A 42% increase in the production of pineapples in the last four years is due to higher yields, not by an increase in planted areas.
The strong increase in the production of the product in the period 2009-2013 can be attributed to an improvement in yields on already cultivated land and not to an increase in the amount of areas planted, explain industry representatives. In the same period exports increased by 44%.
Months after its legislative approval, the Coffee Trust is to receive funds to support the sector affected by rust.
Last Friday the Comptroller General of the Republic ratified a contract for the Coffee Trust. For months several administrative obstacles had delayed approval of the trust which will be used to provide support to producers affected by the coffee rust fungus.
A request by the National Rice Corporation for a protectionist trade measure is being analyzed by the government.
The Costa Rican government is discussing the possible application of a safeguard measure on imports of rice from Argentina and Uruguay. The measure was requested by the National Rice Corporation (Conarroz).
"The review process has been started and now we will wait and see.
The Japanese market for pork, organ meats, sausages and pork derivatives coming from Costa Rica has reopened.
The next step in the process is identifying companies interested in exporting pork products to the Asian nation.
From a press release issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock:
"After a process that began in 2012 under the framework of the objectives of the National Swine Commission, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan recently announced to the authorities of the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) at the Ministry of Agriculture, that this country recognizes the status of Costa Rica as a country free of swine fever and has reopened its market not only pork, but also offal and other derivatives as well as pork sausages."
The extension of the deadline for the implementation of the decree that eliminates the rice price fixing mechanism, represents a transfer of $75 million from the pockets of consumers towards the rice sector.
For years other countries have criticized the pricing of rice in Costa Rica considering it a subsidy and violation of defined limits.
" ... The maximum allowance agreed for the sector is $15.94 million per year but for 2013 it has been estimated at $75 million. Violation of the agreement is grounds for a complaint, which could attract sanctions against Costa Rican exports from some partners."
A year after the declaration of a state of emergency by the government because of the rust blight, 25,000 farmers are still waiting for the bureaucracy to enable the operation of a $40 million trust fund.
The money has already been deposited in an account with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), but the Comptroller General of the Republic must endorse the trust no later than January 17th.
A new regulation imposes more requirements, more costs and creates more bureaucracy for SMEs who produce food for the local market.
From a press release issued by the Costa Rican Chamber of Food Industry:
"The Costa Rican Chamber of Food Industry (CACIA by its initials in Spanish) is requesting the Government to suspend regulations of the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) that are in process.
Costa Rica needs 75,000 coffee pickers for the harvesting which starts in November and another 7,350 people to harvest sugar cane and melon.
This was announced by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MTSS) who in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agro-Industrial Sugarcane League (LAY) and the Costa Rican Coffee Institute (iCafe), conducted a campaign to find those 82,350 employees for the harvest season which runs from November to April.
The international crisis and exchange rate fluctuations caused the sector to export 7% less during the first seven months of 2013 than in the same period of 2012.
The Costa Rican agricultural sector is not experiencing good times. Nacion.com reports: "According to the monthly index of economic activity (MIEA), the agricultural sector has registered a decline since August 2012, when it grew by 4.46%.
Although the country is a major consumer of avocados, only 10% is produced domestically, with $20 million worth being imported every year.
From a press release issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG):
The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), Gloria Abraham Peralta and Deputy Minister Tania Lopez Lee opened on July 23 the IV Latin American Congress on Avocados, Costa Rica 2013, home to more than 300 participants who consisted of producers, researchers , traders and the general public, who sought expand and share experiences on the culture.
There were 1,575,779 head of cattle on 45,780 ranches, an increase of 14.2% compared to the figures reported in 2011.
From a press release issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG):
In our country, the cattle herd is 1,575,779 head of cattle and there are 45,780 cattle farms, these are the results of a livestock survey, presented on Tuesday by Gloria Abraham, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and Leonardo Luconi , President of the Livestock Corporation (CORFOGA).
The visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping resulted in concrete facts that indicate the interest of Asian country for Central America, and consolidate Costa Rica as their bridgehead to the region.
Elfinancierocr.com has reported on the most relevant of these acts, the signing of a $400 million loan at a very low interest rate, to finance the expansion of a major road linking the capital of Costa Rica with the main port of the country.
The Costa Rican and Chinese Technical Teams met to begin negotiations to expand the supply of agricultural products from the Central American country.
"The delegations were led by the Costa Rican Minister of Agriculture, Gloria Abraham, and Chinese Vice Minister Sun Dawei, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of PRC (AQSIQ, by its acronym in English)" , reported Elfinancierocr.com.
The National Rice Corporation and the Government have agreed to move towards an alternative to the price fixing scheme.
"It was also decided to establish a process of transition to manage the market and increase productivity in the sector, which should be ready this week," reported Elfinancierocr.com.
The agreement came after the results of the study entitled "Current Mechanism for the estimation and identification of rice prices under the context of the marketing chain," conducted by the Institute of Economics at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) , which indicates that currently, price fixing does not take into account various aspects of the reality of the national and international market.
Costa Rica and Canada have recognized the equivalence of regulations governing the accreditation and certification of organic agricultural products in both countries.
This agreement "... allows free passage for Costa Rican exporters, dedicated to this subsector, to export to the U.S. market," noted an article in Elfinancierocr.com.
Rice, bananas, banana purée, cocoa, coffee, sugarcane, blackberries, oranges, noni, pineapples, aloe, legumes, vegetables, fruits and spices are some of the organic products that can enter the Canadian market.
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