China Agriculture View

Cabbage may not be your idea of comfort food, but you can take solace in its health benefits and versatility. You can make salads, pizzas or sandwiches more nutritious just by adding some red roughage.

Cabbage is reach in Victamin C, as well as doses of fiber, folate and potassium.Red cabbage offers an easy way to get that extra shot of C you need, especially if you’re working out regularly, as we know you are. Keep in mind that red cabbage has twice the vitamin C as its green brother.So it is good for our health.

You can use any kind of cabbage to make sauerkraut: green, red, savoy, Napa or any other variety and in any combination. Since different varieties of cabbage have different colors, flavors and textures, the resulting sauerkraut will reflect that. For example, Savoy cabbage is firm, so a sauerkraut made with it will hold together more than a sauerkraut made with Napa cabbage, which is softer. A combination of red and green cabbage will lend your sauerkraut a pink hue.

If you like, you can even toss in vegetables like carrots and Brussels sprouts, and aromatics like onions and garlic for different flavor combinations. The possiblities are endless.

 Cabbage can also be pickled in vinegar with various spices, alone or in combination with other vegetables. Korean baechu kimchi is usually sliced thicker than its European counterpart, and the addition of onions, chilies, minced garlic and gingers is common.

The price of raw sugar soared to its highest level in almost 30 years on Friday, driven by investors worried about tight supplies and stout global demand for the sweetener.

A prime catalyst for the relentless rally in sugar is the worst monsoon in 40 years in No. 1 consumer India, forcing the teeming South Asian nation to book large imports of sugar ahead of its annual festival season this year.

New York’s October raw sugar contract jumped 1.03 cents, a rise of more than 4.5 per cent on the day, to end at 23.52 cents per lb, the loftiest finish for the sweetener since early in 1981.

London’s October white sugar contract climbed $14.80, up 2.65 per cent, to conclude at $573.10 per tonne.

‘People are talking 30 cents and we’re not that far away,’ Jack Scoville, vice president and senior analyst for brokers The Price Futures Group, said.

Alex Oliveira, senior sugar analyst for Newedge USA, said the momentum is definitely toward ever higher ground and a target of 30 cents is within sight.

Lars Steffensen, managing director of UK-based commodities fund Ebullio Capital Management, said investment funds have poured wholesale into sectors like sugar.

‘With all the money that’s been thrown at the commodities sector at the moment some of these prices are skewed to ridiculous degrees and sugar is one of them,’ he explained.

Sugar has trumped jitters over a global economic recovery because several countries may need to import the sweetener over the next few months.

India is leading the pack on demand.

The country is going to harvest a poor cane crop because of a monsoon that some weather and climate forecasters believed was disrupted by the formation of an El Nino weather anomaly in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.

Indian 2009/10 sugar production is seen dropping to 14 million to 15 million tonnes, while consumption stands at over 22 million tonnes.

Some analysts say that initial estimates India would import 2.5 million to 3.0 million tonnes of sugar in the 2009/10 season could probably balloon to 5.0 million tonnes, or more.

There is also an ever lengthening lineup of countries booking or about to place orders for sugar.

They include Pakistan, which is buying 300,000 tonnes in 2009. China’s poor weather may create a shortage of 2.0 million tonnes, Egypt is tendering for 100,000 tonnes and there are shortfalls in Iran and Iraq as well.

The US may soon be buying sugar too as it faces a shortage in the spring of 2010. Analysts now expect the US to order around 800,000 tonnes of sugar by that time.

Large sugar exports are jammed in Brazil’s ports as they toil close to full capacity, which analysts there said could delay future shipments. Brazil is the world’s leading producer and exporter of sugar.

Cocoa slumps, coffee firmer

Cocoa futures were softer as a result of follow-through sales in quiet dealings.

The New York market has stumbled after hitting the psychological $3,000-a-tonne mark earlier in the week.

Steffensen said New York cocoa values could fall ‘back to $2,500 and then it will start all over again.’

New York’s December cocoa contract fell $22 to close at $2,799 per tonne. On Tuesday, it closed at $3,008 in the loftiest finish since August 2008.

London’s December cocoa contract lost 13 pounds to conclude at 1,825 pounds a tonne.

Coffee futures were buoyed by modest short-covering after recent selling deflated the market.

London’s November robusta coffee contract rose $9 to settle at $1,411 a tonne. New York’s December arabica contract added 0.95 cent to end at $1.223 a lb (0.55 kg).

Resources: Reuters

Oil is necessary for cooking. There are so many kinds of oil used in cooking, but do you know which one is best for our health? Which one do you like?which type of oil should you use for cooking? Olive, canola or soybean? Or perhaps corn, safflower or sunflower?Before we conclude the best cooking oil(s), let’s look at the essential – Fats 101.

Saturated Fats:Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol).
Trans Fats:Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and lower HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol).
Monounsaturated Fats:Monounsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and increase the HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol).
Polyunsaturated Fats:Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.

When you do need a little oil for cooking, be aware that some oils are more useful than others in light and healthy cooking.Let’s learn something about these oil to help us choosing the good oil.

Soybean Oil
Most cooking oils that are simply labelled “vegetable oil” are made from soybean oil. This oil supplies a fair amount of omega-3 fat, though not as much as canola and walnut oils do. Like canola oil, soybean oil has a bland flavor that works well when you want to avoid adding any interfering flavors to your dish.

Walnut Oil
With a delicate nutty flavor, walnut oil is an excellent choice for baking, cooking, and salad making. Most grocery stores sell as least one brand of walnut oil such as Lorvia California Walnut Oil. Like canola oil, walnut oil contains a substantial amount of omega-3 fats. Most brands of walnut oil have been only minimally processed and can turn rancid quickly, so once opened, they should be refrigerated.

Canola Oil
Low in saturated fats and rich in monounsaturated fats, canola oil also contains alpha-linolenic acid, an essential omega-3 fat that is deficient in most people’s diets.Canola oil has a very mild, bland taste, so it is a good all-purpose oil for cooking and baking when you want no interfering flavors.

Olive oil
A great oil for cooking.  Strong flavored olive oils can be used for frying fish or other strong flavored ingredients.Olive oil has a high smoke point, 410 degrees F,  and doesn’t degrade as quickly as many other oils do with repeated high heating.  Use a variety of healthy vegetable oils when preparing food and incorporate a good extra virgin olive oil when you want its health benefits and wonderful Mediterranean flavor.

The benefit of eating high fibre food are weight management, lower cholesterol, keeping the digestive tract properly functioning, preventing constipation and diverticulitis, preventing colon cancer and hemorrhoids, and reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease. So many people look for the high fibre food to make them more healthy.

Are you looking for foods high in fiber? There are foods that are naturally high fiber content but there are also foods that are low in dietary fibers.Technically, a food is considered to fall into the class of high fiber when a single serving contains 5 or more grams. For optimum health, the body needs a daily intake of 30 to 40 grams.

Fruit

One of the best food groups for obtaining the right amount of fiber in your diet is fruit. Not only is it high in fiber it also contains many vitamins and minerals and there are many fruits that contain high levels of antioxidants, which are very good for boosting your immune system.Fruits that are high in fiber include raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, pears, apples, figs, bananas, oranges, raisins, apricots, cantaloupes, grapefruits, peaches and plums.

Vegetables

Vegetables are another great source of fiber and as mentioned above they are healthier when eaten raw. Many vegetables when cooked will lose a lot of their natural goodness, such as vitamins and minerals.Vegetable sources for good amounts of fiber per serving include avocados, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, corn, green beans, celery, kale, onions, peas, peppers, potatoes (including sweet potatoes), spinach, squash, zucchini, peas, turnip greens, Swiss chard, lima beans, black beans, baked beans, kidney beans and all dark green leafy vegetables.

Grains

Whole grains are high in fiber, and can be found in whole grain breads and muffins, rye breads, whole-wheat pastas, oat and barley foods, oatmeal and brown rice.

Nuts And Seeds

Top on the list of high-fiber nuts and seeds are flax seeds, soy nuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

It’s easy to add high fiber foods to your daily meals when you learn about which food contain high fibre. I think it will be good for you and your familes’ health.

Beijing Sanyuan Foods Co Ltd, a Chinese milk and dairy products manufacturer and seller, onlast Tuesday released its interim report, which showed that its net profit surged 138% year on year to RMB 36.73 million in the first half of this year.

The net profit was mainly contributed by its investments. The company realized an investment income of RMB 34.93 million in Beijing McDonald’s Food Co, in which Beijing Sanyuan holds a 50%, according the interim report.

The company’s operating revenue in the first six months was RMB 1.13 billion, up 73.24% year on year.

Beijing Sanyuan, which has a nearly 40% market share in the Beijing liquid milk market, earlier reported that its net profit attributable to shareholders was RMB 40.76 million, up 87.22% from the previous year, according to an earlier report from China Knowledge.

In early March, the company won the bid for the core assets of bankrupt Sanlu Group, the company at the center of the milk scandal last year. The acquisition has helped it expand outside the Beijing market.

Longsheng Terrace

I think everyone who look at Longsheng Terrace Fields will be surprised by the great beautiful and spectacular scenery. Its agriculture value has nearly replaced by its visual value.

Known as the most amazing terrace in China, the Longsheng Rice Terrace is 2 hours ride from Guilin in Guangxi. Making the terraces began in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and the projects lasted till the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) when construction was completed. Where there is soil, there is a terrace’, it now covers an area of 66 square kilometers.

Kind Hint
Remember that come to this spot before July as there is water in the fields and you can have your photo taken with water reflection, otherwise, other tiem only give you an empty terrace fields and you will find no water reflection in the fields and your photo looks as as good as those taken with water reflection.

And there are 2 famous Terrace Feilds, the near one is Ping’an Terrace Fields. and the largest one is farther one, called Longji (Dragon Back) Terrace Fieds.

Besides the Guilin, Yangshuo, I very recommend you visit the Longsheng Together during your tour.

Climate changed with the time and environment, it can not still as the accurate guide for farmersas well as energy investors who must rely on probabilities and scenarios to make decisions, the head of a United Nations agency said.

Michel Jarraud, director-general of the World Meteorological Organisation, said that water and temperature projections have become more valuable than the historical weather data that long governed strategy in agriculture, hydro-electric power, solar technology and other fields.

“The past is no longer a good indicator of the future,” the WMO chief told a press briefing, describing climate modelling and prediction as key to fisheries, forestry, transport and tourism, as well as efforts to fight diseases such as malaria.

People looking to build energy infrastructure are especially hungry for specific environmental information that can affect the long-term profitability of their projects, he argued.

“If in 100 years there is not going to be water going into the dam, it’s not a brilliant investment,” Jarraud said.

In the farming sector, the Frenchman suggested that guidance passed down through generations about how to prepare and manage crops was becoming less relevant because of changing patterns of heat, humidity and water access around the world.

“This traditional knowledge is no longer adapted. It’s exactly because your grandfather did this that you shouldn’t do it, because the context has changed,” he said.

“This is something completely new — to make decisions not on facts or statistics about the past, but on the probabilities for the future,” he said.

About 1,500 policy-makers, researchers andcorporate leaders will meet next week in Geneva to seek to improve the way climate information is collected and shared, among governments and also with the private sector.

That August 31 to September 4 meeting, which will take the pulse of countries who will seek in December to clinch a new global climate pact, is due to includetop UN officials including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and 80 ministers and 20 heads of state or government, mainly from the developing world.

In recent weeks,  China has set record for soybean imports, even eclipsing last year’s strong position.Chinese crushers have found it more profitable to import soybeans, rather than turn to government auctions, which have drawn scant interest. However, imports are expected to slow, if only because near-term demand is satiated.

But with generally favorable weather conditions in the northern hemisphere and firming US bean yield estimates what’s the rush? At the beginning of August 66% of the US’s soybean crop was rated as in good to excellent condition, although crop progress is currently slow with only 72% of pods setting compared to 85% for the five year average.

The USDA’s most recent report forecasts a lift in 09/10 oilseed end stocks, and even though this forecast is heavily reliant on South America’s production returning to normal, sharply higher production is expected based on large US bean plantings. Large South American production levels are possibly due to low wheat plantings, but production and availability of soybeans out of this region remains politically sensitive.

The Chinese government is holding another auction for 500,000 MT of soybeans today, and reports are that the Chinese government is considering a 200 yuan/t ($A35.42) subsidy to soybean crushers to encourage them to purchase government stocks. Possible answers to China’s current soybean purchases include high consumer demand, high crush margins on imported beans or a desire to control internal prices. But they could also be related to a genuine worry of future supply levels given solid demand, potential damage from a late nth hemisphere frost and unstable supplies out of Argentina.