7 Min Read
BRASILIA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Brazilian agribusiness is losing up to $1 billion dollars a year as rising deforestation cuts rainfall in the southern Amazon - a problem set to expand if forest loss continues, a group of Brazilian and German researchers have warned.
In a study published in the journal Nature Communications in May, they found that smaller-scale forest losses can enhance rainfall on adjoining agricultural land - but once losses pass 55-60%, rainfall plunges.
Losses of tree cover in particular seem to delay the start and shorten the length of the rainy season, they found.
As Brazilian Amazon forest destruction continues, drier conditions could put a massive strain on the region’s mainly rainfed agricultural industry, the authors said.
Argentina said on Monday it had temporarily shut down 12 beef exporters over "irregular" operations and had seized over 220 tonnes of meat as tensions over the government's meat export ban deepen.
Argentina's government put the official seal on a controversial beef export ban on Thursday, formalizing the measure unveiled earlier in the week in the country's official gazette and citing hot demand in Asian markets for pumping up prices.
By Reuters Staff
2 Min Read
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand has ordered strict controls on the movement of cattle and buffaloes after an outbreak of an a virus that causes lumps to form on the animals’ skin and can reduce milk production, a government official said on Sunday.
The rarely-fatal disease, which does not affect people and is thought to be spread by flies or mosquitoes, is new in Thailand and has already infected more than 6,700 cows and buffaloes in 35 provinces across the country, according to government deputy spokeswoman Traisulee Traisaranakul.
“The prime minister is concerned about the smuggling of cattle and buffaloes from neighbouring countries, which is an important factor in the spread of the disease, as well as unsanctioned domestic movement,” Traisulee said.
China imported 1.02 million tonnes of meat in March, customs data showed on Tuesday, the highest monthly volume since at least January 2020, as the world's biggest meat buyer continued to stock up to fill shortages at home.