FAS Daily
Attache Report
Digest
Update
SAUDI ARABIA,
October 22, 2004
-- Saudi Arabia
is a $5.3
billion import
market for food
and agricultural
products, with
the U.S. share
accounting for 6
percent. While a
substantial
portion of U.S.
exports to Saudi
Arabia are bulk
and intermediate
products, U.S.
exports of
consumer-oriented
food products to
the Kingdom
reached $121
million in CY
2003. With a
young and
growing
population,
Saudi Arabia is
expected to
continue to be a
sizeable market
for food
products in the
years to come.
This report
provides
guidance to U.S.
companies that
are interested
in exporting
high value
products to
Saudi Arabia.
Read This Report
Annual
TAIWAN, October
22, 2004 --
Stable consumer
demand for fluid
milk, private
sector
unfamiliarity
with handling
fluid milk, and
consumer
preference for
fresh vs. UHT
milk are likely
to continue
holding fluid
milk imports
below the TRQ
allowed level of
21,298mt. Cheese
promises to be
the rising star
in the dairy
category for the
coming several
years as mild
flavored
products
continue to be
introduced into
a wide range of
foodservice
applications and
specialty
cheeses gain
niche audiences
through producer
country and
retailer
promotions. The
United States
remains a minor
player in all
dairy segments -
with the
important
exception of
whey and high
value isolates.
With
increasingly
competitive
prices and more
coordinated
marketing and
education, U.S.
suppliers should
have increasing
mid-to-long term
opportunities to
expand their
share of
Taiwan's
approximately
535 thousand
metric ton
annual demand
for milk and
dairy products.
Read This Report
Corn Update
TURKEY, October
22, 2004 --
Turkish corn
production is
forecast to
increase in MY
2004 to about 3
MMT. Total
imports are
forecast at
500,000 MT. MY
2003 production
is revised down
to 2.5 MMT while
imports are
increased to
900,000 MT.
Production
increases are
projected to
continue during
the next few
years, since the
government is
trying to
encourage corn
production over
sugar beet
production.
Farmers are also
switching from
cotton and
tobacco to corn.
Turkey's corn
imports are
projected to
decline in
coming years as
a result of
these production
increases.
Read This Report
Annual
INDONESIA,
October 22, 2004
-- Indonesia's
demand for milk
powder continues
to grow, but the
pace of growth
is expected to
slow relative to
the double-digit
growth
experienced in
the previous
three years.
Milk powder
imports are
forecast at
150,000 tons in
2005.
Competitive U.S.
milk powder
prices will
likely result in
the second
consecutive
record in export
sales to
Indonesia in
2004, and
prospects for
continued growth
in 2005 are
bright.
Read This Report
Rice Weekly
Update
VIETNAM, October
22, 2004 --
Fresh sales of
Vietnam rice
have helped the
offer of export
price increase
around USD 4 /
MT by end of the
week in compare
with previous
week and prices
are expected to
further increase
due to limited
quantity of rice
harvested from
the time being
till end of year
.
Read This Report
EU RIce
Weekly,
Brussels, 19
October 2004
EU-25, October
22, 2004 -- This
weekly report
contains data on
rice prices in
the U.S.,
Thailand and the
EU. It also
lists current
import duties
and export
subsidies in the
EU. All
information will
be published as
such in the USDA
publication
"Rice Market
News". Please
note that the EU
has changed it's
rice import
tariffs from
September 1,
2004, with a
fixed tariff of
EUR 65/MT for
brown rice and
EUR 175/MT for
white rice.
Read This Report
European
Council adopts
Organic Action
Plan
EU-25, October
22, 2004 -- On
October 18,
2004, the
European Council
unanimously
adopted the new
EU Action Plan
for Organic
Farming. The EU
agriculture
ministers
requested the
Commission to
implement the
program without
delay.
Read This Report
Crop Update
AUSTRIA, October
22, 2004 -- In
2004, Austrian
grain production
(excluding corn)
amounted to 3.4
million MT. This
is up 32%
compared to last
year. Wheat
production
amounted to 1.7
million MT, rye
production
totaled 213,500
MT, spring
barley totaled
551,500 MT, and
winter barley
reached 455,200
MT. Corn
production is
expected to
reach 1.6
million MT due
to a 10% larger
acreage.
Read This Report
Weekly Rice
Price Update
THAILAND,
October 22, 2004
-- Export prices
increased
further,
following
speculative
demand from
local millers.
Read This Report
Annual
THAILAND,
October 22, 2004
-- Canned sweet
corn and frozen
sweet corn
production will
likely increase
further in MY
2004, following
continued strong
export
potential. Also,
Thai canned
sweet corn
exports are
catching up to
U.S. canned
sweet corn
exports.
Meanwhile,
canned baby corn
production is
forecast to
continue to
decline due to
limited market
potential,
following strong
competition from
relatively
cheaper products
of major
competitors,
such as China.
Read This Report
Annual
PERU, October
22, 2004 -- Milk
production in
Peru continues
increasing and
is estimated to
reach in 1.285
MMT in CY 2004.
Milk production
is forecast at
1.325 MMT in CY
2005. Whole
powder milk
imports are
forecast to
remain steady at
6,000 MT, while
nonfat dry milk
imports continue
its downward
trend and are
forecast at
6,000 MT in CY
2005
Read This Report
Annual
FRANCE, October
22, 2004 --
France is the
largest European
producer of
canned and
frozen sweet
corn, and has a
positive trade
balance for
these products.
U.S. products
face strong
price
competition from
Hungarian
products on the
French market,
especially since
EU enlargement
to 25 member
states. In MY
2003/04,
shipments to
France from
Hungary more
than tripled. In
addition, U.S.
exports of sweet
corn to France
have suffered
from
consumer/retailer
mistrust of
biotech food
products and
from the recent
implementation
of EU
Regulations on
traceability and
labeling of
biotech
products.
Several French
importers have
stopped buying
U.S. sweet corn
due to the
demands of these
new regulations.
Read This Report
