Agriculture

As 2012 gets underway, Sabah’s plantation sector players have been keeping a wary eye on both the weather and economic forecasts, as external factors threaten to challenge palm oil production. Meanwhile, the state’s rubber plantations await a major replanting campaign this year as part of national plans for commodities investment.

As the agriculture sector prepares for winter, a major export deal with China and improvements in trade relations with Russia are heating up prospects for Mongolia’s meat industry.

Dans le but de stimuler davantage la production locale et de se protéger contre une nouvelle instabilité des prix, le gouvernement marocain a mis en place, au cours des derniers mois, un certain nombre d’initiatives visant à renforcer la culture, la distribution et la vente de produits agricoles de base.

The Philippines is looking to encourage the development of organic farming, seen as a niche agriculture sector ripe with opportunity for the country. With the proper support, organic farming could work to boost high-value agricultural exports as well as incomes in the agriculture sector, which currently employs more than 30% of the nation’s labour force.

Indonesia is stepping up efforts to become self sufficient in rice production while also building a safety net with imported stockpiles, though a decision by Thailand to scrap a key sales agreement briefly tore a hole in the net that Jakarta officials were left scrambling to repair.

Despite criticism from economists, a new national rice policy committee, chaired by Thailand’s recently appointed Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, and approved by her new cabinet, is moving ahead on a promise to buy rice from farmers at well above global prices.