Vietnam: Top cashew-export title to be taken with grain of salt
Exporters and processors have said that though Vietnam is the world’s leading exporter, there are concerns over the loss causing low quality of raw cashews, high prices and labor shortages.Vietnam’s cashew exports in 2006 were the highest globally – at 130,000 tons, India following with 118,000 tons, heard an international conference on cashew quality in Florida last month.However, the cashew processing and exporting industry has proved unprofitable, racking up losses of VND1 trillion (over US$62.2 million) in 2005 and VND300 billion (nearly $18.7 million) in 2006.Experts in the industry predicted a break-even year this year, saying it would be tough for local cashew processors and exporters to continue to profit from the business and hold on to the leading exporter title.
CausesCashew quality suffers in Vietnam as purchasing agents, once they procure the nuts from farmers, soak them in water or inadvertently mix them with impurities to increase weight before they are sold for profit to processors.Processors, in turn require capital loans to purchase the crop at harvest time, buoying prices higher. With seasonal harvests, few factories can afford employing permanent laborers, thus pushing up the wages of part timers as competition to hire them bottlenecks.Nguyen Van Lang, general secretary of the Vietnam Cashew Association, said the total permanent employees of over 300,000 could only satisfy about 60 percent of factories’ capacity. The sector has called for cooperation and assistance from relevant authorities to maintain the top position. Source: thanhniennews.com

Freeze, drought hit pecans

Alan Mauldin, Thomasville Times-Enterprise
— THOMASVILLE — A late freeze and possibly the worst winter-spring drought in history have hurt pecan production in the area. It will be a few weeks before the extent of the damage is known, however.Row-crop farmers have suffered from the drought, which has prevented planting of most cotton and peanuts, but even deep-rooted trees are suffering from lack of moisture, said Thomas County Extension agent Don Clark.When he does survey the pecan crop, Clark said, it will be difficult to determine how much damage can be attributed to the freeze and how much is drought-related. He expects to survey the crop next month.“I’ll be getting my binoculars out in the middle of June and looking at the clusters,” he said. “We won’t really know for sure until we can examine the clusters all the way up the tree. We’ll be able to make a crop assessment for pecans by late June.”Lack of moisture to the shallow feeder roots will have a serious impact on production, Clark said.“Without moisture they’re not going to take up nutrients they need to make a crop,” he said. “Nobody that’s alive today, even if they’re 100, remembers a drought like we’re having now.”About three-quarters of the county’s pecan crop is not irrigated, Clark said.The latest bout of severe weather follows a dry 2006 season and two prior years when tropical storms pummeled the crop, said Thomas County pecan grower Tom Stone.“We’re not to the stage yet where they’re actually dropping off the trees,” said Stone, who irrigates most of his trees. “We’ve been dry before and come out. It’s not the end of the world.”The situation is critical and getting worse daily for the non-irrigated pecans, Stone said.“I don’t know how long this dry land (crop) can stand before they start shedding nuts,” he said. “About all we can do is pray for rain.”Because last year was a short crop, there are few pecans in storage, which means that if production is low this year consumers could feel the pinch of higher prices, said Georgia Pecan Commission Chairman Jimmy Champion.“Barring a total catastrophe there ought to be enough to go around, and they will probably be more expensive,” he said. “I think it’s about as dry as I can remember for this time of year.”Georgia and Texas traditionally rank as the top pecan producing states, with the No. 1 ranking depending on weather conditions.
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More News on Southeast Drought

DROUGHT IN SOUTHEAST – A cold front swept across the Southeast Wednesday, May 16, but again the front died out before it reached peanut country in Georgia and Florida and now weather forecast say it could be a week before rains return. Meanwhile irrigated farmers have to irrigate with higher priced fuel to get the seed to germinate. Officials met today with Federal Crop Insurance Companies about the drought. Peanuts and cotton have a planting deadline of May 31, two weeks away. Farmers could get paid under the preventative planting clause; however, officials said today that if any grower plants in the area, the preventative planting clause is no longer a valid excuse. Irrigated peanuts are not eligible for preventative planting. Some farmers are considering dusting in the seed just before the deadline to keep crop insurance coverage. Some indicate they may use lower priced seed, but what if it rains and seed vigor becomes a factor? No mention of extending the deadline so far. More information will be released Friday by FSIS.



Stewart Parnell

PEANUT MARKETING NEWS – May 14, 2007 –

U.S. PEANUT CROP UPDATE – From National Agricultural Statistics Service as of May 13, 2007

USA Peanut Crop is estimated planted at 24% this week, 7% Last Week, 28% Last Year and 33% 5-Year Average.

STATE		ITEM		May 13, 2007		PREV. WEEK			May 13, 2006	5-YEAR AVG.
GEORGIA		Peanut Planted		13%		5%			22%	29%
		Soil Moisture		57% Very Short		32% Short			11% Adequate	0% Surplus
		Scattered showers and thunderstorms were welcomed this week, but the rainfall was not enough to improve crop conditions. Nearly all land preparation and planting has stopped due to dry soils. Some growers began dusting in crops while continuing to irrigate where possible.
ALABAMA		Peanuts Planted		35%		12%			34%	35%
		Soil Moisture(SE)		55% Very Short		38% Short			7% Adequate	0% Surplus
		Some farmers dusted in seeds with hopes of receiving a much needed rain shower. The severe lack of rainfall and very dry soil conditions continued to take their toll on all Alabama crops. Soil moisture levels have kept many farmers from seeding their fields, but some started anyway.
FLORIDA		Peanuts Planted		25%		10%			19%	29%
		Topsoil Moisture		70% Very Short		28% Short			2% Adequate	0% Surplus
		Peanut planting in irrigated fields remained active this week. Dryland planting has come to a stand-still. Some scattered showers reported with a cold front in mid-Florida, but dry elsewhere.
	N. CAROLINA	Peanuts Planted		32%		5%			28%	37%
		Soil Moisture(P)		9% Very Short		44% Short			45% Adequate	2% Surplus
		Scattered showers were experienced in most areas. .
S. CAROLINA		Peanuts Planted		35%		11%			45%	49%
		Soil Moisture		16% Very Short		30% Short			52% Adequate	2% Surplus
		Scattered showers reported across the state. Some rains from coastal storm.
VIRGINIA		Peanuts Planted		31%			15%	47%			4%
		Soil Moisture		2% Very Short			28% Short	68% Adequate			2% Surplus
		Cool temperatures slowed down some crops. Southern area getting dry and little rain over the weekend was lost to windy conditions. Some waiting for weather to warm up.
OKLAHOMA		Seedbed Prep		90%			89%	93%			94%
		Peanuts Planted		21%			13%	18%			40%
		Emerged		15%			8%	6%			17%
		TopSoil Moisture		0%Very Short			4% Short	55% Adequate			41% Surplus
		Rain again this week adding concerns over problems with excess moisture. Planting behind.
TEXAS		Peanuts Planted		40%			8%	43%			16%
		Soil Moisture (WT)		2% Very Short			9% Short	65 Adequate			24% Surplus
		Moderate levels of rainfall and strong thunderstorms swept across the State this week. Field activities delayed for many producers due to wet conditions. High Plains reports 1.28”.
MISSISSIPPI		Peanuts Planted	29%		12%			44%			9%
		Soil Moisture	16% Very Short		34% Short			47% Adequate			3% Surplus
		Scattered showers helped improve crops in areas where they hit, although much of the State remains dry. Good progress reported on row crop planting.

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PEANUT MARKETING NEWS – May 14, 2007 –

U.S. PEANUT CROP UPDATE – From National Agricultural Statistics Service as of May 13, 2007

USA Peanut Crop is estimated planted at 24% this week, 7% Last Week, 28% Last Year and 33% 5-Year Average.

STATE		ITEM		May 13, 2007		PREV. WEEK			May 13, 2006	5-YEAR AVG.
GEORGIA		Peanut Planted		13%		5%			22%	29%
		Soil Moisture		57% Very Short		32% Short			11% Adequate	0% Surplus
		Scattered showers and thunderstorms were welcomed this week, but the rainfall was not enough to improve crop conditions. Nearly all land preparation and planting has stopped due to dry soils. Some growers began dusting in crops while continuing to irrigate where possible.
ALABAMA		Peanuts Planted		35%		12%			34%	35%
		Soil Moisture(SE)		55% Very Short		38% Short			7% Adequate	0% Surplus
		Some farmers dusted in seeds with hopes of receiving a much needed rain shower. The severe lack of rainfall and very dry soil conditions continued to take their toll on all Alabama crops. Soil moisture levels have kept many farmers from seeding their fields, but some started anyway.
FLORIDA		Peanuts Planted		25%		10%			19%	29%
		Topsoil Moisture		70% Very Short		28% Short			2% Adequate	0% Surplus
		Peanut planting in irrigated fields remained active this week. Dryland planting has come to a stand-still. Some scattered showers reported with a cold front in mid-Florida, but dry elsewhere.
	N. CAROLINA	Peanuts Planted		32%		5%			28%	37%
		Soil Moisture(P)		9% Very Short		44% Short			45% Adequate	2% Surplus
		Scattered showers were experienced in most areas. .
S. CAROLINA		Peanuts Planted		35%		11%			45%	49%
		Soil Moisture		16% Very Short		30% Short			52% Adequate	2% Surplus
		Scattered showers reported across the state. Some rains from coastal storm.
VIRGINIA		Peanuts Planted		31%			15%	47%			4%
		Soil Moisture		2% Very Short			28% Short	68% Adequate			2% Surplus
		Cool temperatures slowed down some crops. Southern area getting dry and little rain over the weekend was lost to windy conditions. Some waiting for weather to warm up.
OKLAHOMA		Seedbed Prep		90%			89%	93%			94%
		Peanuts Planted		21%			13%	18%			40%
		Emerged		15%			8%	6%			17%
		TopSoil Moisture		0%Very Short			4% Short	55% Adequate			41% Surplus
		Rain again this week adding concerns over problems with excess moisture. Planting behind.
TEXAS		Peanuts Planted		40%			8%	43%			16%
		Soil Moisture (WT)		2% Very Short			9% Short	65 Adequate			24% Surplus
		Moderate levels of rainfall and strong thunderstorms swept across the State this week. Field activities delayed for many producers due to wet conditions. High Plains reports 1.28”.
MISSISSIPPI		Peanuts Planted	29%		12%			44%			9%
		Soil Moisture	16% Very Short		34% Short			47% Adequate			3% Surplus
		Scattered showers helped improve crops in areas where they hit, although much of the State remains dry. Good progress reported on row crop planting.