Berita Arkib

8/30/2004 - DIET trends aren't just for adults anymore. A new obsession ofAmerica's food, beverage and restaurant companies is thwarting childhoodobesity. With more nutritious products, healthier menus and new activityprograms, the companies have begun a big push aimed at the youngestgeneration.

8/31/2004 (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER) DUMAGUETE CITY - Coconut farmers andcopra traders in Negros Oriental have vowed to work together to preventthe loss of the country's biggest foreign copra market-the European Union(EU).

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (Dow Jones)--Rainfall in Malaysian palm oil regions wasbelow normal during the first January-June 2004 and palm oil yields may bereduced from what they otherwise would have been in late 2004 and early2005, according to information from the U.S. Department ofAgriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service web site.However, based on rainfall over the past 10 quarters, Malaysian palmoil yields should to be near trend overall during the next year and ahalf. Production levels should trend higher as area under oil palmcontinues to expand at a fairly consistent rate.Rainfall in the first two quarters of 2004 averaged 139 millimetersbelow normal across Malaysia. It rained 159 millimeters per month, on aweighted average basis, during the first quarter and 167 millimeters permonth during the second quarter, that is 13 and 33 millimeters belownormal respectively, the report said. This should result in near toslightly below normal palm oil yields from October 2004 through March 2005because low rainfall reduces pollination, which reduces yield 6 to 9months after the low rainfall event.Examining the last 10 quarters, above normal rainfall was receivedduring 4 of the quarters, and below normal rainfall was received duringthe other 6 (see Malaysia Rainfall graph). As a result, output levelsshould be fairly close to trend during the next 6 quarters, but belownormal output is expected from October 2004 to March 2005. Conversely,better than normal yields are expected during July to September 2004 andfrom April to December 2005, the report said.An examination of historical yields indicates that deciding whatnormal yields are is a bit problematic. The lagged rainfall effectresulted in rather poor yields from 1997/98 to 1999/2000 when yieldsaveraged 3.63 tons per hectare, but the lagged rainfall effect resulted infavorable yields from 2001/02 to 2002/03. Additionally, there has been agenerally rising yield trend since 1991/92, as improved varieties ofplanting material have becomeavailable to oil palm plantations.The Malaysia Palm Oil Board has released area-under-oil-palm-data for2003, indicating that area expansion is continuing at about the same levelas in previous years. The Board put mature area at 3.30 million hectares,up 115,000 hectares from 2002. The growth in area was 183,000 hectares in2002 and 63,000 hectares in 2001. Mature area increased an average of128,000 hectares per year over the last ten years. Immature area is areathat has been planted but has not yet begun to produce fruit. It takes 3to 4 years from planting until palm trees are mature enough to producetheir first fruit bunches. Total area under palm, mature and immature, was3.80 million hectares in 2003. Total area increased 132,000 hectares in2003 compared to a 10-year- average growth of 150,000 hectares.Using Malaysian rainfall data, yield for 2003/04 (Oct.-Sept.) isestimated by the Malaysia Rainfall Regression Model (MRRM) at 4.00 tonsper hectare, which is above the 5-year-average of 3.91 tons per hectare,but below the 10- year trend of 4.20 tons per hectare. This projectionwould give a production level of 13.2 million tons (using a harvested areaof 3.30 million hectares), with one quarter remaining in the marketingyear. The projected level is less than USDA's August forecast of 13.4million tons. The USDA is giving credit to increased fertilizerapplications and the use of improved selections of oil palm for higheryields that have been seen recently. The MRRM projects yield for 2004/05at 3.77 tons per hectare, and that would give a production level of 13.0million tons using harvested area projected at 3.46 million hectares.This is less than the 13.8 million tons forecast by USDA in August.Note: The MRRM linear regression model uses rainfall lagged 3quarters, 1- year cumulative rainfall lagged 6 quarters, and time asindependent variables regressed against yield. Because of thecharacteristics of linear regression, the model continues to increaseprojected yields even as rainfall becomes excessive; thus, the model tendsto overstate yield when average monthly rainfall lagged 3 quarters isabove 300 mm, and understate yield when rainfall is optimal. A variety ofinformation sources are used in determining official USDA estimates forMalaysian palm oil.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 (Bernama) -- The decision on agriculture, made by theWorld Trade Organization's (WTO) General Council (GC) last month, wouldhelp address the high tariffs imposed on Malaysia's agricultural products,especially palm oil.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Asian cash palm oil prices were higherFriday, with products in Malaysia extending gains as the futures marketcontinued on its uptrend amid keen short covering interest.Indications of renewed demand from India for palm oil products alsolifted the Malaysian market, traders said.At the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives, the benchmark CPO futures contractwas at 1,538 ringgit ($1=MYR3.8) at 0717 GMT, up MYR25 from Thursday totouch its highest level in about two months.Traders said technical momentum turned bullish after the benchmarkcontract surpassed the MYR1,500 psychological resistance level Thursday.The breach of the key level triggered a wave of short covering as shortposition holders bought back to cut their losses."We're in a technically-driven market now and it appears that theremay be some room for the market to go up further. In terms offundamentals, there's nothing new to support this (rise)," a trader said.Traders said the sudden turnaround in the market has triggered somefresh demand from consumers, led by India.They said trading houses dealing with the Indian market were activelybuying palm oil products Friday.Indian demand for palm oil is usually strong at this time of the yearahead of major religious festivals later in the year, they said.The country has to rely heavily on imports because its owndomestically-produced oils won't be available until the fourth quarter,traders said.Atul Chaturvedi, vice president of Adani Exports, one of India'sbiggest trading houses, said Wednesday edible oil imports may rise in themarketing year beginning Oct. 1 because of lower domestic output.He said it was "highly unlikely" oilseeds production this year wouldmatch the 25 million tons produced in the last financial year ended March31.In the cash market, CPO for September shipment was offered atMYR1,585/ton, up MYR15 from Thursday, delivered basis in South Malaysia.RBD palm olein for September shipment was offered at $452.5/ton, up $5from Thursday,RBD palm oil for September shipment was offered at $442.5/ton, also up$5.In Indonesia, RBD palm olein in Jakarta was offered at 4,600 rupiah($1=IDR9,275), up IDR200 from Thursday.There were no prices for CPO in Medan so far, traders said.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Brazil's federal governmentplans to allow the blending of 2 percent biodiesel in diesel fuel beforethe end of 2004, the agriculture ministry said on Thursday."Brazil has a large number of products, such as soybeans, sunflowerseed, castor beans and oil palm, with which to produce biodiesel," theministry said in a statement.It said that the green fuel won't reduce engine performance and wouldreduce diesel imports and create jobs, especially in family farming.The government aims to increase the biodiesel blend to 5 percent withinfive years.The official news agency Agencia Brasil said that a 2 percent biodieselblend could create more than 150,000 family farming jobs in 2005 due toincreased demand for castor beans and other agricultural raw materials.Use of locally produced biodiesel would also reduce diesel imports,estimated at 6 billion liters annually and 16 percent of total dieselconsumption, it added.

BEIJING, Aug 26 Asia Pulse - It is expected that China's oil crops supplywill be sufficient in the 2004/2005 year, and the supply of edible oil mayeven go surplus.

CHICAGO, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Asian soybean rust fungus has not beendetected in Iowa soybean fields, despite recent farmer concerns about adisease that turns upper leaves a yellowish-brown or rusty color, an IowaState University professor said."We want to reassure Iowa soybean growers that soybean rust has notbeen found anywhere in the United States this year, and it appears thatthe disease will not arrive at all during the 2004 growing season," GregTylka, Iowa State University professor of plant pathology in a statement,said in a statement late Wednesday.Iowa was the second-largest U.S. soybean producing state last year.Soybean rust, which has cut South American soybean yields, has neverbeen reported in the continental United States, the world's top soybeanproducer. Hawaii was infected in 1994.However, scientists believe the windborne fungus will spread into theUnited States once it moves north of the equator.On Thursday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman saidshe had no confirmation that the disease had been found in Cali, Colombia,about 5 degrees north of the equator.The USDA estimates an outbreak of Asian soybean rust could cost U.S.farmers between $640 million and $1.3 billion in its first year.Instead of rust, Iowa farmers appear to be seeing Cercospora leaf spotdisease or sunburn, which causes the undersides of leaves to turn a bronzecolor, Tylka said. Yield loss from Cercospora leaf spot is usually slight,he added.Cercospora leaf spot can be seen at the beginning of the pod-fillingstage as a mottled purple to orange discoloration of the uppermost leaves,he noted. While the discoloration is most visible on the undersides ofleaves, it can also be seen on the upper leaf surfaces.When the plant is approaching maturity, the leaves will turn orange orbronze, he said.Severe infection can cause the early death of leaves, while infectionof the seeds can cause a purple discoloration of the seed coat which cancause poor seed vigor and reduced germination if planted the next year,Tylka said."Cercospora leaf spot is fairly common in Iowa during this time of thegrowing season, and turns the upper soybean leaves a yellowish brown colorthat some might describe as 'rusty' looking," Tylka said.

WASHINGTON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - New Chinese regulations will not hinderthe country's imports of American soybeans and other commodities, the Bushadministration said on Thursday following a meeting with a Chineseofficial."The assurances provided by the government of China today should helpalleviate the concerns of farmers and exporters as they prepare for thefall harvest and shipping season," said Allen Johnson, the top U.S.agriculture trade negotiator.China is a vast market for U.S. and South American soybeans. In 2003,the United States shipped almost $2.9 billion worth of soybeans to Chinaand Hong Kong, making it the largest export crop.Johnson and U.S. Agriculture Undersecretary J.B. Penn met on Thursdaywith acting Chinese Ambasssador Lan Lijun about the import regulationdealing with inspection permits that American officials said inhibitedsoybean trade.According to a U.S. government statement, China said the new regulationwas intended to extend the validity of quarantine inspection permits tosix months from three months "and would not interfere with U.S. exports ofsoybeans to China."Soybean trade with Brazil and Argentina has been disrupted in recentmonths because of Chinese concerns about a fungicide called carboxin.In past years, U.S. soybean exports have been interrupted by unclearrules pertaining to genetically-modified crops, such as American-grownsoybeans.

8/27/2004 PANAFRICAN NEWS AGENCY (PANA) DAILY NEWSWIRE - Accra, Ghana -The Ghana Foods and Drugs Board has warned exporters of palm oil to desistfrom mixing the commodity with chemicals injurious to the health ofconsumers.

8/27/04 INDIA (Oilmandi) - RECENT news reports uncovering the highlyirregular clearance of edible oil consignments at lower rate of customsduty than applicable, especially in minor ports such as Bedi in Jamnagar(Gujarat), have unnerved many players.

Saturday August 28, 2004 - Sime Darby Bhd's unaudited results for the yearended June 2004 were within expectations. In addition, the management saysearnings for financial year 2005 are likely to grow by an uninspiring 3%to 4%. Naturally, most of the analysts' latest recommendations are equallytepid.