Archives of Middle East & Africa

1. S.Africa's 2013 maize crop f'cast down to 11.44mn tonnes

   2013-05-23 14:32:42 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

   JOHANNESBURG: South Africa cut its forecast of maize output for 2013 to 11.44 million tonnes from a previous estimate of 11.562 million tonnes, saying dry weather earlier this year affected yields.The maize crop will consist of an estimated 6.026 million tonnes of white maize and 5.414 million tonnes of yellow, the government's Crop Estimates Committee said on Thursday.The harvest estimate is ...

2. Uganda coffee exports rise in April due to strong rains

   2013-04-25 15:18:06 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

   KAMPALA: Uganda's coffee exports are seen rising sharply in April to 270,000 60-kg bags from 141,220 bags during the same period last year, boosted by strong rainfall in key growing areas, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) said on Thursday."The crop in south western region is expected to be bigger than last year due to the favourable rainfall received," said a report by UCDA.The r...

3. Morocco state grain agency buys 178,000 tonnes local soft wheat

   2013-04-01 09:40:04 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

   RABAT: Moroccan state grains agency ONICL has bought 178,000 tonnes of loal soft wheat at 2,545 to 2,880 Moroccan dirhams ($290-$330) per tonne, a few days after issuing a tender to buy 160,000 tonnes of US durum wheat.Morocco has extended a freeze on a 17 percent import duty on soft wheat to April 31 to ensure a regular supply of the commodity to the domestic market after drought hit its local ha...

4. Egypt to get help from US, European wheat exporters: Minister

   2013-03-30 09:51:31 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

   CAIRO: Egypt will receive payment facilities from American and European suppliers of wheat, an Egyptian newspaper on Saturday quoted minister of supplies Bassem Ouda as saying, as the world's biggest wheat importer struggles to pay for imports.Two years of turmoil since the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak has badly hit an economy starved of tourism revenues and with a depreciating currenc...

5. Ivory Coast fixes price for cocoa at 700 CFA francs/kg

   2013-03-29 14:20:16 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

   ABIDJAN: Ivory Coast fixed its government-guaranteed cocoa farmgate price at 700 CFA francs ($1.37) per kg for the April-to-Sept mid-crop harvest, down from a main crop price of 725 CFA francs per kg, the head of the country's marketing board said on Friday. "The guaranteed cocoa price is 700 francs per kilogramme," Lambert Kouassi Konan, chairman of the Coffee and Cocoa Council, told journali...

6. Iraq tenders to buy minimum 50,000T white sugar

   2013-03-20 14:45:25 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

   BAGHDAD: Iraq has issued a tender on Wednesday to buy a minimum of 50,000 tonnes of white sugar from all origins except India and Thailand, trade ministry said in a statement. Bidding deadline is April. 7 and offers must remain valid until April. 11.In its last reported sugar tender, Iraq bought 71,750 tonnes of white sugar from the United Arab Emirates. Copyright Reuters, 2013 ...

7. Ivorian cocoa arrivals seen at 998,000T: exporters

   2013-03-18 14:49:30 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

   ABIDJAN: Cocoa arrivals at ports in top grower Ivory Coast reached around 998,000 tonnes by March 17 since the start of the season in October, exporters estimated on Monday, compared with 1,025,000 tonnes in the same period of the previous season. The cummulative figure for the 2012/13 season was revised upward by 25,000 tonnes to take into account official arrivals data for the season to Dec. 31 ...

8. Ivorian cocoa arrivals seen at 954,000T

   2013-03-11 11:23:11 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

   ABIDJAN: Cocoa arrivals at ports in top grower Ivory Coast reached around 954,000 tonnes by March 10 since the start of the season in October, exporters estimated on Monday, compared with 1,015,000 tonnes in the same period of the previous season. Exporters estimated around 15,000 tonnes of beans were delivered to the West African state's two ports of Abidjan and San Pedro between March 4 and 10, ...

9. Sudan expects 20 more firms to start producing gold this year

   2013-03-04 23:01:29 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

   KHARTOUM: Sudan expects 20 more companies to start producing gold this year and will allocate more land for investors for mineral exploration, its mining minister told state news agency SUNA on Monday.   Sudan has licensed almost 100 companies to search and produce gold as it seeks to boost output of minerals to gain new sources of state income and of foreign currency needed to fund import...

10. Ivorian cocoa arrivals seen down 6.6pc

    2013-03-04 15:15:48 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

    ABIDJAN: Cocoa arrivals at ports in Ivory Coast had reached around 939,000 tonnes by March 3 since the start of the season, exporters estimated on Monday, compared with 1,005,000 tonnes in the same period of the previous season. Exporters estimated around 16,000 tonnes of beans were delivered to the West African state's two ports of Abidjan and San Pedro between Feb. 25 and March 3, up from 10,0...

11. Saudi Arabia buys 465,000 tonnes of hard wheat for June-Aug

    2013-03-03 08:43:29 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

    RIYADH: Saudi Arabia bought 465,000 tonnes of hard wheat (12.5 percent protein minimum) and 110,000 tonnes of soft wheat (11 percent protein minimum) for delivery between June-August 2013 from six international suppliers, its Grain Silos and Flour Mills Organisation (GSFMO) said on Sunday.The shipment will be sent to the kingdom's ports in Jeddah and Dammam. The wheat was tendered last week. Copyr...

12. Egypt wheat stocks sufficient for 95 days-minister

    2013-02-27 12:25:43 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

    CAIRO: Egypt, the world's biggest wheat importer, has strategic stocks of nearly 2.3 million tonnes of the grain from international and local markets, enough to last until late May, the country's supplies minister said on Wednesday."The strategic government stocks of local and imported wheat have dropped to 2.292 million tonnes, enough for 95 days or until 29 May 2013, compared to 101 days last we...

13. Nomani expects sharply higher local wheat crop

    2013-02-24 12:10:57 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

    CAIRO: Egypt's domestic wheat crop is expected to rise sharply in 2012-2013, a top official said on Sunday, adding that the state had not cut funds for overall grains purchases despite a rising budget deficit and falling foreign currency reserves. Nomani Nomani, adviser to Egypt's supply minister, told Reuters that the higher local wheat production was due to incentives offered to farmers. Nomani,...

14. Egypt state grain buyer steps aside, new GASC head named

    2013-02-20 11:58:11 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

    CIARO: Nomani Nomani, vice chairman of Egypt's state grains buyer GASC, has left his job after more than three years overseeing strategic buying for the world's biggest importer of wheat.   Nomani's replacement at the agency is Mamdouh Abdel Fattah. Nomani said he will now become an adviser to the supply minister.   "I got promoted to become an adviser to the minister of tr...

15. Kumba year earnings fall in line with expectations

    2013-02-12 07:10:34 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

    JOHANNESBURG: South Africa's Kumba Iron Ore, a unit of global mining company Anglo American, on Tuesday posted a 28 percent drop in full-year earnings, hit by lower export prices, rising costs and an illegal strike at its Sishen mine.   Kumba, the continent's largest iron ore producer and No. 10 globally, said diluted headline earnings per share fell to 37.91 rand from 52.99 rand a year ea...

16. Ivorian cocoa arrivals seen at 854,000T

    2013-02-04 16:28:57 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

    ABIDJAN: Cocoa arrivals at ports in top grower Ivory Coast reached around 854,000 tonnes by Feb. 3 since the start of the season in October, exporters estimated on Monday, compared with 902,650 tonnes in the same period of the previous season.   Exporters estimated around 37,000 tonnes of beans were delivered to the West African state's two ports of Abidjan and San Pedro between Jan. 28 to...

17. Glencore director says corn use in biofuel questionable

    2013-02-03 13:38:09 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

    DUBAI: A director of commodity trading giant Glencore on Sunday questioned the conversion of corn into ethanol biofuel, saying it can contribute to higher prices.   Critics of using foodstuffs to make fuel say the process can drive up food prices by reducing available supplies, hitting the world's poorest people hardest.   Responding to a question in a panel discussion at the Kingsman...

18. Ivory Coast rains to extend main crop cocoa output

    2013-01-28 14:34:50 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

    ABIDJAN: Rain fell across most of Ivory Coast's principal cocoa regions last week, ending a month-long dry spell and reviving hopes that main crop harvesting will carry on into March, farmers and analysts said on Monday.   Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer, saw a late onset to its traditional mid-November to March dry season, with rains continuing into early December.   Ho...

19. Tunisia buys 50000T soft wheat

    2013-01-18 14:03:43 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

    HAMBURG: Tunisia's state grains agency has purchased 50,000 tonnes of soft milling wheat and 75,000 tonnes of durum wheat in tenders which closed on Friday, European traders said.   All the purchase was optional origin.   Some 25,000 tonnes of soft wheat was purchased at $356.42 a tonne c&f and 25,000 tonnes at $359.69 a tonne c&f, traders said.   Copyright Reuters, 2013 ...

20. Ghana cocoa purchases hit 485,234 tonnes by Jan. 3

    2013-01-16 12:22:56 GMT : (Markets - Commodities/Middle East & Africa)

    ACCRA: Ghana's cocoa main crop purchases reached 485,234 tonnes by Jan. 3 since the season started Oct. 12, down 18.9 percent compared with the same period last year, data from industry regulator Cocobod showed on Wednesday.   Total purchases for week twelve ending Jan. 3 were 36,900 tonnes, up from 26,749 tonnes declared in the week before, according to the data.   Ghana, the world...