Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
World in brief
The value of US agricultural imports, adjusted for inflation, grew by an average of 4% per annum between the fiscal years 2012 and 2022 (October to September).
During this time, total US agricultural imports rose from US$139 billion (about R2,4 trillion) to US$194 billion (R3,3 trillion), HortiDaily.com reported, citing the latest figures from the US Department of Agriculture.
Within the broad horticultural products group, fresh fruit was the largest contributor to the rise in imports at US$17,9 billion (R306 billion), growing at an annual rate of 9% over the period and accounting for 15% of total import growth.
Key commodities in the fresh fruit group included avocados, berries and citrus, which the US mainly imported from Mexico, Chile and Peru.
TURKEY
Farmers in the Konya Plain, Turkey’s grain-production hub, have been warned not to fill in sinkholes that authorities ascribe to drought and the uncontrolled use of underground water.
According to Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency, the number of sinkholes had been increasing, raising concern among farmers. According to Prof Dr Fetullah Íǰȱȱȱȱ ¢ȱ Technical University application and Research Centre in Konya, there were currently 2 512 sinkholes in the region, 1 800 of which were less than 1m deep.
“Drought has a serious effect on the formation of sinkholes. Agricultural irrigation, which should be done in April/ȲMay, has already started.
“If there is no change in precipitation, more groundwater will be used, which will affect the sinkhole ǰȄȱ Íȱȱ ȱ Agency. –