Pig feed prices in south africa

LONDON: As more countries, cities, investors and businesses set net-zero emissions goals, they now cover about half of the world's economy - but Africa is largely left out of the picture so far. Of its 54 countries, only South Africa has set a net-zero aim - and failure to revamp policies to benefit from a global low-carbon shift may mean Africa misses out on investment, said Wendy Hughes, a carbon markets manager at the World Bank Group. But officials from the continent noted that with sub-Saharan Africa currently producing less than 4 per cent of global emissions, "carbon-cutting" goals have limited relevance, with most African nations focused instead on creating jobs and economic growth. READ: Climate change action may seem 'optional' or 'too expensive' amid COVID-19 economic fallout: UK Ambassador to ASEAN LISTEN: The politics and path forward for international cooperation on climate mitigation With international investment already lacking in Africa - and some … [Read more...] about Africa shrugs off net-zero emissions push without finance to follow

SAO PAULO: Orders for a Brazilian pig-feeding robot, which plays classical music while dispensing meals, soared this year as farmers strove to cut costs amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Roboagro, the privately owned company that sells the robot, said in a statement sent to Reuters on Thursday (Dec 3) that orders rose by an average of 400 per cent to 60 units per month. The machine uses linear feeders allowing the animals, which are divided in pens, to receive the exact amount of feed needed for each meal. As it works, it plays classical music, which the company claims mitigates animal stress. Roboagro Director Giovani Molin said in the statement the robot reduces the presence of humans on the pig farms, and generates data that helps improve overall herd management. Feed accounts for up to 75 per cent of pig production costs, and every cent counts amid a steep rise in grain prices due to heated demand. According to Roboagro, farmers who use the technology can improve the … [Read more...] about Amid pandemic, orders soar for Brazil robot that feeds pigs playing classical music

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand: It is an insect species almost no one in Singapore has heard of, and it grows to no longer than two inches. But the fall armyworm is one hungry caterpillar that has devastated cornfields across Asia in a short time, threatening an agricultural disaster. Corn is found in many things, including animal feed. So a corn shortage could mean higher prices of cereal, toothpaste, chicken and more. In Thailand, the fall armyworm was first reported last year. And it has since spread to at least 50 of the 77 provinces — nearly two-thirds of the country. “This pest isn’t native to Asia. So when it arrived in Asia, the farmers were caught unaware. They didn’t know what to do. So there was panic,” said Corteva Agriscience zonal biology leader (Asia-Pacific) Pampapathy Gurulingappa. “The pest is so damaging it can eat all stages of the corn.” To combat this armyworm, his company has deployed hundreds of agricultural experts across Asia, which is … [Read more...] about How a ‘worm’ might affect prices of cereal, toothpaste and chicken rice

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates: At a highway-side restaurant in the industrial outskirts of Dubai, workers methodically assemble packaged takeout meals of biryani rice, dal and brightly colored chicken curry for people in poverty and desperate to eat. It’s not a soup kitchen or charity drive, but an ordinary hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant alongside a busy motorway in Sharjah, one of the seven desert sheikhdoms in the United Arab Emirates. When other kitchens close for the night, Biryani Spot springs into action. The cooks collect leftover food and repurpose it into free, hot meals for underpaid or out-of-work migrants, largely from South Asia. Those in need filter through the cramped restaurant at 10pm to receive dinner - no questions asked. “The current situation is you have a lot of jobless people, a lot of people who are struggling here because of their low salary,” restaurant co-founder Mohammed Shujath Ali said. “We don’t want to waste our food ... we want to give it … [Read more...] about As COVID-19 impacts migrant workers in UAE, a roadside eatery feeds the hungry one meal at a time

SAO PAULO/CHICAGO: U.S. farmers sold freshly harvested soybeans directly off their combines for a profit as prices rose to a four-year high this autumn, a welcome change from the losses suffered during the U.S.-China trade war. Strong exports to China as the world's top soybean importer emerged from lockdown helped push the most-active soybean futures contract at the Chicago Board of Trade up 12.3per cent between Aug. 1 and mid-September, when harvest kicked into gear across the U.S. Midwest. But the unusual surge came too late for many Brazilian farmers, on the opposite southern hemisphere growing cycle, who had already committed to selling their crops at much lower prices and may now seek to renegotiate contracts with buyers. Brazil ran out of the oilseed earlier than usual this year. It has sold so much to China that in recent weeks local companies had to import soybeans - a rare event for the world's top exporter. Those imports included 30,000 tonnes from the United … [Read more...] about US farmers celebrate soy price surge as Brazil misses out