Italian-based mineral water brand Ferrarelle has announced a distribution agreement with French multinational Danone.

Mangoes are grown all over the world, yet the number of countries producing mango purée and/or juice for sale on global markets is quite small.

Slovenia's largest brewer Pivovarna Lasko Union has sold its soft drinks production unit Vital Mestinje to the country’s beverages producer Dana for an undisclosed sum.

In the UK, for the four weeks ending April 19, off-trade sales rose by 24% annually in the first full month of lockdown.

Poland exported 40,880 tonnes of fresh apples in March, half the volume that the country exported in February. The months of January through March are traditionally the peak months for fresh apple exports

The price of Thai pineapple juice concentrate, while variable according to a number of factors, seems to have risen to USD2,100 per tonne fob.

Despite sustained growth experienced during 2019 for Spanish seafood canned products, uncertainty in the post Covid-19 context is expected to impact demand, according to the Spanish seafood canning industry body Anfaco-Cecopesca.    

In the last three years, consumption of organic tomato has grown by 15% in volume and 20% in value, and this cultivar represented in 2019 8% out of the total cultivated area of tomato for processing.

Tomato processing capacity is expected to drop by 13% to 2.09 million pounds per hour following the closure of the Olam and Mizkan America processing and packaging plants.

The Thai sweetcorn raw material shortage situation, impacted by drought this year, is foreseen to slightly improve in June as isolated heavy rains started in week 17 across the country. The rainfall peak in the country is expected in Q3.  

Papua New Guinea's Fishing Industry Association (FIA) recently achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) sustainable certification in both its Archipelagic Waters (AW) and Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) for skipjack and yellowfin, a timely move in the context of increasing eco label canned tuna demand in Europe. 

Chinese production of tomato for processing is expected to recover this season thanks to an increase in the planted area and the restart of processing plants.

The International Cocoa Organization’s latest statistical bulletin offered scraps for bulls and bears in the form of trimmed crop estimates but lower grind too, resulting in a slightly smaller global deficit than seen in its previous forecast.

Cocoa prices on Thursday (June 4) settled mixed with London cocoa at a 4-week low, on strength in GBP/USD.

Privately held US agribusiness Cargill said it will no longer issue public releases on quarterly earnings, halting the disclosures that the company has provided since 1996.

Cocoa prices on Wednesday (June 3) settled mixed as they saw some underlying support from the new 2½-month low in the US dollar index but were undercut by ample supplies.

Cocoa arrivals into Ivorian ports are still below year-ago levels this week, though volumes fell by a smaller percentage, exporters estimated.

The ICCO’s has estimated a global drop in cocoa grindings for the 2019/20 season, its first annual decline since 2016.

New York Arabica futures continued two-way trade on day-to-day sentiment.

Coffee producers have harvested 23% of the total planted area for the 2020/21 crop by June 2, less than the 30% level seen in the same period a year ago, local consultancy Safras & Mercados said.

Coffee futures settled lower amid a renewed weakening of the Brazilian currency. A recent strengthening of the Brazilian real had been a supportive factor earlier this week.

Colombian coffee output was up by 6.4% year-on-year in May, the National Federation of Coffee Growers (Fedecafe) said.

Brazilian coffee cooperative Cooxupe said that its producers harvested 8.9% of the planted area by May 29, compared with 11.7% in the same period of 2019.

Arabica coffee futures advanced aided by a surge of the Brazilian real to a two-month high of 5.06 against the US dollar, potentially slowing sales from the world's top coffee exporter, with dollar-denominated global prices now less attractive in local currency terms.

SMP has showed weakness this week, with European futures down for all contracts to the end of Q3, while New Zealand’s futures exchange saw milk powders rise as 2019/20 milk season wrapped up last week.

Saputo secured solid revenue in full year 2020, but adjusted EBITDA was significantly down in the fourth quarter (Q4) on effects of consumer demand shift amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The European Union is offering New Zealand preferential access for up to 6,000 tonnes of butter and up to 15,000 tonnes of cheese under the terms of the planned EU-New Zealand free trade agreement, IHS Markit can reveal.

Argentina’s milk production and prices grew in yearly comparisons this April, according to the Argentine Dairy Directory, linked to the country's Ministry of Agriculture (DNL-MAGyP).

Despite an expected slowdown in the Mexican dairy industry due to the economic crisis, production is to continue slow growth, stimulated by consumption and retail demand.

Brazilian dairy imports and exports saw a reduction in April, with Covid-19 restrictions and currency exchanges likely to have impacted the number of sales, according to the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex).

Macadamias and almonds are showing its growing relevance in health consumption. Companies are offering new products during confinement.

The Mozambican government has announced the inclusion of oilseeds in its agricultural policy, splitting the Cotton and Cashew Instituto into two new departments: the Cotton and Oilseed Institute (IAOM) and the Institute of Nuts (IAM).

Turkish domestic hazelnut prices are rising rapidly, mainly due to negative expectations for the new crop quantity as a result of the frost damage experienced this March.

Due to the drought in Chile over the last year, it is estimated that many of the country’s raisin packers have around 30% less product to offer.

Chile exported 3,000 tonnes of chestnuts, worth USD30.3 million, 71% more in volume and 10 times more in value than in 2018. 

The Australian Macadamia Society (AMS) recently announced that the crop forecast remains unchanged at 36,500 tonnes. However, this is a relatively low output.

Final volumes of strawberry in Poland should be close to last season’s levels, the Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics (IERiGŻ) reported.

Mangoes are grown all over the world, yet the number of countries producing mango purée and/or juice for sale on global markets is quite small.

Cambodia will soon export mangos to China. The two countries are scheduled to ink a protocol on phytosanitary for mango export on June 9 in Phnom Penh, according to the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia.

The Polish ministry of health has pubilished a draft amended regulation enabling producers to manufacture various dried mushroom products.

The Covid-19 pandemic has not halted export of frozen fruit from Ukraine as the country has recorded a 20% increase in volume and 37% in value in the first four months of 2020.

Murray River Organics Group (MRG), the largest Australian organic dried fruit processor, has completed 95% of its dried vine fruit production and has already sold 70% of the expected 2020 raisin crop.

Final volumes of strawberry in Poland should be close to last season’s levels, the Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics (IERiGŻ) reported.

The Covid-19 pandemic has not halted export of frozen fruit from Ukraine as the country has recorded a 20% increase in volume and 37% in value in the first four months of 2020.

Growers’ organisations project a sharp decline in production due to adverse weather conditions hinting at a price increase, but traders and processors think otherwise.

Stay abreast of the latest developments in the global agriculture and food markets influenced by Covid-19 by listening to our IHS Markit Agribusiness podcast.

The Peruvian food trader and processor, Camposol, reported a year-on-year decline for EBITDA from USD6.3 million to USD3.7 mln, while sales rose by 12.3% to USD63.6 mln.

Frost, drought and labour shortage are not enough to convince the Polish fruit industry to pay more for their raw material as first quotes for strawberry for processing circulating in the country are on the low side.

Corn futures closed higher on Friday on short covering.

Wheat futures ended the week lower on harvest pressure and a stronger dollar.

While still worried about a potentially excessive US crop, CBOT corn prices have continued to draw support from a steadily rallying domestic corn ethanol sector and latterly, firmer wheat, a partial rival for animal feed demand.

Dry weather issues in several regions continued to demand caution towards the coming season’s bumper global crop forecast, supporting rises in most wheat price indicators this week.

Corn futures closed higher on Thursday on spillover strength from soybeans and wheat.

Wheat futures rallied higher as weather again was a supportive factor for all three markets.

Brazil’s pork and poultry markets weakened slightly in the final week of May as robust export sales offset softening demand on the domestic market.

Lamb prices in Europe have eased back over the past week, but they remain generally firm overall, as the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions in some countries gives a boost to demand.

European broiler prices have stabilised in recent weeks, with prices rising over the past week to largely cancel out the losses recorded the previous week.

Strong sales to China helped lift Portuguese pork exports to record levels in the first quarter of this year.

More than 40% of Europeans say they are reducing red meat consumption, but a chunk of the remaining consumers are still unwilling to eat less, according to a new report.

A federal grand jury has indicted four current and former chicken company executives on charges of price-fixing, finding they conspired to “suppress and eliminate competition” by rigging bids and fixing prices for broiler chickens.

Soybean futures were steady to higher for a fourth straight session, with the nearby July contract closing steady at $8.67 3/4 per bushel.

The Mozambican government has announced the inclusion of oilseeds in its agricultural policy, splitting the Cotton and Cashew Instituto into two new departments: the Cotton and Oilseed Institute (IAOM) and the Institute of Nuts (IAM).

Canadian and European rapeseed futures trends diverged this week as Winnipeg sagged to the bottom of its recent tight range, then rallied, while Paris rose before softening again.

The long embattled palm oil market was getting a more bullish makeover this week, prices hitting two-month highs amid talk of lower than expected May production and recovering export trade.

Just when exporters were starting to write off hopes of Chinese business, a series of fresh purchases has helped lift the CBOT nearby futures price off the floor.

Soybean futures gained for a third straight session with the nearby July contract up 10 1/4 cents to $8.67 3/4 per bushel.

The government of the Tanzanian state of Zanzibar claimed that many traders are buying cloves directly to farmers. 

Spain’s Council of Ministers has approved a new Royal Decree that modifies an existing Royal Decree on the quality standard for honey, in order to provide consumers with more detailed information on the origin of honey products.

The Mozambican government has announced the inclusion of oilseeds in its agricultural policy, splitting the Cotton and Cashew Instituto into two new departments: the Cotton and Oilseed Institute (IAOM) and the Institute of Nuts (IAM).

The Polish ministry of health has pubilished a draft amended regulation enabling producers to manufacture various dried mushroom products.

Murray River Organics Group (MRG), the largest Australian organic dried fruit processor, has completed 95% of its dried vine fruit production and has already sold 70% of the expected 2020 raisin crop.

The Indian company South Central Railway (SCR) reported that it is transporting spices between the state of Andhra Pradesh (South) and Bangladesh.

Speculative funds raised bets on firmer sugar prices this week, helping to drive nearby raw futures to their highest level since mid-March.

Mexico produced 82,910 tonnes of sugar, tel quel, in the week ended May 13, down from 90,890 in the previous week and compared with 108,466 in the same week last year, industry data showed.

Farmers had sown 931,500 ha to sugar beet by June 4, Ministry of Agriculture data show.

Raw sugar futures in New York rose to a fresh 2-1/2-month high as market sentiment has turned more friendly recently.

Northern Australia’s annual sugar cane harvest kicks off, according to MSF Sugar.

Sugar production in the Philippines week ended May 10 amounted to 47,840 tonnes, raw value, up from 19,903 tonnes in the same period a year ago, SRA data showed.