CANADA TO BUY RUSSIAN GRAIN WORTH MORE THAN $8 MILLION
Copyright 2002 Agency WPS
THE RUSSIAN BUSINESS MONITOR...09/06/2002
Senior Deputy Agriculture Minister Anatoly Mikhalev reports that in 2002 Canada will buy Russian grain worth 12.6 million Canadian dollars (over $8 million).
According to Mikhalev, Canadian government plans to buy Russian grain because Canada had poor harvest of grain for two years. The relevant preliminary negotiations have already been held, and preparation of documents is underway, adds Mikhalev.
Mikhalev reiterated that in 2001 Russian grain exports totaled 5 million tons, and in 2002 there was a task to increase grain exports to 10 million tons.
REGINA -- The minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board says he's confident the long-term reputation of the board will not
Copyright 2002 Press News Limited, All Rights Reserved
Broadcast News (BN)...09/06/2002
REGINA -- The minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board says he's confident the long-term reputation of the board will not be hampered by recent developments.
The board has pulled out of the world grain market because of concerns over tight supplies this year.
Ralph Goodale says it's probably the most serious supply situation the board has had to deal with in the past three decades.
Board spokeswoman Louise Waldman says the ongoing drought played a key role in the decision.
Waldman says the decision doesn't mean the agency that markets western Canadian wheat and barley is out of business.
She says it does mean the board must look carefully at every sales request and take care of its best customers first.
Goodale says if the board is at risk of not being able to satisfy commitments to customers, then it is very cautious about making those commitments.
He says people who deal with the wheat board know they're not dealing with a fly-by-night operator.''
(BN)
JYB
Zimbabwe;
UN Envoy to Ask Mugabe to End GMB Food Monoploy
Copyright 2002 Africa News Service, Inc.
Africa News...09/05/2002
Financial Gazette
JAMES Morris, a special envoy of United Nations' secretary-general Kofi Annan, is to press President Robert Mugabe in talks in Harare today to allow the private sector to import food into Zimbabwe to save millions of people threatened with starvation.
International aid agency diplomats said yesterday Morris, the executive director of the UN's World Food Programme, had already raised the issue of breaking the food distribution monopoly of the state-controlled Grain Marketing Board (GMB) in talks with Mugabe on the sidelines of the Earth Summit in Johannesburg.
"Morris had talks with President Mugabe on Tuesday this week and the meeting today will be a continuation of the Johannesburg meeting and the issue of private sector involvement will be brought up in the talks," a senior aid agency diplomat said.
The government earlier this year promised UN under-secretary general for humanitarian assistance Kenzo Oshima it would consider allowing private sector players to import maize and other foodstuffs but has not delivered on that promise.
The United Nations' Development Programme (UNDP) had proposed to set up a hard cash basket fund of more than US$ 80 million from which private companies wishing to import food could tap into.
Victor Angelo, the UNDP's resident coordinator in Harare who doubles up as the UN's coordinator in Zimbabwe, yesterday said the world body was still negotiating with the government to agree to the setting up of the fund.
"We are still in talks with the government over the matter," he said.
He did not say why it had taken so long for the two parties to reach accord when at least six million Zimbabweans, or half the population, face starvation.
Social Welfare Minister July Moyo, under whose portfolio aid relief falls, could not be reached for comment.
Sources close to the negotiations said the government was reluctant to abolish the GMB's monopoly because it would give away its political control over food distribution.
"There is no strategic or logistical reason why the GMB should retain control of food imports other than that this allows the state to directly control food distribution," one source told the Financial Gazette.
The government is accused of withdrawing food from supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) as punishment for their backing of the opposition party. The state denies the charge.
This week the government impounded 30 tonnes of maize brought into Zimbabwe to feed starving villagers by a non-governmental organisation linked to the MDC. The government said the private agency must have an import licence to buy the staple food.
Poor rains last season and the government's chaotic and often violent land reforms are blamed for causing a 60 percent drop in food production in the past farming season.
Morris, who will tour five other southern African countries facing severe food shortages, will also meet senior Harare government officials, representatives of donors and discuss the humanitarian response with UN agencies.
Copyright 2002 Agency WPS
THE RUSSIAN BUSINESS MONITOR...09/06/2002
Senior Deputy Agriculture Minister Anatoly Mikhalev reports that in 2002 Canada will buy Russian grain worth 12.6 million Canadian dollars (over $8 million).
According to Mikhalev, Canadian government plans to buy Russian grain because Canada had poor harvest of grain for two years. The relevant preliminary negotiations have already been held, and preparation of documents is underway, adds Mikhalev.
Mikhalev reiterated that in 2001 Russian grain exports totaled 5 million tons, and in 2002 there was a task to increase grain exports to 10 million tons.
REGINA -- The minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board says he's confident the long-term reputation of the board will not
Copyright 2002 Press News Limited, All Rights Reserved
Broadcast News (BN)...09/06/2002
REGINA -- The minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board says he's confident the long-term reputation of the board will not be hampered by recent developments.
The board has pulled out of the world grain market because of concerns over tight supplies this year.
Ralph Goodale says it's probably the most serious supply situation the board has had to deal with in the past three decades.
Board spokeswoman Louise Waldman says the ongoing drought played a key role in the decision.
Waldman says the decision doesn't mean the agency that markets western Canadian wheat and barley is out of business.
She says it does mean the board must look carefully at every sales request and take care of its best customers first.
Goodale says if the board is at risk of not being able to satisfy commitments to customers, then it is very cautious about making those commitments.
He says people who deal with the wheat board know they're not dealing with a fly-by-night operator.''
(BN)
JYB
Zimbabwe;
UN Envoy to Ask Mugabe to End GMB Food Monoploy
Copyright 2002 Africa News Service, Inc.
Africa News...09/05/2002
Financial Gazette
JAMES Morris, a special envoy of United Nations' secretary-general Kofi Annan, is to press President Robert Mugabe in talks in Harare today to allow the private sector to import food into Zimbabwe to save millions of people threatened with starvation.
International aid agency diplomats said yesterday Morris, the executive director of the UN's World Food Programme, had already raised the issue of breaking the food distribution monopoly of the state-controlled Grain Marketing Board (GMB) in talks with Mugabe on the sidelines of the Earth Summit in Johannesburg.
"Morris had talks with President Mugabe on Tuesday this week and the meeting today will be a continuation of the Johannesburg meeting and the issue of private sector involvement will be brought up in the talks," a senior aid agency diplomat said.
The government earlier this year promised UN under-secretary general for humanitarian assistance Kenzo Oshima it would consider allowing private sector players to import maize and other foodstuffs but has not delivered on that promise.
The United Nations' Development Programme (UNDP) had proposed to set up a hard cash basket fund of more than US$ 80 million from which private companies wishing to import food could tap into.
Victor Angelo, the UNDP's resident coordinator in Harare who doubles up as the UN's coordinator in Zimbabwe, yesterday said the world body was still negotiating with the government to agree to the setting up of the fund.
"We are still in talks with the government over the matter," he said.
He did not say why it had taken so long for the two parties to reach accord when at least six million Zimbabweans, or half the population, face starvation.
Social Welfare Minister July Moyo, under whose portfolio aid relief falls, could not be reached for comment.
Sources close to the negotiations said the government was reluctant to abolish the GMB's monopoly because it would give away its political control over food distribution.
"There is no strategic or logistical reason why the GMB should retain control of food imports other than that this allows the state to directly control food distribution," one source told the Financial Gazette.
The government is accused of withdrawing food from supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) as punishment for their backing of the opposition party. The state denies the charge.
This week the government impounded 30 tonnes of maize brought into Zimbabwe to feed starving villagers by a non-governmental organisation linked to the MDC. The government said the private agency must have an import licence to buy the staple food.
Poor rains last season and the government's chaotic and often violent land reforms are blamed for causing a 60 percent drop in food production in the past farming season.
Morris, who will tour five other southern African countries facing severe food shortages, will also meet senior Harare government officials, representatives of donors and discuss the humanitarian response with UN agencies.
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