Browse Data and Analysis

On November 5, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare published a marketing year 2024/25 production forecast at the lowest level in five years, at 23.4 million 480 lb. bales on an area of 11.4 million hectares.

Post raises its marketing year (MY) 2024/25 cotton production estimate to 6.2 million metric tons (MMT) on record high yields of more than 2.1 MT per hectare.

Under a new policy, importers of wine and distilled spirits whose domestic agents are registered within the Shanghai Free Trade Zone are no longer required to register the U.S. producer name and brand as a trademark in China prior to commercial sales.

The cotton production forecast for 2024/25 has been revised downward to 5.2 million bales, with the area unchanged at 2 million hectares.

The General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) Bureau of Import and Export Food Safety (BIEFS) updated the list of products and codes subject to Decree 248.

On October 30, 2024, the National Agriculture Technology Extension Service Center (NATESC) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) released its supply and demand forecast for major crop seeds (i.e., rice, corn, wheat, soybean, cotton, and rapeseed) for Marketing Year (MY) 2024/25 at the National Seed Information Exchange and Commodity Trading Fair.

On November 15, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation announced that, effective December 1, the 13 percent export tax rebate for used cooking oil (UCO) under HS code 151800 would be eliminated.

On October 25, 2024 the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) published a National Smart Agriculture Action Plan (2024-2028) (hereafter “Action Plan”).

On October 18, 2024, China notified National Food Safety Standard for Sterilized Milk Amendment No. 1 to the World Trade Organization (WTO) under G/SPS/N/CHN/1322.

India’s 2025 beef production (mostly carabeef) is forecast to reach 4.64 million metric tons (MMT), up from 4.57 MMT in 2024, on steady domestic and increased export demand.

The People's Republic of China (PRC) continues to advance its agricultural biotechnology system for commercial cultivation of domestically-developed genetically engineered (GE) food and feed crops, specifically corn and soybeans.

Sri Lanka’s agricultural biotechnology policies remain unchanged. Over the past year, there has been no progress in the approval of its draft Biosafety Act, which establishes a system to protect biodiversity, the environment and human, plant and animal health while minimizing the risks of biotechnology.