Down to Agribusiness

The country is currently on lockdown. Food and supermarket (including online) sales have soared in the country (including rice, pasta, animal preserves, tomato products). For crops and farming, labour shortages are a concern and could result in lower production volumes. However logistically, the agriculture sector hasn’t been affected for the time being.

At the recent Animal Health Investment Europe conference in London, Animal Pharm editor Joseph Harvey spoke to Elanco's Aaron Schacht about his take on innovation. He divulged Elanco's R&D plans and talked about its strategy for securing external partners.   

An overview of the impact of foot-and-mouth disease around the world (especially in Africa) and what vaccines are out there to prevent it (and their drawbacks). 

Ghana and Ivory Coast’s proposal for adding a Living Income Differential (LID) premium to sales of cocoa beans looks set to be approved and become law by early next year. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, the CEO of Ghana’s Cocoa Board, told us recently that the two countries are expected to finalize their approach by the end of December with passage through the respective parliaments into law likely in early 2020.

Outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) have been so severe and widespread that the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently predicted that global meat production will register a year-on-year decline for the first time this century in 2019.

In our latest podcast Animal Pharm editor Joseph Harvey discusses his latest report, 'Animal Pharm Top 60'. Listen in now to understand more about the rankings in this year's report, including a discussion about key growth drivers, the impact of M&A and predictions for 2020. 

Discover more on the following: Stability in US granular urea NOLA barge prices Expectations on the India tender closing on 14 October China and the role of Chinese exports in Q4 Brazilian imports expectations.

Discover more on the following topics:  US urea market update following a one-of-a-kind spring season Latest on the July India tender Expectations for Chinese exports for remainder of 2019 Expectations for the next Indian tender Outlook for urea prices in the short-term

Following the recent IFA Montreal conference, our analysts talk all things Urea.

After the latest conference in China Urea analysts Elfi and Karl get together to discuss the latest updates from the global Urea market. 

Following the recent TFI Orlando conference our Urea analysts got together to talk all things Urea. Listen now to understand some of the key market factors influencing Urea supply, demand, price and costs. 

In this podcast Senior News Analyst for IEG Vu, Sandra Boga talks to International Sugar Journal (ISJ) editor Arvind Chudasama and Agribusiness reports specialist Alan Bullion live from the International Sugar Organization’s (ISO) annual seminar to discuss whether the EU’s sugar market is in a crisis, as well as other highlights of the event.

In this bumper episode we have four guests from across Agribusiness Intelligence to discuss what has become one of the most hotly-contested debates in public health policy around the globe – the taxation of food and drink products to change consumer behaviour. Advocates claim taxes will result in decreased consumption of unhealthy foods such as sugary drinks (soda) and red or processed meat, improving public health. Opponents, meanwhile, say such levies restrict consumer choice, unnecessarily raise prices for basic grocery products and are being utilised as a so-called ‘stealth tax’ and a new way to line state coffers.  IEG Policy analysts Joan Murphy and Peter Rixon assess the policy implications, while IEG Vu’s Neil Murray and Max Green look at the market effects.

In this podcast Senior News Analyst for IEG Vu, Sandra Boga talks to Cocoa Analyst for FO Licht Sergey Chetvertakov and Cocoa Client Adviser for IEG Vantage Mark van Stolk to mark the start of the cocoa season where they’ll discuss the effects of the latest farmgate prices as well as supply and demand balances for the year ahead.

In this podcast Senior News Analyst for IEG Vu, Sandra Boga talks to the UK head of Ecobank Edward George to discuss Ghana’s cocoa market following its recently confirmed financial loan for the 2018/19 season.

In this episode, Adam Sharpe discusses the recent outbreak of African Swine Fever in Belgium with IEG Vu meat & livestock analyst Max Green and Animal Pharm Editor Joe Harvey. Max explores the big questions from a markets perspective, such as why the outbreak is so significant for the pig meat sector in Western Europe, what efforts are being made to contain the spread of the disease, and what the potential impacts are on pork prices and trade.  Joe then provides an overview from the animal health sector, talking about the efforts the industry is making to tackle ASF, what companies are involved in this particular segment and what can be done to stimulate efforts to develop vaccines.  

In this podcast episode from Agribusiness Intelligence, Agrow’s editor-in-chief, Sanjiv Rana, speaks to with Phillips McDougall’s senior business analyst for seeds, Yuanjie Su. The focus is to provide an overview of the seed industry in 2017. In addition to identifying the major factors affecting seed market performance, Yuanjie talks about main regional trends as well as industry structure. The episode concludes with an outlook for 2018 and the impact of the mega M&As on the seed industry.

Adam Sharpe is joined by IEG Vu analysts Neil Murray, Julian Gale and Jana Sutenko to discuss fruit juice, dried fruit, vanilla and butter markets following the release of the new IEG Vu Half Year Outlook 2018 report. The Outlook assesses market dynamics such as price, production, supply and demand for the range of food and drink commodities featured on the IEG Vu website. IEG Vu subscribers can download the report from the Market Reviews section of the website. Non-subscribers, please follow this link to get your copy http://bit.ly/2LXVFgK.

In this episode, editor of Agrow, Sanjiv Rana speaks to Gustavo Palerosi Carneiro, BASF Crop Protection’s senior vice-president, Asia Pacific. Mr Carneiro discusses factors affecting the crop protection market in the Asia Pacific region. Having previously worked for BASF in Latin America, he provides interesting insights while comparing the two markets as he identifies factors leading to more sustainable growth in the Asia Pacific region. To access additional resources, visit the episode 24 webpage - http://bit.ly/2Liix7F Get a uniquely comprehensive view of crop protection with the latest news and insight into the latest regulations, products, technologies and emerging trends with Agrow. Request your free trial here - http://bit.ly/2KDUrCY

The organic sector is on a strong upwards growth curve, with organic food and drink sales in 2016 estimated at just under $90 billion, having achieved growth of around 10% a year since 2000. The sector is growing by around 15% per annum and the potential for further growth is enormous. Following the publication of a new report on the EU & US organics sector, IEG Policy’s Adam Sharpe speaks to the author of the report, Chris Horseman. Market growth has been fuelled by a rapid rise in the area of farmland which has been certified organic. As of 2016, a total of 57.8m ha had been approved for organic production, amounting to 1.2% of all the world’s farmland. In the last two years, some 13.4m ha of new organic farmland has been created, as demand for organic food and drink products grows. Adam and Chris explore how new rules and regulations will impact the organics sector, and discuss the global growth prospects. Access additional resources on this topic on the episode webpage – http://bit.ly/2rGwJiJ If you’re a subscriber to IEG Policy, you can access the report as part of your subscription here – http://bit.ly/2Iirkc1 If you’re not a subscriber, you can access the report through a free trial of IEG Policy here – http://bit.ly/2jU9o8J    

In this episode we get technical with Yuanjie Su, Senior Analyst for Phillips McDougall’s Seed Service. Yuanjie shares his insights with Alan Bullion from a recent analysis piece available for Phillips McDougall subscribers. This exciting tool has the potential to revolutionize all aspects of the genetic research community, and is directly related to the seed industry as a versatile too for genetic improvement. What is CRISPR and why is it relevant for the seed and crop protection sectors? How is it being commercialised, who are the major players and what are the regulatory challenges? If you’re not a subscriber to Phillips McDougall, but would like to know more – you can request your free demo of the service here - http://bit.ly/2w605f0 If you are a subscriber to Phillips McDougall's Seed Service, you can log in here to access the CRISPR analysis - http://bit.ly/2rdPjyk Access additional information and related resources on the episode 22 page - http://bit.ly/2KsIkJQ

The global sugar market is geared for another surplus this 2017/18 season with another one looming in 2018/19. Sandra Boga is joined by Senior Commodity Analyst, Stefan Uhlenbrock, to outline the latest F.O. Licht data and discuss the outlook for the year ahead. Why is global sugar set for a surplus this season and next, and where are the notable decreases and increases in sugar production globally?

With a global population that is set to hit nearly 10 billion by 2050, the agriculture sector is tasked with the responsibility of increasing food production considerably in the coming years to meet this demand. But there are many factors to contend with such as climate change, soil erosion and increasing consumer demands for food production to be carried out in a more sustainable way that does not damage the environment or put human health at risk. The industry faces an enormous challenge and new and developing technology will undoubtedly play a role in ensuring supply is enough to meet demand. One area that has seen considerable growth in market size in the past 10-15 years is biopesticides. A new report produced by Agrow, part of Agribusiness Intelligence, looks in depth at the development of this market segment and the potential for increased use in the years to come. Adam Sharpe is joined by Alan Bullion, head of special reports at Agribusiness Intelligence, to discuss this increasingly prominent segment of the crop protection industry. You can download free sample pages from the report here - http://bit.ly/2qk3npE You can purchase the full report here - http://bit.ly/2HfB1pY Access additional resources on this topic on the episode 22 page here - http://bit.ly/2EAK53o

In this episode we turn our attention to trade, and in particular, the fallout from the recent imposition by the United States of tariffs of up to 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium products. President Donald Trump has justified the duties by claiming that the US is suffering from what he terms as 'unfair trade.' And while some countries have agreed exemptions from the tariffs, they have sparked an angry response from China. China has now imposed its own retaliatory measures that include a number of US agri-food items such as pork, nuts, fruit and wine - with the threat of more to come. Are we on the verge of a trade war that could have an adverse impact on global trade of food and drink products? What about the commentators who are claiming that such actions by the US mean the World Trade Organization is now irrelevant and on its deathbed? Adam Sharpe speaks to policy experts on both sides of the Atlantic, Peter Ungphakorn and Roger Bernard to find out more. Access additional resources on this topic, including articles from IEG Policy, on the episode webpage - http://bit.ly/2q4BjWU

In this episode Joseph Harvey, Editor of Animal Pharm, speaks to Scott Brown, vice president of external innovation at Zoetis, and Stonehaven Incubate's chief executive Mark Heffernan about their plans to drive innovation in the animal health space. Dr Heffernan was recently appointed to lead Stonehaven Incubate, bringing experience from both the animal health and human health sectors. He speaks about his new role from the recent Human Biotech & Animal Health forum in Boston, while Zoetis' Scott Brown shares the company's blueprint for external collaboration, particularly with human health businesses. Additional resources, including further interviews with Zoetis can be found on the episode 21 webpage - http://bit.ly/2Ge7OMA

In this episode Sanjiv Rana, Editor of Agrow, speaks to Jonathan Shoham, consulting analyst for Phillips McDougall to analyse the outcome of the previous year for the crop protection market, and to explore the factors contributing to global market development. Examining what the future holds in both the short and long-term, the two industry experts discuss multiple factors that have recently impacted the market and explore the hot topics and upcoming areas that are having an influence and promise to transform the industry in the years to come. To access related free resources, including a feature on innovation in crop protection, visit the episode 20 webpage - http://bit.ly/2FfBYKZ To receive an email notification when new episodes are published, you can sign up here - http://bit.ly/2k49UAE

In part 3 of the IEG Vu Global Outlook 2018 series, Adam Sharpe speaks with industry experts Sandra Boga and Gary Howard to review the past year in the cocoa and grains markets, and to look ahead to what is to come in 2018. What is the situation with cocoa supplies, and what's in store for the year ahead? The headline for the grains outlook in 2018 is really one of a sector heading towards a deficit. Is that true for all grains? The 2018 IEG Vu Global Outlook is available to download now. Visit the episode page where you can download the IEG Vu Outlook 2018 report and additional resources - http://bit.ly/2ESBcGJ

A recovery in global sugar outputs that set in last year is likely to accelerate this coming season. In this episode, Sandra Boga is joined by senior commodity analyst for F.O. Licht, Stefan Uhlenbrock to discuss global sugar markets, with a special focus on Brazil and Europe. World prices fell quite sharply over 2017 by around 20% overall. Does 2018 hold the same fate for prices? F.O. Licht projected a surge in global sugar output for 2017/18 - what does the latest data tell us? The 2018 IEG Vu global outlook is available to download now. Visit the episode page where you can download the IEG Vu Outlook 2018 report and additional resources - http://bit.ly/2EzD5In This episode is sponsored by De Smet Engineers & Contractors (http://www.dsengineers.com), and was recorded on February 1 2018.

The European Commission did not mention the UK's withdrawal from the EU at all in its future CAP communication released late last year, but it is clear that Brexit will have a major impact on the formation and construction of the bloc's agriculture policy after 2020. Meanwhile, British politicians must come up with a new farming policy outside of the CAP for the first time in more than 40 years, and UK farmers will also be eager to hear if they will face greatly increased competition from foreign importers via new trade deals. In this podcast, Adam Sharpe discusses these issues and more with CAP expert and frequent contributor Chris Horseman. Questions explored include: What impact will Brexit have on the CAP in terms of budget and future direction? How will a new British Agriculture Policy be different to the CAP What sort of trade relationship will the EU and UK have post-Brexit? Can the UK and US agree a 'quick-win' trade deal? Access the episode transcript additional resources on this topic on the episode 18 page here - http://bit.ly/2FtYTlk Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts or sign up to email alerts here - http://bit.ly/2k49UAE 

In this episode, Adam Sharpe is joined by expert analysts to look back at the past year in fruit juices (in particular, apple juice concentrate (AJC)), and dairy products. This is part one of the IEG Vu Global Outlook 2018 series, in which industry experts review the past year in several agricultural commodities markets, and look ahead at what is to come in 2018. The full IEG Vu Global Outlook 2018 report is available to download here - http://bit.ly/2r71TSi Beverages: It has been another eventful year in the apple juice and concentrates sector, with prices all over the place and increasing competition between the main producers, Poland and China. IEG Vu’s principal beverages analyst, Neil Murray, explains the situation. Dairy: Richard Dillon, Senior Analyst for IEG Vu, reviews the past twelve months in the dairy sector. An unusual thing occurred earlier in 2017 when the European butter market made it onto the front pages of the national newspapers. Prices of the commodity soared to record levels and there was talk of a shortage in product. What was the catalyst for these rises? Visit the episode 16 page where you can download the IEG Vu Outlook 2018 report and additional resources - http://bit.ly/2DAUKfA This episode is part one of the IEG Vu Global Outlook 2018 series, in which industry experts review the past year in several agricultural commodities markets, and look ahead at what is to come in 2018. Subscribe to the Down to Agribusiness podcast to receive upcoming episodes in this mini-series covering softs, grains, dried fruit & nuts and spices either on iTunes or here - http://bit.ly/2k49UAE

In this episode, Adam Sharpe speaks to expert analysts Pieter Devuyst, Alessandro Mancosu, and Peter Rixon to take stock of what has been a tumultuous year in European food and agriculture politics. The team of experts also look ahead to what is likely to be on the policy agenda in the next twelve months. The policy experts discuss a number of issues including common agricultural policy reform, the re-authorisation of glyphosate for use in the EU and the sometimes controversial issue of food labeling. Stay tuned for the next episode of Down to Agribusiness where we will review the year in US food and agriculture policy and look ahead at what's to come in 2018. You can access additional resources on European policy on the episode 16 page here - http://bit.ly/2BE1ubI Request a free trial of IEG Policy here - http://bit.ly/2CJN35c  

The phosphate raw materials market is dynamic. It’s global. It’s very active, and it’s evolving. There are an enormous amount of joint ventures being signed, mergers and acquisitions by large-scale chemical companies worldwide taking place, and we’re starting to experience some south-to-south trade - which is one of the big macroeconomic topics taking the spotlight in the news these days. In this episode, Alberto Persona, phosphate analyst for Fertecon, shares his market insights. The brand new Phosphate Raw Materials Outlook is now available. Request your sample or purchase now here - http://bit.ly/2nk6b79 You can also access additional resources on the episode 15 page here - http://bit.ly/2kdOFjR

UK wheat prices have surged considerably since the UK voted to leave the EU back in June 2016, backed by a decline in the British pound. These costs are now making their way down the supply chain with hiked bread prices looming for UK consumers. Senior Softs and Grains Analyst for IEG Vu, Sandra Boga explains how UK wheat prices have changed since the Brexit vote and what this means in the long-term for bread consumers. Access articles and wheat price dashboards on the episode 14 page - http://bit.ly/2hyZonK Also...we want your feedback! As we approach the final few episodes for 2017, we would like to know what you think of the Down to Agribusiness podcast. Have you found the podcast episodes useful? Are there any topics you’d like us to cover in the future? Is there anything we should be doing better? There are 3 ways you can share your feedback: 1. Twitter – share your feedback in a tweet using the #DowntoAgribusiness hashtag 2. iTunes - please leave us a comment in the review section 3. Send your feedback to marketing@agri.informa.com

In this episode, Senior Dairy Analyst for IEG Vu, Richard Dillon, shares his insights from the global dairy auction (Event 199 - 7th November 2017). Whole milk powder price continues to weaken, while there has been a small uplift in skim milk powder. Richard shares price information, production volumes and his analysis of the latest output from the global dairy auction. Access additional resources, including interactive price graphs and articles here - http://bit.ly/2m3fPdL

Neil Murray and Cristina Nanni from IEG Vu discuss their findings from the recent Anuga 2017 event, which is the world's largest trade fair for food and beverages. Speaking to a vast array of industry representatives from around the world in Cologne, Germany - Neil and Cristina uncovered interesting insights for the beverage, frozen food and tomato sectors. What new product launches took the spotlight? What market movements should we look out for around the world? You can download the free Anuga supplement which is full of interviews and exhibitor lists in the free resources section of the episode 12 page - http://bit.ly/2yarLyC Neil Murray is the senior beverages analyst for IEG Vu, while Cristina Nanni specializes in tomato-based products, frozen fruit and vegetables.

It’s a new era for the European sugar industry. Production quotas, which have limited EU sugar outputs since 1968 were finally abolished as from the beginning of October, and for the first time EU sugar producers can produce as much sugar as they can sell. But is this really the start of a new golden age for European sugar? Will the EU re-establish itself as a major sugar exporter? Or will it struggle to compete against alternative sweeteners? What do the changes mean for Europe’s traditional cane sugar suppliers? To discuss some of these questions, Chris Horseman is joined by Stefan Uhlenbrock, Senior Commodity Analyst at F.O. Licht. Access additional resources on this topic on the episode 11 page - http://bit.ly/2yarLyC Find out more about F.O. Licht here - http://bit.ly/2wJa9q8

Neil Murray, senior beverages analyst for IEG Vu, explains how crops in Florida - the USA's biggest orange juice supplier - have been affected by Hurricane Irma and what knock-on effects we should expect in juice markets as a result. At the recent China Juice conference, delegates were told that the damage done by Irma to Florida’s orange groves will have a big impact not only on this year, but also on the years to come. Neil also provides other insights from this event where he was a speaker and chairperson. Access articles and additional content on the Episode 10 page - http://bit.ly/2y4cgsX    

The issue of Brexit and how it is likely to impact the food and agriculture industry in the UK, EU and around the world has been a frequent topic of discussion in all agribusiness sectors. In this episode, our attention turns to the food law sector topic of food labelling. The UK’s food labelling has been seen to be out-of-step with the rest of Europe anyway, so can we expect even more divergence post-Brexit as British exporters seek out new global markets? Peter Rixon, IEG Policy’s Senior Analyst for European Food Law joins Adam Sharpe to discuss these topics and more. Visit the episode 9 page to access additional resources on this topic, including articles published by IEG Policy - http://bit.ly/2wVbAUG We keep hearing that Britain wants to “go global” after Brexit. How could that apply to food labelling? Are we expecting to see any radical changes to food labelling laws when the UK exits the European Union? If you have any comments or questions on this episode, you can reach out to us on Twitter using #DowntoAgribusiness. If you prefer, you can read the episode transcript - http://bit.ly/2fd0dyf

In this episode, we turn our focus to the animal health sector to get a sneak preview of the leading companies for 2017 and the growth areas in this space. Joseph Harvey, Editor of Animal Pharm, provides us with some exclusive insights into the top ranked companies ahead of the upcoming official top 50 companies report. OCTOBER UPDATE: The Animal Pharm Top 50 report is now available! To download a free sample chapter, click here > http://bit.ly/2xuIQEq  To purchase the report online - http://bit.ly/2g9NWhS For more links to additional resources on this topic, and to access the transcript of this podcast, go to the episode 8 page http://bit.ly/2wJzov1

In episode 7, we move our attention to agri-mecca, Brazil. The country is set to go from strength to strength following 10-year preliminary mid-term forecasts made by Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Production and Supplies (MAPA). However, obstacles are still apparent for the grains, coffee and sugar crops of the “world’s feeder.” Senior Softs and Grains Analyst for IEG Vu, Sandra Boga, outlines the ministry's outlook. IEG Vu will publish three 10-year outlooks on Brazilian crops in the month of August.  Access these outlooks and additional resources on the episode 7 page here - http://bit.ly/2w1wBxE

In this episode, we move to the agricultural inputs sector where fertilizer market experts Luke Hutson and Daniel Fletcher-Manuel discuss potash contracts in China and how this affects the global potash market. Since recording this episode, the Indian potash contract was settled at the end of July. Daniel’s estimate of the value and timing of the Indian contract was revealed to be accurate. Daniel and Luke join us from Fertecon, leading providers of market information and analysis on fertilizers and fertilizer raw materials.

At the year’s halfway point, we look at how processed food commodity sectors are performing around the world with Senior Beverages Analyst, Neil Murray and Senior Dried Fruit, Nuts and Spices Analyst, Julian Gale. We hear that US almond shipments are on the up and that orange juice just isn’t cool anymore. This episode is accompanied by the free-to-download Half Year Outlook report from IEG Vu – available at agribusinessintelligence.com.

The price of butter is not usually a subject that grabs the front page headlines in national newspapers - but that is exactly what has happened in the past few days in the UK. What is going on, and what is going to happen in the foreseeable future? We spoke with Senior Dairy Analyst for IEG Vu, Richard Dillon, who revealed some interesting insights into the situation.

In this episode, we look at the ongoing scandal in Brazil, that has engulfed the country’s meat industry and resulted in unprecedented volumes of exports being turned away at foreign ports. Then, our attention turns to the new rules agreed in Brussels on June 28th that govern the European Union’s organic food and drink sector from 2020 onwards which have contentious elements of their own.

The UK and EU have now commenced the so-called Article 50 negotiations that will determine how the UK exits the European Union, and what the future relationship between the two will be. Prime Minister Theresa May's call for a snap election to ‘Strengthen the hand of the government' has backfired, and she's in a much more precarious situation both personally, in terms of her own position, but also in terms of her government, and its ability to proceed with its agenda without compromise. What does all that mean for the agribusiness sector? We explore the impacts for agribusiness broadly with Chris Horseman, and take a detailed look at the animal health sector with our guest, Joseph Harvey, Editor of Animal Pharm.

In part two of the global trade policy series, Chris Horseman and Roger Bernard return to look at international policy from the perspective of the UK and the EU. With Brexit shaking up the European Union, are we heading for a new paradigm in which long-term expansion in international trade is no longer a political priority?

In this era of growing scepticism about the benefits of globalisation, with the election of Donald Trump in the USA and with Brexit shaking up the European Union, are we heading for a new paradigm in which long-term expansion in international trade is no longer a political priority? Or will the imperatives of economic growth inevitably re-assert themselves once the initial shocks have been absorbed? In this first episode, we take a look at global trade policy from the perspective of the United States. This is the first of a two-part series on international trade policy. In part two we’ll return to look at policy in Europe and the EU.