Agriculture

Halfway through the current cocoa season, concerns are rising that Ghana’s growers will see lower-than-expected revenues for 2013, due to poor weather conditions and a tight global market. However, the government still plans to move ahead with a long-term programme to further boost production, with hopes that a series of late rains will also improve output for the current season.

Rice is mounting a steady comeback in Myanmar. Exports in the 2012/13 fiscal year have already reached 1.2m tonnes thus far, surpassing its peak export period in 1956, and the Myanmar Rice Industry Association (MRIA) projects exports to reach 1.5m tonnes by the end of the fiscal year, double the 778,000 tonnes exported in 2012. This performance could be maintained – if not boosted further – in the coming years by increased foreign investment.

The coming years pose considerable challenges to Papua New Guinea’s (PNG’s) agriculture sector as it continues to come down from the record highs it achieved in 2011. However, increased financial support from the government, as well as several planned infrastructure developments, should help the sector keep pace with overall economic growth.

After a slow year in 2012, Malaysian officials expect exports of crude palm oil (CPO) to expand in 2013. Prices that have fallen due to oversupply and slower demand are now on the rise again, and though they may moderate in the second half of the year, an average steady climb over the next two years seems likely.

La creciente demanda internacional de anchoveta peruana y sus distintos derivados ha logrado precios récord para los productos. Sin embargo, las demandas de las reservas de sobrepesca y sobreexplotación han llevado al Ministerio de la Producción a establecer la cuota más baja de su flota comercial para la última temporada. Mientras tanto, los esfuerzos para aumentar el consumo humano directo en el país siguen exigiendo una porción aún mayor de la pesca.