For week ending August 06, 2009

       Average tariff levels in the region fell from 45 percent in 1985 to about six percent in 2000. In response, from the early 90s to mid 00s, food imports more than doubled. During this time, the US became the leading exporter of processed cheese to the region, and imports increased 3215 percent. In terms of processed fruits and vegetables, the authors wrote: ?The most significant trend is the rise of imports of French fries,? with fries accounting for 23 percent of all imports of both fresh and processed fruits and vegetables in the region by the mid-00s. Thow said, ?In Central America, liberalization appears to have directly influenced the availability and price of meat and processed foods, many of which are energy-dense and high in fats, sugar and salt. Apart from increased imports of processed foods, the research said more imported grain has led to more domestic chicken production, and fewer barriers to investment have stimulated the growth of processed food markets?.

       In a related development, Russia?s Federal Customs Service (FTS) anticipates the country?s sunflower oil export to reach a record 820,000-850,000 MT for the marketing year October 2008/September 2009 due to strong overseas interest. Exports for the nine-month period to June at 694,800 MT already exceeded the 327,400 MT shipped in total in the prior year. Export for the month of June alone, according to agriculture analyst SovEcon, stood at 98,900 MT with Italy as top export market with purchases of 18,900 MT, followed by Netherlands with 12,000 MT, and Egypt with 8,850 MT. Russia currently levies a 20% export duty on sunflower oil exports. An industry lobby for the lifting of the duty has not been granted as yet by the government.

       The EERC?s fuel was created from completely renewable crop oils, such as canola and soybean. Developed through a variety of existing contracts, the fuel was vigorously tested at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), a co-sponsor of the test along with the EERC and Flometrics, and meets all of the screening criteria for JP-8 aviation fuel, a petroleum-based fuel widely used by the U.S. military. The major advantage of the EERC?s renewable fuel is that the fuel can be designed to meet a wide variety of mission-specific requirements. The rocket used in the launch was originally built as a test rocket for the Discovery Channel series MythBusters. The rocket has previously been tested with standard Jet-A fuel and rocket propellant-1 (RP-1) kerosene, for which the rocket was originally designed.

       Ashok Sethia, president of the SEAI explained the attractiveness of land prices in Uruguay and Paraguay has given Indian vegetable oil companies the opportunity to start buying land. The plan is to start cultivation of soybeans and sunflowers in the Latin America countries on 10,000 hectares initially, which are proposed to be either bought or taken on lease, the official said. The crops grown on these farms will then be shipped to India.

       In response to the letter from the farming unions, DEFRA said it was aware of the situation and has renewed its urges to the EU to re-think its zero tolerance policy. It explained that the livestock production relies on the use of imported feed, especially soya, nearly all of which comes from GM-producing countries. If GM feed are can not be used, the cost of livestock production would increase, and farmers would suffer a competitive disadvantage relative to those in other countries. If the import of both non-GM and approved-GM soya were disrupted because of the EU?s GM control regime, this could mean a significant increase in consumer prices for animal products, a serious issue to be addressed.

       Mr. Wilson explained that the recently launched EU Renewable Energy Directive has a mandatory target for the use of 10% renewable energy, including biofuels made from environmentally-friendly palm oil, in each member state. Incentives, such as investment aid, tax exemption or refunds, will be provided by the EU as an additional benefit to Indonesian palm oil companies which can slash emissions by a minimum of 35% calculated from the total emissions. Total emissions are calculated taking into account cultivation, land use, processing, palm oil distribution and carbon capture. However, Thibaut Portevin, EU natural resources and environment programme manager, said palm oil from land containing high biodiversity value would not be eligible for the incentives.

       After taking into account other factors likely to influence the results, including smoking, age, total energy intake, and use of aspirin, those whose diets included the most linoleic acid were more than two times as likely to develop the condition as those whose diets contained the least. Dr. Andrew Hart, lead author of the University of East Anglia, Norwich said there are no dietary modifications of benefit in patients with ulcerative colitis, although, based on this study?s findings, a diet low in linoleic acid may merit investigation.

       Tuo et al suggest that ?a diet enriched in EPA and DHA can ameliorate the progression of retinal lesions in their mouse model of AMD? and that ?the results in these mice are in line with the epidemiological studies of AMD risk reduction by long chain omega-3 fatty acids.? The results ?further provide the scientific basis for the application of omega-3 fatty acids and their biologically active derivatives in the prevention and treatment of AMD.? The related report by Tuo et al, ?A high omega-3 fatty acid diet reduces retinal lesions in a murine model of macular degeneration,? appears in the August 2009 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.