AFRICA'S NO.1 FOOD, BEVERAGE & MILLING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

Summit Agricultural Group to invest US$200m in setting up North America’s largest wheat protein facility

Jul 14, 2021Jul 15, 2021 Editor

US — Summit Agricultural Group is acquiring Prairie Horizon Agri-Energy, a US-based biorefinery, in an effort to expand its presence in North America’s wheat protein processing sector. Prairie Horizon is a renewable fuel corn ethanol producer with a production capacity of 40 million gallons per year. Summit Agriculture, however, plans to convert the facility into one of the largest wheat protein processing facilities in North America. To achieve this goal, the company plans to invest US$200 million in the development of the ingredients plant and is expected to be operational within two years. The wheat protein produced at…

Russia allows import of Pakistani rice after a 2-year ban

Jul 9, 2021Jul 9, 2021 Editor

RUSSIA – Russia has allowed the import of rice from Pakistan, lifting a 2 yearlong ban that had denied Pakistani farmers access to a market that at its peak use to import rice valued at US$40 million Russia banned the import of rice from the country in May 2019 after Khapra beetle was detected in a Pakistani rice consignment. The decision to greenlight Pakistani rice was reached after intense negotiations between representatives from both governments. With the new development, four Pakistani establishments located in Karachi, Lahore, and Chiniot will now be…

Morocco to reduce reliance on grain imports in anticipation of triple grain out-put in 2021/22

Jul 5, 2021Jul 5, 2021 Editor

MOROCCO – Morocco is set to register a ten-year high production average of grains in MY 2021/22 by 26.3%, following a bumper harvest due to favourable weather conditions. This was revealed by the Ministry of Agriculture, forecasting total wheat and barley production at 9.8 million metric tons, reflecting a vast increase of 206%, from production out-put registered in MY 2020/21. The total production estimates for the period under review include, 4.8 MMT of common wheat, 2.4 MMT of durum wheat, and 2.6 MMT of barley. In a bid to protect…

Algeria rejects French, Canadian wheat cargo deemed unfit for consumption

Jun 23, 2021Jun 24, 2021 Editor

ALGERIA – Algeria was recently met with a shocking surprise after two dead animals were found in two separate batches of wheat cargo. The incident forced the government of rejected the shipment of 27,000 tonnes of French milling wheat, indicating it was unfit for consumption. According to the reports by Reuters, Algerian authorities are seeking compensation for the shipment, which was be sent back to France. The North African country has also rejected a cargo of 33,000 tonnes of Canadian durum wheat for not meeting specifications, local media outlet Ennahar…

Argentina annual sugar production projected to fall 1.55m tonnes due to unfavorable weather

May 3, 2021May 3, 2021 Editor

ARGENTINA – Sugar production in Argentina is forecast to fall by as much as 1.55 million tons, raw value, due to early season dryness which is expected to negatively impact yields, according to latest projections by the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA). USDA further projects that the domestic use of sugarcane for ethanol is expected to grow while sugar exports are projected to fall 8% to 220,000 tons largely due to a smaller sugar supply. Meanwhile, Venezuelan sugar production is projected upwards to 190,000 MT In market year (MY) 2021/22.…

Ghanaian rice producers increase local out-up by 5% as country rallies towards self-sufficiency

Apr 22, 2021Apr 22, 2021 Editor

GHANA – Domestic rice production in Ghana is expected to jump by 5% to 600,000 MT in the Marketing Year 2021/22, a rise from the previous year’s estimate of 570,000 MT. The increase in production is attributed to expansion of area put under rice cultivation, in line with the country’s plan of becoming self-sufficient in regards to the crop, indicates USDA in a GAIN report. Rice is grown throughout all regions of Ghana. However, the top five production areas are the Volta, Northern, Upper East, Ashanti, and Western in descending…

Kenya’s demand for grains to surpass local production forcing reliance on imports

Apr 21, 2021Apr 21, 2021 Editor

KENYA – Kenya is a diverse country with many agro-ecological zones (AEZs) which makes it ideal for agriculture production. However, the country is expected to remain a net importer for corn, wheat, and rice in the Marketing Year 2021/22 as local production does not match demand levels. According to a GAIN report prepared by USDA, the East African nation is expected to produce 4 million MT of its staple grain, corn, during the period under review. This will be against consumption levels of 4.5 million MT due to a rise…

Central Bank of Nigeria to place sugar, wheat on foreign currency restriction list

Apr 17, 2021Apr 17, 2021 Editor

NIGERIA – The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced plans to halt foreign currency for sugar and wheat imports, as the country tries to conserve national foreign reserves. According to reports by Naira Metrics, the plan was disclosed by the apex bank via its verified Twitter handle, in a statement credited to the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele. The tweet stated, “Sugar and Wheat to go into our FX restriction list. We must work together to produce these items in Nigeria rather than import them. #Emefiele.” In 2015, the bank listed…

Paraguay, Indonesia to record uptick in grain production in latest USDA projections

Apr 16, 2021Apr 16, 2021 Editor

GLOBAL – Cereal production in Paraguay and Indonesia is expected to rise in the 2021-2022 market due to higher acreage and yield, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). In Paraguay, the USDA projects that a reduction in soybean and zafrinha corn production will free up more idle acres for wheat sowing resulting in an estimated 1.2 million tonnes being produced. The US agency further projects wheat exports for the 2021-2022 market year to increase to 500,000 tonnes, the highest in…

Attractive prices lure Brazilian farmers to corn cultivation, production expected to hit 105m tonnes

Apr 9, 2021Apr 9, 2021 Editor

BRAZIL — Despite a smaller-than-expected first crop and delayed planting of second, Brazil corn produce is expected to reach a record 105 million tonnes in the 2020-21, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA in its report noted that corn production is expected to increase thanks to elevated domestic demand and record-setting prices which make the crop more attractive to Brazillian farmers. The Agency attributes boosted domestic corn prices to strong demand from the poultry and livestock sectors, the growing…