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Support To Agriculture Rising After Hitting Historic Lows – OECD
By: Viola Caon 20 Sep 2013 Government support for agriculture in the world’s leading farming nations rose during 2012, bucking a long-term downward trend and reversing historic lows recorded in 2011, according to the latest version of an annual OECD report. Public support to producers stood at an average one-sixth of gross farm receipts in the 47 countries covered in OECD Agricultural Policy: Monitoring and Evaluation 2013. The Producer Support Estimate has increased to 17% of gross farm receipts in 2012, compared to 15% in 2011, according to the new analysis. The OECD sees a generalised move away from support directly linked to production, but finds that support that distorts production and trade still represents about half of the total. While OECD countries are increasingly de-linking support from production, emerging markets are relying more on border protection and market price support measures that tax consumers. “With world markets for food and commodities buoyant and higher commodity prices expected to continue, the time is ripe for governments to credibly commit to wide-ranging farm support reform,” said OECD Trade and Agriculture Director Ken Ash. “Meeting the needs of a growing and richer world population requires a shift away from the distorting and wasteful policies of the past towards measures that improve competitiveness, allowing farmers to respond to market signals while ensuring that much-needed innovation is fully funded,” Mr Ash said. This year’s OECD report examines the state of agricultural policy in 47 countries that account for nearly 80% of global farm output, including seven emerging economies that are major players in food and agriculture markets: Brazil, China, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Africa and Ukraine. It shows that support levels vary widely, both across the OECD countries and across major emerging economies. The European Union mirrored the OECD-wide trend, with farm support rising from 18% to 19% of farm receipts. The June 2013 agreement on EU’s Common Agricultural Policy for the 2014-20 period does not represent a major departure from either the current orientation or size of farm support in the 28 country bloc. Some emerging economies which are key players in agriculture continued to increase support – in China farm support rose to 17%, in Indonesia it rose to 21%, and in Kazakhstan support reached 15%. Others maintained low levels of support, like Brazil (5%) and South Africa (3%). Continue reading
Wood: Fastest Growing Heating Fuel In America
October 03, 2013 • Source: USCensus/IHB Recently official released statistics from the US Census Bureau reveal that wood or wood pellets are again the fastest growing heating fuel in America. In 2012, 63.566 more families used wood or pellets as a primary heating fuel, a 2.6% increase over 2011. Wood and pellet home heating grew by 34% in 10 years (2000-2010), ”faster than any other of the fossil fuels, including solar and natural gas”, says US Census. Moreover, oil and propane use continuously declined since 2010. At the present, 2.5 million American households use wood as a primary heating fuel. Comparing with 500.000 that use solar panels and only 50.000 that use solar termal heating, wood is by far the most used renewable energy in the United States. 2.1% of Americans use wood or wood pellets as a primary heating fuel (2000: 1,6%) and 7,7% US households use it as a secondary heating fuel, according to the 2009 EIA Renewable Energy Consumption Survey. The US Census Bureau started recording heating data in 1950. Since then, wood heating has had some discordant fluctuations: in 1950, 10% of the US population was using wood as a heating method; to drop at 1,3% in 1970 at an all-time low. By 1990, this percentage went up to 3,9%, to drop again at 1.6% in 2000. Continue reading
Stobart Biomass Announces Wales Waste Wood Deal
30 September 2013 Wood By Michael Holder Stobart Biomass has signed a 15-year feedstock contract for the 14.7MW Western Bioenergy Limited biomass facility in South Wales, which will see a ‘significant’ increase in the amount of waste wood processed at the plant. Around 150,000 tonnes of virgin and waste feedstock will be provided by Stobart under the contract, which will last for the lifetime of the facility and eventually see it accept around 55% grade A waste wood. According to Stobart, the contract initially requires a mix of 80% virgin wood and 20% grade A recycled wood, moving to 57% and 43% respectively following planned upgrades to the plant, which are due to begin in summer 2014. The biomass fuel company, a subsidiary of Stobart Group, will supply around 50% of the feedstock itself and manage and process the remainder, which will be supplied by an unnamed third party. At present, Western Bionergy gives the Forestry Commission as the largest single supplier to the plant. Furthermore, Stobart Group’s estates division has invested £800,000 to take a ‘small’ stake in the the Port Talbot plant, which has just been acquired by Green Investment Bank (GIB)’s fund, Greensphere Capital LLP. Andrew Tinkler, Stobart Group chief executive officer, said: “This is the first biomass supply contract with Greensphere under our Master Framework Agreement and represents another step in the development of our partnership in this growing market. We are pleased to have been able to make an investment in the project, which we expect to result in attractive returns for the Group.” Productive Operational since 2008, the £33 million Western Bioenergy Limited plant produces enough electricity to power 28,000 homes and was described as the first commercial-scale power station of its kind in Wales. Greensphere announced today (September 30) the plant upgrade is being part-financed by an £11 million investment provided by the Greensphere-managed UK Green and Sustainable Waste and Energy Investment Limited Partnership (UKGSWEI) fund. The GIB said the overall amount invested in the plant was commercially sensitive, but co-investment has also been provided by Signia Wealth Management as well as Stobart. Shaun Kingsbury, chief executive, UK Green Investment Bank, said: “This investment will secure the long-term future of an important Welsh renewable energy plant and will improve its efficiency and sustainability. “The Greensphere fund was set up, in part, to help support the UK’s waste wood biomass sector and its first acquisition of an operational asset is an important step.” The plant was purchased by Greensphere from a consortium of South Wales timber company Western Log Group and renewable energy investment firm Good Energies, operating as Western Bioenergy. Related links: Stobart Group Greensphere Capital LLP Divya Seshamani, managing partner, Greensphere Capital LLP, added: “We see the Port Talbot plant as a cornerstone of the waste-wood-to-energy platform we are building in this sector.” Greensphere was set up in 2012 with an initial fund of £30 million to invest in energy-from-waste projects, namely anaerobic digestion (AD) and waste wood biomass developments (see letsrecycle.com story). The Port Talbot biomass plant is the fund’s second investment. Continue reading
