FAS Daily Attache Report
Digest
Annual
COLOMBIA, October 13, 2004
-- Live bovines and beef
product imports are banned
since December 2003 due to
BSE related restrictions.
Live poultry and poultry
product imports are not
permitted from states with
Avian Influenza outbreaks in
the last two years. No other
major changes have been
introduced in the way food
and agricultural imports are
made in Colombia, although
changes may be introduced in
2005 or 2006 due to the free
trade agreement currently
under negotiation between
the U.S. and Colombia.
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Country Report
ISRAEL, October 13, 2004 --
The following sections have
been updated: - Import
Procedure - Import of
Gelatin Made of Bovine or
Other Products Containing
Gelatin - Annex 1 - Annex 2,
3 (new)
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Soybean & Meal Monthly
Imports: May
MALAYSIA, October 13, 2004
-- For May, total for
soybean were 9.6 MMT and for
soymeal 11.7 MMT.
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Palm Oil Monthly Exports:
May
MALAYSIA, October 13, 2004
-- For May, total exports of
palm oil were 842.1 MMT
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Palm Kernel Oil & Meal
Monthly Exprorts: May
MALAYSIA, October 13, 2004
-- For May, total exports of
palm kernel oil were 57.5
MMT and palm kernel meal
126.7 MMT.
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Annual
MALAYSIA, October 13, 2004
-- With per capita income of
over $4,600, a middle and
upper class making up 61
percent of the population,
and 6-7 percent GDP growth
forecast for 2004-2005,
Malaysia shows good
potential for growth as a
market for consumer high
value products. The
Malaysian food and beverage
market is becoming
increasingly sophisticated
and tariffs are low for most
imported products. New
retail outlets, which are
good venues for imported
products, are continuing to
open, thereby providing
better access to consumers.
Best product prospects
include fresh fruits and
vegetables, pet foods, halal
poultry meat, nuts, frozen
potatoes and wine.
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2004 EU Wine Harvest
EU-25, October 13, 2004 --
Although the 2004 wine
harvest falls below initial
forecasts, for the first
time since 2001 European
production is increasing.
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MY2003/04 Trade Data
CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF,
October 13, 2004 -- China's
planting seed imports rose
17 percent by value to $84.3
million in MY03/04, while
exports climbed 7 percent to
$49.5 million. China's
imports from the U.S.
equaled $30 million while
exports totaled $9 million.
The U.S.'s competitive
strength rests with grass
seeds for turf, forage, and
reclamation use, along with
strong support from herb,
vegetable, and sunflower
seeds. China continues
exporting large volumes of
rice and vegetable seeds.
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October Update
BANGLADESH, October 13, 2004
-- The 2004/05 rice
production forecast is
revised down to 25.4 million
tons due to potential losses
from heavy rains and floods.
The wheat production
forecast is revised to 1.35
million tons due to a shift
in acreage from wheat to
other competing crops like
potatoes.
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Grain and Oilseeds Update
BULGARIA, October 13, 2004
-- As of end-September,
MY04/05 grain exports
reached 520,000 MT of wheat
and 230,000 MT of barley.
Major export destinations
are the traditional markets
(Tunisia, Algeria, Syria),
however, most recently
Bulgaria started exports to
very new markets such as
Bangladesh, Indonesia and
Korea. The EU-export quotas
for wheat and barley were
filled in end-August, and
total exports as of today to
the EU market have reached
335,000 MT (wheat and
barley). Favorable sunflower
market helped to start early
exports. In September,
Bulgaria exported 80,000 MT
from the 2004 sunflower crop
to its traditional export
market in Turkey.
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China Fruit Entry List
CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF,
October 13, 2004 -- China's
State General Administration
for Quality Supervision,
Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ)
revised its approved
national imported fruit
variety and country/region
list on September 13, 2004.
The list, updated regularly
on the AQSIQ website,
indicates fruit varieties
that eligible for legal
importation into China along
with the approved fruit
country/region origin. The
list indicates certain U.S.
apples, cherries, citrus,
and grapes are eligible for
import into China. This
version, updating GAIN
report CH4029, now includes
South Africa origin citrus
and some additional tropical
fruits from Thailand.
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Annual Livestock
Reports-Final
CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF,
October 13, 2004 -- Since
December 25, 2003, China has
banned imported US beef and
products due to the single
BSE case in the United
States. It is still
uncertain when China will
reopen the market. China's
strong demand for dairy and
beef cattle, now supplied by
only Australia and New
Zealand, is due to the
country's booming dairy
sector driven by rising
consumption of both dairy
products and beef. China's
consumption of beef and pork
is forecast to continue
climbing due to strong
growth in per capita income.
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Senate Passage of
Biosafety Bill
BRAZIL, October 13, 2004 --
Following months of debate
and delay, the Brazilian
Senate resoundingly approved
a national Biosafety bill on
October 6, 2004. The bill is
designed to regulate
biotechnology activities and
research, including
agricultural crops as well
as stem cell research. The
bill now heads back to the
House which approved a more
restrictive version of a
Biosafety bill in February
2004. The draft legislation
approved by the Senate is
different from the original
text approved by the House
and is considered more
biotech and producer
friendly. Because it is
likely to take at least a
few more months for the
House to formally consider
the Senate's version and
subsequently vote and send
to the President for
signature, President Lula is
likely to issue yet another
Provisional Measure allowing
planting and
commercialization of the
2004/05 soybean crop.
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Weekly Rice Price Update
THAILAND, October 13, 2004
-- Export prices continue to
have increased this week.
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Rice Weekly Update
VIETNAM, October 13, 2004 --
Lack of buying demand has
discouraged offer for export
prices stable at low levels
or slightly going down. And
as of October 5, 2004,
farmers in Mekong River
Delta have grown totally 376
Tha in the late
Summer-Autumn crop (Up
56.66% compare with planning
area 240 Tha from the
Ministry).
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EU Rice Weekly, Brussels,
12 October 2004
EU-25, October 13, 2004 --
This weekly report contains
data on rice prices in the
U.S., Thailand and the EU.
It also lists current import
duties and export subsidies
in the EU. All information
will be published as such in
the USDA publication "Rice
Market News". Please note
that the EU has changed it's
rice import tariffs from
September 1, 2004, with a
fixed tariff of EUR 65/MT
for brown rice and EUR
175/MT for white rice.
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Annual
SWEDEN, October 13, 2004 --
Although U.S. apple imports
by Sweden increased slightly
in 2003, the U.S. share of
the import market is still
less than one percent.
Imports of U.S. pears
increased from 2,872 metric
tons in 2002 to 3,507 metric
tons, not including
significant transshipments
of U.S. products through the
Netherlands. The main
constraint to exports of
U.S. apples and pears to
Sweden is the stiff
competition from EU
suppliers. However, the
considerably lower-valued
dollar is offering better
opportunities for U.S.
fruits in 2004. Also, due to
the growing interest in
organic fruits, the large
retailers are looking for
certified organic suppliers.
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Completion of Rice
Tenders for Public Imports
TAIWAN, October 13, 2004 --
On October 13, Taiwan
completed all the 2004
public rice tenders. The
United States captured an
82.73 percent share,
Australia 10.63 percent and
Thailand 6.64 percent. The
final tender of 1,400 tons
of milled glutinous short
grain rice were tendered at
three tranches, of which 210
tons was awarded to a Thai
supplier at NT$24,760/mt or
$728/mt, 400 tons to a U.S.
supplier at the same price
and the remaining 790 tons
went to another U.S.
supplier at NT$25,500/mt or
$750/mt. The tender of 850
tons of long brown grain
rice was awarded to a Thai
supplier at NT$12,990/mt or
$383/mt.
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Semi-Annual
TURKEY, October 13, 2004 --
Turkish raisin production is
estimated at 250,000 MT in
MY 2004, which is a record
high. This was accomplished
even after a frost in most
growing areas in early
April. Good weather during
the drying season also
improved the quality. TARIS
has not announced a
procurement price, however
TARIS has already procured
about 50,000 MT of the MY
2004 crop raisins with an
advance payment of 1,000,000
TL per kg. Due to the larger
supply, Turkey is projected
to export higher quantities
(220,000 MT) at lower
prices.
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