COMMODITY MARKET REVIEW 1999-2000



COMMODITIES AND TRADE DIVISION FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 2000

The Commodity Market Review highlights and analyses world market developments affecting agricultural, fishery and forestry products in general and for all principal primary agricultural commodities. It draws attention to events affecting the export and import activities of developing countries and summarizes the situation for each commodity in a series of tables based on information available to FAO up to January 2000.

Also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, and Spanish.

Inquiries should be directed to:
Commodities and Trade Division
FAO
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome
Italy 
FAX: 0039 06 570 54495
TELEX: 610181
EMAIL: [email protected]

 

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

ISBN 92-5-104448-1

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, Information Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.

© FAO 2000

 

Contents


Foreword

Calendar of FAO forthcoming commodity meetings

FAO Commodity specialists

Explanatory notes

Agricultural commodity markets in 1999-2000: Highlights

PART I. General Review

AN OVERVIEW OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY, COMMODITY PRICES AND EXPORT EARNINGS

Agricultural export earnings drop further in 1999

Food import bills decline

Agricultural prices continued falling in 1999

Global economic outlook strengthens

Asian recovery led growth in 1999 among developing countries

Per caput economic growth remains weak

PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING THE AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURE AND PROSPECTS FOR THE WTO NEGOTIATIONS

Agriculture negotiations began in March 2000

The Seattle Draft Ministerial Declaration indicates areas for negotiations

Implementation issues

Issues for negotiations

Agricultural disputes at the WTO in 1999

Implementing the AoA commitments on meat products

Disciplines on export subsidies for meat

Table 6. Export subsidy ceilings for meat

Market access provisions for meat

PART II. Review of Commodity Markets

Beverages, sugar and fruits

COFFEE

COCOA

TEA

SUGAR

BANANAS

TROPICAL FRUITS

CITRUS

Cereals and cassava

RICE

WHEAT

COARSE GRAINS

CASSAVA

Oilseeds, oils and oilmeals

Livestock products

MEAT AND MEAT PRODUCTS

MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS

Agricultural raw materials

COTTON

JUTE, KENAF AND ALLIED FIBRES

HARD FIBRES

NATURAL RUBBER

HIDES AND SKINS

Fishery products

Forest products


TEXT TABLES

Table 1. Value of exports of major agricultural products in 1999 (`000 million $)

Table 2. Imports of staple food commodities in 1998 and 1999 (`000 million $)

Table 3. Export price indices for major agricultural commodities

Table 4. Representative export prices and within-year variation in monthly prices

Table 5. World economic outlook: global and per caput real GDP growth rates

TEXT BOXES

Box 1
Price shocks accelerate industry concentration in pig and poultry sectors

Box 2
Canadian dairy policies

Box 3
EC banana imports

Box 4
Policy Reforms in the EC: Implications for the Beef Sector

Box 5
E-Mail Commodity Information Exchange Services

Box 6
Tea Mark

Box 7
International trade in organic bananas is growing rapidly

Box 8

School Milk Programmes

Box 9
Food Quality Regulations in Fish Trade


FIGURES


Figure 1. Nominal price indices
Figure 2. All agricultural commodity prices and MUV 1990-99

COMMODITY DATA TABLES

COFFEE

COCOA

TEA

SUGAR

BANANAS

TROPICAL FRUITS

CITRUS

RICE

WHEAT

COARSE GRAINS

CASSAVA

OILSEEDS,OILS AND OILMEALS

MEAT AND MEAT PRODUCTS

MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS

COTTON

JUTE, KENAF AND ALLIED FIBRES

HARD FIBRES

NATURAL RUBBER

HIDES AND SKINS

FISHERY PRODUCTS

FOREST PRODUCTS