Ghana: Cocoa Producer Pricing Adjusted

Ghana Cocoa Board have decided to pay bonus to farmers at the time of sale of their produce which all Licenced Buying Companies must comply.

Nigeria makes progress in releasing ‘untapped potential’ in palm oil

Thanks to forex controls, Nigeria's economic reforms in strengthening agricultural sector is benefitting the palm oil industry and on course to meet targets for output growth.

Nigeria Now World’s Largest Producer of Cassava

Nigeria has become the largest producer of cassava in the world with an annual output of 45 million metric tons.

South Africa: Rare blue diamond found in same mine as ‘Great Star of Africa’

A rare blue diamond that might fetch over £10 million when it is sold, and could break world records for its clarity, has been discovered in the same South African mine famous for 'Great Star of Africa' stone in Queen Elizabeth's sceptre. Blue diamonds are the most coveted in the world thanks to their rarity, and the Cullian mine is the most important source for them in the world.

Unapproved GM contaminated rice found in US exports to over 30 countries

A new report has revealed that the rice supply in at least 30 countries may have already been contaminated with genetically modified strains from US exports, thereby threatening worldwide contamination.

Goldman Sachs sees copper surplus building quicker-than-expected, cuts forecasts

The near-term prospects for the global copper market are turning increasingly bearish, with a surplus of metal building quicker-than-expected with the three-months outlook cropped to $7,000/mt from $7,500/mt previously.

Colombian Coffee Growers Announced New Strike

Leader of the Movement for the Dignity of Coffee Workers, Antioquia department, has announced a new strike, as the one performed in February-March, which paralyzed the coffee production in Colombia.

To improve today’s concrete, do as the Romans did

Ancient Roman structures that have withstood the elements for more than 2,000 years and has remained coherent against aggressive maritime environments are showing engineers how to make today’s concrete more durable and sustainable. The new engineering research says that the production of lime for Roman concrete is much cleaner, requiring temperatures that are two-thirds of that required for making Portland cement. What's the Ancient Romans' secret ingredient, yet not so secret, that science just discovered now? Volcanic ash.

Illegal Sanctions against Iran’s petchem sector would damage West, than Iran

Iran’s deputy Oil Minister Abdolhossein Bayat says Iran has two trump cards against new "illegal" sanctions by the US treasury against Iran petrochemical sector. Iran exported petrochemical products to more than 65 countries worldwide. During fiscal year ending in March 2013, Iran exported 16 millions of tons of petrochemical products worth of $ 12b. With wider marketing for our products, and taking new approaches, there will be no barriers in the way of exporting petrochemical products. In fact, hours after the US new illegal sanctions against Iran petrochemical sector, Iran’s deputy Oil Minister says the country signed their greatest contract for gas transfer.

Change looms for Ethiopia’s ancient salt trade

The Ethiopian salt blocks, which were once used as a unit of money, are sold across Ethiopia, many of them to farmers to provide their animals with essential minerals. Ethiopia has the largest livestock population on the African continent. However, the tradition of hacking salt slabs from the earth’s crust and transporting them by camel is changing as a paved road is built across the northern Afar region.

Iran offers Oilfield at Lucrative Terms to India

May 27, 2013 (TSR-PTI) - Rattled by India sharply cutting down purchase of its oil, Iran on Monday offered oil fields on lucrative terms and routing gas pipeline through...

Commodities: Iran to beat U.S. as world’s 3rd largest cement exporter

Iran will leave the U.S. behind by the end of the current year to become the world’s third largest cement exporter, the Global Cement magazine wrote in its latest edition.