Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 3.1.2012

FAO: Foods could cheapen owing to weak economy this year

Food prices will probably still fluctuate in the coming period and the amount of starving will increase in the world. Owing to a recession of global economy foods could even cheapen. A new general director of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UNO José Graziano da Silva told it today. However, according to him no significant food price decrease can be expected. “Prices will not increase like in two or three last years, however, they will not decrease. A certain decrease can happen, but it will not be anything drastic” Brazilian Da Silva told at a press conference in Roma. He has been in the function only since the beginning of this year when he replaced Senegalese Jacques Diouf.

Field in Haná are without snow; it can negatively affect crop

Fields in Haná are without snow which according to experts can have a negative impact on the farmers´ crop. The present weather contributes to a spread of viroses; other damages to growth can be caused by field mice and other pests which profit from this kind of weather course. A director of Olomouc Agrarian Chamber (ACH) Miloš Porč said to ČTK today. Whether and how big damages will be caused to farmers, farmers will know in the spring. However, a chief of the nation-wide Agrarian Chamber Jan Veleba moderates the unfavourable prediction of his colleagues from Haná. From the nation-wide view-point the crop has not been reputedly endangered yet. “The soil certainly misses snow. Owing to this there could be a lack of humidity in the spring. Moreover, we recorded a unusually dry autumn. The drought can have the biggest impact on winter crops sown later”, Porč stated.

ADM buys three grain elevators in Slovakia

Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) announced today that it buys three grain elevators in Slovakia from companies Palma Group a.s. and Polnonákup Hont a.s.. These grain elevators are the first assets of ADM in Slovakia. After ADM advised recently an enlargement of its plant in Olomouc it is dealt with other significant enterprise of the company in the CEE region. “The acquisition of these three grain elevators enlarges the existing ADM purchase network to Slovakia in areas along the river Danube and it strengthens our growth strategy in the central and east Europe”, Tido Boehle, a general director of ADM Origination and Terminal, Europe told. “These facilities will store and supply plant products for our European processing plants and enable us to better interconnect local growers and products with export markets”.

Price of fertilizers rose again in last year

Global prices of fertilizers still grow on base of a high demand. Since the beginning of 2010, prices of business means had shown a growing trend which continued also in 2011. A stimulus was above all significantly higher prices of energy and fertilizers. According an actual situation report of grower unions, global prices of fertilizers still grow on base of a high demand. Potassium fertilizers rose in price by 28 % throughout the year 2011. Much drastic was even price increase of nitrogen fertilizers. Against September 2010, international observers recorded in urea an increase by 60 %. On base of weakening of Euro towards dollar, rise in price impacts on European importers much significantly.