USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service:GAIN Reports from Friday, October 30, 2020

 

The following Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) reports were released on Friday, October 30, 2020. 

       

Angola: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual
 

Angola currently does not allow the use of agricultural biotechnology in production, and imports containing genetically engineered (GE) components are limited to food aid. In December 2004, the Council of Ministers approved Decree No. 92/04 restricting the use of biotechnology in Angola as a provisional measure pending the establishment of a comprehensive National Biosafety System capable of properly controlling the importation, entry, use, and eventual production of GE organisms in the country.

 

Argentina: Raisin Annual

Argentina’s raisin production is forecast to remain stable in CY 2021 at 44,000 metric tons (MT) due to favorable weather conditions. Exports are forecast at 38,000 MT. Local exporters struggle to remain competitive in export markets due to various economic factors, such as high inflation and unstable exchange rates. The coronavirus pandemic created a slight increase in domestic consumption, as Argentinians prepared more at-home foods due to a strict and lengthy lockdown. Carry over stocks will be higher as commercialization was reduced during quarantine. 

European Union: EU Parliament and Council Move Forward on Landmark EU Climate Law

On March 4, 2020, the European Commission published the founding legislative proposal of the EU Green Deal: the EU Climate Law. The proposed regulation sets a legally binding EU-wide common target of net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 as well as a reduction on GHG emissions of 55 percent by 2030. The European Parliament has adopted its position on the proposed text, while the Member States are still finalizing their own position. Further work is needed in order for the three institutions to reach agreement on the 2030 targets. 

Ghana: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual
 

Submission of the application for environmental release of Ghana’s first genetically engineered (GE) product, Bt cowpea, to the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) for approval is still pending, and the dossier for Nitrogen Use Efficient (NUE) rice is expected to be complete by the second quarter of 2021. 

India: Cotton and Products Update
 

Post estimates cotton production at 29.3 million 480-lb bales in marketing year (MY) 2020/21 on an area of 13 million hectares. Heavy rains in central and southern India are expected to impact cotton quality and overall yields. The minimum support price procurement for the new crop has commenced. Fiber prices have improved due to a sharp rise in exports of cotton and cotton products, which has increased cotton use, estimated at 22.7 million 480 lb. bales.

Tanzania: Biotechnology and Other New Production Technologies Annual
 

The Government of Tanzania uses a conservative, precautionary approach to manage genetically engineered (GE) products in the country. Due to the strict liability clause in the Biosafety Regulations of 2009, there are no GE products imported or commercialized in Tanzania. The regulation creates a de facto ban on GE products and otherwise suffers from many shortcomings, such as the lack of a sound scientific foundation, an inherent potential to distort regulatory priorities, and the relative ease with which it might be used to justify protectionist measures. Meanwhile, Tanzania has applied biotechnology in medicine, public health, industry, and other areas.

Taiwan: Fresh Deciduous Fruit Annual
 

In MY 2019/2020, the United States was the leading supplier of apple exports to Taiwan, valued at $78 million and accounting for 31 percent market share. U.S. apple imports increased by 45 percent to 61,173 MT in MY2019/20 compared to the previous year, aided by positive quarantine changes in late 2019 and absence of delayed shipments during the COVID pandemic. In MY 2020/2021, total apple imports are forecast to increase slightly to 159,000 MT, while U.S. apple imports are projected stable at 62,000 MT.

Thailand: Rice Price - Weekly
 

Rice export prices for most grades of rice increased 3-4 percent due to new inquiries for white and parboiled rice.

Vietnam: Rice Trade - Monthly

This report provides trade data on Vietnam's monthly rice exports by grade and destination and weekly export quotes for rice by grade.

 

For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.

Small Business Administration:Happy National Veterans Small Business Week!

 

Join us this week as we celebrate National Veterans Small Business Week. We will be showcasing our nation’s military and veteran-owned businesses all week long. This year’s theme is #VetBiz Resources in Your Local Community which highlights the breadth of free to low-cost entrepreneurial resources that veteran and military entrepreneurs can access right in their neighborhood. Each day during NVSBW, we will highlight different topics related to the veteran entrepreneurship journey. We will also host various national-level events to align with each topic area. You can find a full list of events taking place across the country here. Also, check out SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza's video kicking off the week and read the Presidential Message on National Veterans Small Business Week. Monday, November 2: Topic: Transition Assistance Event: “Transitioning from Service to Startup” Facebook video with SBA experts. The video will be published on the Boots to Business Facebook page at 1 p.m. ET.  Tuesday, November 3: Topic: Entrepreneurial Training Event: “Resources for Entrepreneurship Training” Twitter chat with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at 1 p.m. ET. Join the conversation on the IVMF Twitter Page and use #IVMFTwitterChat in all responses. Wednesday, November 4: Topic: Government Contracting Event: “Arming Vets to WIN in the Federal Market” webinar with the Veteran Institute for Procurement at 1 p.m. ET. Register here.  Thursday, November 5: Topic: Disaster Assistance Event: “Leveraging Your Network and Resources” webinar with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at 1 p.m. ET. Register here .  Friday, November 6: Topic: Access to Capital Event: “Financial Strategies for Women Veteran Entrepreneurs” webinar with LiftFund at 1 p.m. ET. Register here. Honoring Our Nation’s Heroes During National Veterans Small Business Week By SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza  Resilience, poise, adaptability – not only do these traits define our Nation’s service members, veterans, and military spouses, but they are also critical ingredients for successful entrepreneurs. At the U.S. Small Business Administration, we recognize the value the military community brings to our great country through their service in the armed forces and as small business owners who contribute more than $1 trillion in sales to the U.S. economy on an annual basis. Our duty as an agency is to ensure these entrepreneurs are empowered and celebrated at every stage of business ownership. The SBA uses National Veterans Small Business Week—Nov. 2 through Nov. 6—to do just that. Learn more

U.S. Small Business Administration 409 3rd St, SW. Washington DC 20416 www.sba.gov

U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION,update

 

EEOC TO HOLD REMOTE PUBLIC MEETING ON NOVEMBER 9 Commission Will Confer by Audio Only Due to COVID-19 WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hold a Commission meeting on Monday, Nov. 9, at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). Because of the COVID-19 pandemic it will be a remote, audio-only meeting. In accordance with the Sunshine Act, the public may listen to the conference by following the instructions that will be posted on www.eeoc.gov 24 hours prior to the meeting. Closed captioning services will be available.   During the meeting, the following matter is scheduled for consideration: Update to the Compliance Manual Section on Religious Discrimination. The Commission agenda is subject to revision.  A recording and transcript of the Commission meeting will be posted on www.eeoc.gov at a later date.  For additional information contact Kimberly Smith-Brown, (202) 663-4191 (voice) or (800) 669-6820 (TTY). The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov.  Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.   ###

Stay Connected with U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Byzantium at Ankara: New seminar series

 

Byzantium at Ankara

New seminar series

Byzantium at Ankara continues its journey through the new Fall 2020/2021 Seminar Series, which will take place online. The series started on Thursday 15 October 2020 (h. 18:00 -Istanbul Time) with a talk by Dr Philipp Niewöhner (Georg August Universität Göttingen) entitled "The grave of Saint Nicholas." The full roster of speakers (including Prof. Judith Herrin, Dr Ioanna Christoforaki and Dr Tolga B. Uyar among the others) can be found at www.byzantiumatankara.net For registration and more information please write to byzantiumatankara@hotmail.com The Byzantine Seminar Series "Byzantium at Ankara" is an event organized and hosted in collaboration by the Department of History at Bilkent University and the Department of History of Art at Hacettepe University which has been held since the 2019/2020 Academic Year as organized by Assoc. Prof. Dr Sercan Yandim Aydin and Asst. Prof. Dr Luca Zavagno (Bilkent University). It is now entering its second year of activity with a Global Byzantium Summer Seminar Series in collaboration with scholars from both Europe and the US. The object of the series of talks is to implement the interest and knowledge of the history and culture of the Byzantine Empire by bringing together local and visiting scholars in order to cover different aspects of the history, archaeology, and art history of the Byzantine Empire. Further, it aims to sensitize and stimulate young scholars, graduate students and academicians to help generate awareness about innovative interdisciplinary approaches to Byzantine studies.

After Constantine Journal

New IMF Country Focus Articles: Middle East & Central Asia

 

October 2020 Six Charts on Social Spending in the Middle East and Central Asia Higher and more efficient social spending can significantly improve socioeconomic outcomes and help promote inclusive growth. Education, health, and poverty indicators in the Middle East and Central Asia have improved substantially over the past two decades. The rate of progress, however, has slowed, and these indicators remain weaker than in global peers. The level of social spending also is lower, though to a lesser degree. Read more here > Seven Things to Know About Fiscal Challenges in the Middle East and Central Asia The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis have required emergency fiscal measures as revenues have dried up. Many countries in the Middle East and Central Asia, which were already vulnerable before the pandemic, are now in a precarious fiscal position. Here, from the IMF’s latest Regional Economic Outlook: Middle East and Central Asia, are seven things to know about the fiscal challenges ahead for the region. Read more here > The latest IMF analysis of global economics, finance, development and policy issues shaping the world //     Dear maria, We just published a new blog—please find the full text below. Translations coming soon.   The Crisis is Not Over, Keep Spending (Wisely) By Oya Celasun, Lone Christiansen, and Margaux MacDonald The pandemic-induced economic crisis is set to leave deep scars. Human capital erosion from prolonged high unemployment and school closures, value destruction from bankruptcies, and constraints on future fiscal policy from elevated public debt top the list. Groups that were already poor and vulnerable are set to see the largest setbacks. Swift and unprecedented action by policymakers, including among the Group of Twenty (G20) advanced and emerging market economies, helped avert an even worse economic crisis in the wake of COVID-19 than what has been witnessed. The G20 has provided around US$11 trillion in necessary support to individuals, businesses, and the health care sector since the start of the pandemic. However, much of the fiscal support is now gradually winding down, and many benefits such as cash transfers to households, deferred tax payments, or temporary loans to businesses have expired or are set to expire by the end of this year. The analysis in our G20 Report on Strong, Sustainable, Balanced, and Inclusive Growth illustrates how fiscal deficits in almost all G20 economies are projected to shrink next year, based on announced budgets and current policies. In economies where deficits widened sharply this year, fiscal balances are now expected to narrow by more than 5 percent of GDP in 2021. While part of this reflects that growth is projected to strengthen, the largest contributor to improving fiscal balances is a sharp withdrawal of “discretionary” support—relief measures that had been introduced to counter the effects of the crisis.   This withdrawal of support is occurring at a time when employment losses from the crisis are still projected to be sizable, as evidenced by massive shortfalls in projected employment relative to pre-pandemic trends. So, what is to be done? First, support should be maintained throughout the crisis. A premature withdrawal of support would impose further harm on livelihoods and heighten the likelihood of widespread bankruptcies, which in turn could jeopardize the recovery. In such a scenario, the scars from the crisis would likely become much deeper. Where possible, economies should therefore resist tightening fiscal policy too early and instead ensure continued support for healthcare, individuals, and firms. In economies constrained in their ability to spend, a reprioritization of spending may be warranted to protect the most vulnerable. Second, as we begin to gradually understand what’s in store in the post-pandemic world, policies will need to be geared toward the new reality and build resilience. For instance, policies that promote investment and hiring in expanding sectors and provide reskilling and training opportunities to the unemployed will strengthen the recovery and make it more sustainable. Investments to promote decarbonization can not only lift employment in the near term but also increase resilience down the road. The road to strong, sustainable, balance, and inclusive growth will be long and difficult. Now is the time to spend wisely and work together to build a better future. Oya Celasun heads the Multilateral Surveillance Division in the IMF's Research Department. Lone Christiansen is a Deputy Division Chief of the Multilateral Surveillance Division in the IMF’s Research Department. Margaux MacDonald is an Economist in the Multilateral Surveillance Division of the IMF's Research Department. ***** Thank you again for your interest in IMF Blog. Take good care, Glenn Gottselig Blog Editor, IMF GGottselig@IMF.org