The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s outlook is that average prices for wheat and grains, vegetable oils and dairy are likely to be higher over the next decade, according to FoodNavigator.com.
New Zealand sold dairy goods to 151 countries last year, but China was the biggest customer by far, paying out $1.33 billion, the report says, citing NZ Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF).
Foxconn Technology Group, which supplies Sony, Apple and Nokia with IT components, is moving part of its major plant away from costly Shenzhen after hefty wage increases at its factories in the southern city, affecting hundreds of thousands of workers, according to ChinaDaily.com.
A new kiwifruit fruit, with a striking red centre, exotic flavour and a creamy texture, is to be launched this week by Turners & Growers. Branded as EnzaRed kiwifruit, this is the first major change to the fruit since the gold kiwi more than a decade ago.
The Qatari government and state-owned companies plan to spend as much as US$100 billion (NZ$144 billion) on infrastructure projects within the next four years, according to GulfNews.com.
Nanosilver has no place in consumer products such as foods or cosmetics until the potential hazards from the substance have been fully scrutinised, according to FoodProductionDaily.com.
Shenzhen’s move comes after a series of pay rises in China. Beijing will increase its minimum wage by 20 % to 960 yuan per month from 800 yuan from July 1.
From July 1, there will be an increase of US$250 (NZ$376) per TEU on cargo from south east Asia, that is Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore bound for Australia. This will be followed by a July 15 increase on cargo from Asia for New Zealand of US$250 per TEU, US$500 per FEU and for 40-foot high cube.
The US healthy foods market is being hit by the recession, despite sales rising 1.8 % to reach US$142 billion (NZ $215 billion), according to the NutraIngredients.com.
Figures from Euromonitor place the global sports nutrition market at US$4.7 billion (NZ$6.9 billion) in 2009, led by North America US$3.2 billion and western Europe, US$713.6 million.
According to Datamonitor, the bakery and cereals sector in Asia Pacific will be worth US$68.5 billion (NZ$103 billion), with an expected CAGR of 6.4% between 2008 and 2013.
Increased demand from the sports nutrition and dietary supplements industries could see the US whey protein approach 500 million pounds (250 million kg) by 2015, according to NutraIngredients.com, citing a Global Industry Analysts report.
A cholesterol-lowering bread product will this month hit the shelves of Romania, marking efforts by Finland’s Raisio to expand its Benecol brand into a wider range of food applications, according to NutraIngredients.com.
A recent report from the Institute of Personal Care Science of Australia said that the global cosmetics market is worth US$334 billion (NZ$493 billion) and the global halal cosmetics market is estimated at US$13 billion.
A revolutionary UHT milk processing system by Tetra Pak slashes production time by up to 90%, cuts operating costs in half and reduces capital outlay by almost a third compared to conventional equipment, according to DairyReporter.com.
Slow steaming has at the end of May 2010 absorbed 100 ships totalling 580,000 TEU, or 4.1 % of the world’s cellular fleet, according to the Shipping Gazette, citing the Paris-based Alphaliner agency.