Once considered a lower-price, lower-quality substitute for name brands, private label products, or home brands, are now viewed in a more positive light by the majority of American consumers, according to a new survey by The Nielsen Company. Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of consumers believe store brands are good alternatives to name brands and 62 per cent of consumers report they consider store brands to be as good as name brands, up three points since 2005. Private label products now account... ...Read more »

Continuing unfavourable conditions and a lack of water kept Australian agricultural production down during 2007-08, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. With laws of supply and demand dictating prices, it does not bode well for some food prices, though there were some favourable figures. Rice plantings dropped to the lowest levels since 1927 - from 20,000 hectares in 2006-07 to 3,000 hectares in 2007-08 - while production was down 86% to 23,000 tonnes. Rice has been... ...Read more »

With Britain facing its sharpest economic downturn in 30 years, the National Farmers Union (NFU) is calling on the country’s largest retailers to take the lead in a new approach to corporate social responsibility, which would see fair pricing for both customers and suppliers put at the heart of their retail policy. The plea comes after accusations of major supermarkets becoming more aggressive in their demands of suppliers. Mr Kendall will make the call for greater responsibility in a speech... ...Read more »

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has warned that the current financial crisis will affect agricultural sectors in many countries negatively, including those in the developing world. World cereal production is expected to hit a new record this year as high prices boosted plantings under generally favorable weather conditions, FAO said today in the latest issue of its “Food Outlook”, a bi-annual commodity publication. World cereal production is forecast to be large enough to meet... ...Read more »

Despite more organic food and beverage products on grocery store shelves, all is not healthy in the world of pesticide-free, additive-free edibles. Mintel, a global supplier of market and consumer intelligence, predicts that market growth rates for organic food and drink will decline, especially if the economy falters further. According to Mintel, the market for organic foods and beverages should reach $7.2 billion in 2008, an increase of over 140% from the $3.0 billion recorded during 2003. But... ...Read more »

A lack of spring rainfall across Victoria, South Australia and southern New South Wales has resulted in a marked deterioration in the major winter crops. “These developments have prompted ABARE to revise down its forecasts for Australian wheat, barley and canola production in 2008-09,” Mr Philip Glyde, Executive Director of ABARE said. “Australian wheat production in 2008-09 is now forecast to be 19.9 million tonnes, some 11 per cent less than forecast in September.” Mr Glyde... ...Read more »

Kellogg Company, the world’s largest cereal manufacturer, has reported third-quarter 2008 sales growing 9% to US$3.3b - driven by price increases and the trend toward more people eating at home. “The Kellogg business model and strategy continue to give us the ability to offset inflationary headwinds while hitting our targets and delivering sustainable, dependable performance in these very volatile times,” said David Mackay, Kellogg’s chief executive officer. Mr Mackay noted... ...Read more »

A rapidly changing climate, increasingly expensive oil, and declining land and river health threaten to undo Victoria’s impressive food productivity and prosperity, according to the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF). A new report released on Monday by the ACF - Paddock to Plate: Food, Farming & Victoria’s Progress to Sustainability - suggests a re-think on not just the way we produce food, but also the way it is hauled, stored, processed and consumed, if we are to avoid a serious... ...Read more »

Nearly six out of 10 Americans report they have had to cut back on the quantity or quality of food they buy because of increasing prices, according to The 2008 Hormel Hunger Survey, carried out by the Opinion Research Corporation.The study, commissioned by Hormel Foods Corporation, discovered most Americans (67%) believe that food prices have ‘increased a lot’ since last year, with 61 per cent suggesting that corn-based ethanol is at least partly responsible for higher food prices. Fifty-seven... ...Read more »

The Rudd Government is seeking to abolish an 11 cents per litre levy on fresh milk, with legislation introduced to Federal Parliament yesterday. The levy was established by the Howard Government in 2000 to fund an adjustment package for the dairy industry as it moved through deregulation. Around $240 million a year has been collected through the levy, to provide payments to around 13,000 dairy businesses over eight years. Consumers will benefit from a modest saving on the price of fresh milk when... ...Read more »