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The Dominican Republic’s food processing industry totaled $2.91 billion for calendar year (CY) 2023 in activities categorized as “food industry,” while processed beverages and other products amounted to $2.68 billion over the same period.

Cotton production in Australia is set for a fourth successive year of high production in marketing year (MY) 2024/25, forecast at 5.5 million bales, which would be the third largest crop. The prospect of average rainfalls over the winter/spring period if realized would establish improved irrigation water availability for growers.

The regional harvested area for Marketing Year (MY) 2024/25 is forecast to rise 17 percent at 1.38 million hectares (MHA) compared to the previous year based on expectations of good farm gate prices and improved security and stability in many cotton-growing areas.

With expectations for no change in area, and assuming average yields, cotton production is forecast to decline in 2024/25. Given prospects for an increase in cotton textile exports, domestic use is forecast to increase in 2024/25.

This report provides information to U.S. exporters of agricultural and related products on how to do business with the Food Processing industry in Panama. It is primarily a service – based economy, but food processing is one of its top industries.

Following weeks of farmer protests across the European Union, the European Commission published a legislative proposal to amend certain provisions of the Common Agricultural Policy.

On March 12, 2024, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) National Health Commission (NHC) and State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) jointly published an Announcement on releasing 47 new or updated National Food Safety Standards (known as Guo Jia Biao Zhun, or GB Standards) and 6 amendments sheets.

On February 22, 2024, India’s Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying/Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, issued Office Memorandum File No. L-110109(3)/1/2016-Trade (E-2625) outlining the parameters for premium frozen duck meat for import into India.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka’s (Sri Lanka) Ministry of Health extended the implementation effective date of the Food (Trans Fat) Regulations (2022) from January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025.

China remained the world's largest seafood producer in 2023, with official production estimated at 71 million metric tons (MMT), up 3.5 percent from 2022.

South Africa’s corn crop in marketing year 2023/24 has been affected by an El Niño induced mid-summer drought, resulting in an expected drop of more than 15 percent in crop volume.

FAS Bangkok forecasts Thailand’s rice and corn production to marginally increase in MY 2024/25 along with expanded acreage in response to current attractive farm-gate prices. In 2025, Thailand will likely export 7.5 million metric tons of rice or well above its 5-year average.