in the world."Indonesia is expected to produce 8.5 to nine million tonnes of CPO duringthe current year,'' said the Solvent Extractors' Association of Indiapresident Bipin Patel, who led a 19-member delegation to that countryearly this month.Last year, the total area covered under palm plantations in Indonesia was3.5m hectares, however, the total land available for palm cultivation isover 12m hectares.There is no agriculture land ceiling Act and an individual or company canhold as much land as it desires. "Indonesian government encourages 100%foreign investments in palm plantations,'' Patel said.There are hundreds of small islands in Indonesia having palm plantations.Fruit bunch, after cutting from the tree required to be processedimmediately, otherwise the quality of oil deteriorates.The delegation introduced the technology developed by India underTMO&P/CSIR programme and conveyed that India is in a position to supplysmall palm oil mills of 5 to 15 tonnes Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) per hourcapacity, which can be installed in the remote islands for quickprocessing of FFB."Indonesians particularly the small planters have shown keen interest forknow-how of palm oil mills,'' he added.Meanwhile, Globoil India -- India's premier international conference andexhibition on vegetable oil, feed and feed ingredients, oilseeds, relatedindustries and services, is taking place in Mumbai on September 22 and 23,`02.

8/2/2002 (Business Times) - Firmaplus Sdn Bhd, as licensee of the ThermoTech Technologies that value adds organic wastes and by-products into endproducts, plans to forge a long-term partnership with the oil palmindustry.The technology will enable Firmaplus to convert oil palm biomass intoanimal feed.Malaysia imports an average of between 4.5 million tonnes and 5 milliontonnes of soya- and corn-based feed material a year worth about RM3billion.Firmaplus hopes that its technology can be used to produce ingredientsthat can replace these imported items.This alternative animal feed, considered to be nutritionally superior tocorn, will be made from palm oil mill effluent (Pome) and empty fruitbunches (EFBs) — the portion remaining after the palm kernel is removedwhich resembles a large hedgehog.Though EFBs and the Pome are considered waste products to the palm oilindustry, for Firmaplus they are raw materials required for its endproduct.Following an investment of between US$6 million (US$1 = RM3.80) and US$7million on research and development of the process in relation to the palmoil industry, Firmaplus is now prepared to commence operation and make itsproduct commercially available.Firmaplus executive chairman Ismail Radi told Business Times that for astart, the company hopes to set up 10 plants by the end of next year, eachcosting some US$10 million.These plants, which will be located adjacent to oil palm mills, areexpected to churn out a total of US$180 million in turnover annually.With Firmaplus handling the palm oil industry’s waste, the industry inturn can look forward to lower costs and increased margins as it wouldhave rid itself of waste management processes and expense.At the same time, the livestock business could trim costs by a quarter asit would have an alternative food source. "There is a 25 per cent savingsto breeders," Ismail said.Unlike corn and soya commodities which experience price fluctuations andare likely to be seasonal, Firmaplus’ feed meal will be availablethroughout the year. "We do not see a fluctuation in price," chiefexecutive officer Charles Miller said.The EFB and Pome which are high in nutrients are ground into "soup",fermented and converted into palette-shaped animal feed.With over 380 palm oil mills in the country, Firmaplus sees a hugepotential for growth within the country and expects to bring in foreignexchange once it begins to export its product.In the more immediate term, the company hopes to cater to the needs of thelocal livestock breeders and meet domestic demand for its product.Firmaplus is the master licensee for Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and thePhilppines.

Monday, August 12, 2002 (The Star) - COLUMBIA is keen on using Malaysia’stechnological expertise for the development of large-scale oil palmplantations in its country, said Deputy Minister of Primary Industries,Datuk Anifah Aman in Sandakan last week.He said the Latin American country at the same time was also offeringinvestment opportunities for Malaysian companies to explore new marketsfor palm oil in their country.“They praised Malaysia’s success as the world’s largest producer of palmoil and have called on investors from here to invest in their country,” hetold reporters after presenting a cheque worth RM4.7mil to 20 smallholdersinvolved in the Replanting Incentive Scheme from various parts of Sabah.Anifah who recently visited Columbia said Malaysia was most receptive tothe offer, saying that it offered various possibilities includingincreasing Malaysia’s palm oil market in the country.“The government is studying the matter as the country has a lot to offer.’’As a palm oil producer with a liberal attitude towards competition in theindustry, he said Malaysia was not denying the possibility that Columbiacould one day become a competitor.He said Malaysia was increasing its efforts to market palm oil inIndonesia which has received good response. – Bernama

Monday, August 12, 2002 (The Star) KUALA LUMPUR - Prices of the country’smain commodities have more than doubled following the success of theGovernment’s efforts to raise their prices in the past years, PrimaryIndustries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said.He said the current price for palm oil had increased from RM700 per tonneto RM1,500 per tonne, while the price of Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR20)rose from 185 sen per kilo to 306 sen per kilo.“For cocoa, the price increase is more than double, from RM3,000 per tonneto RM6,500 per tonne, and the price of timber has also increased,” he toldreporters after opening the Selangor Gerakan’s delegates’ conferencehere.Dr Lim said the comparisons were made against last February’s prices ofthe commodities.On the consortium formed between the three natural rubber producers, DrLim said he would be in Thailand next month to set up the headquarters forthe newly formalised pact between Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.