It also expects prices to stay where they are and the exchange rate to be about US73c, but for the payout to be around $6. Westpac said international prices were likely to stay up till late in 2009, leading to payouts to farmers well above $5 till the end of the decade. Chief executive Andrew Ferrier said that was based on international prices holding their present high levels and an exchange rate of US71 cents. It expected Australia to make a slow recovery from drought; slowing production...

Agriculture Commissioner's Column Commissioner's Column By Gene Hugoson Minnesota Department of Agriculture June 2007 With all the talk recently about price spikes for food and beverages, I thought it might be interesting to go back and see how prices have changed for various items over the last 50 years. Agriculture Commissioner's Column Commissioner's Column By Gene Hugoson Minnesota Department of Agriculture June 2007 With all the talk recently about price spikes for food and beverages,...

In traditional wheat-growing regions like Punjab and Haryana, farmers are shifting from wheat to cash crops, especially vege-tables, for niche markets. Exports may not come cheap and that's bound to impact food prices, especially the politically sensitive public distribution system (PDS) rates. Despite a good crop this season, the government may have to import five million tonnes of grain to meet the needs of a growing population. If trends in agriculture are not reversed, India might soon...

Higher gas prices mean it's costing more to transport groceries, which is why grocery prices are on the rise. Cereal, ice cream, and corn prices are also increasing. Because of all the increase in transportation, cost due to the fuel, particularly dairy items and ice cream, some of these are going up," states Phil Quillin. Quillin's says that customers are adjusting by buying less expensive alternatives to their favorite foods. Labor Department, food costs as a whole this year areon pace...

Like a toppling row of dominoes, high corn prices translate into higher prices for meat because feed prices have gone up. Though the increases may seem hard to swallow, Americans have been relatively fortunate when it comes to food prices, spending only about 10 percent of disposable personal income on food. But now some economists and analysts say the corn price increase could combine with other factors - poor weather and soaring energy costs - to unsettle the food industry, since corn...

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