Highlights

OECD and FAO Project an "Agricultural Outlook" for 2009-2018
The agricultural sector could be in trouble if the economic downturn continues to persist. In a recent report, produced in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2009-2018 covers the outlook for commodity markets during the 2009 to 2018 period, and brings together the commodity, policy and country expertise of both Organisations, providing an assessment of agricultural market prospects for production, consumption, trade, stocks and prices of the included commodities. This fifteenth edition explains that falls in agricultural prices and in the production and consumption of farm goods are likely to be moderate as long as the economic recovery begins within two to three years. As the downturn lowers food prices, pressure is eased on recession-hit consumers who have less money to spend, it says. The report also identifies an expected economic recovery, renewed food demand growth from developing countries and the emerging biofuel markets as the key drivers underpinning agricultural commodity prices and markets over the medium term. We look forward to the release of the full publication on 3 August 2009. To read more about this report, please follow the link below.

http://www.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_36774715_36775671_1_1_1_1_1,00.html