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%.
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 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%.
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.
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.
From 31 July the country’s National Production Council (CNP) will close its doors in Miami.
The CNP’s Miami office represented the interests of smaller export companies and organizations with the US importers and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Farming Minister, Gloria Abraham, told Nacion.com that, “negotiations are underway to transfer some of the CNP’s functions to Costa Rica's export promotion agency, Procomer,” but recognized the roles of the institutions are somewhat different.