Tottenham Hotspur missed the chance to move into the top four when they were held to a 1-1 draw at West Ham United after Brennan Johnson’s early strike was cancelled out by Kurt Zouma’s header in their Premier League clash.
Turkey has become a significant exporter of durum wheat, helping to fill a supply gap caused by drought in Canada. Turkish exports have kept durum prices stable and competitive, benefiting pasta producers and consumers. Turkey’s strong crop yields and competitive prices have made it a key player in the global durum market, with analysts predicting continued substantial exports in the coming years. The country’s role in supplying durum wheat may become even more crucial as Europe plans to use tariffs to limit grain imports from Russia.
A carbon tax of one cent per cubic meter on water is to be implemented as part of green taxes, announced by the Nicosia Water board in conjunction with World Water Day. This tax is aimed at reflecting the environmental cost of water use and its scarcity. The Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Plan, introduced three years prior, included provisions for this tax but did not specify an amount. The plan highlights the need for reforms due to the energy-intensive and polluting nature of desalination plants, which Cyprus relies on for its drinking water supply. These plants contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and are powered by fossil fuels. The government is urged to require desalination plant operators to reduce reliance on conventional energy and switch to renewable sources. The announcement also touched on the importance of transboundary water cooperation for peace and sustainable development, noting that only 24 of the 153 countries with shared waters have comprehensive cooperative agreements. It mentioned the potential for a bi-communal agreement in Cyprus to provide drinking water across the ceasefire line as a confidence-building measure. Additionally, concerns about drought following a mild winter in 2023-2024 were raised, with actions being taken to increase water storage capacity. Current reservoir levels are at 69% capacity, with inflow this season at approximately 20 million cubic meters, compared to 48 million cubic meters in the winter of 2022-2023 and 154 million cubic meters the previous winter.
Brazil is expected to post its third annual increase in coffee production this year, marking a rare occurrence in its coffee history. This sequence of production increases is mainly due to rising production of robusta beans. Brazilian coffee production typically follows an arabica biennial cycle, where production alternates between high and low years. However, this cycle was disrupted by extreme weather events around 2020 and 2021. Since then, Brazil has seen larger crops each year due to improved farming techniques and expanded use of irrigation, especially in robusta fields. The growth in robusta production is a significant factor in the stable increase in overall coffee production, as robusta trees do not experience the biennial variation that arabica does. Robusta production areas in Brazil are less susceptible to frosts compared to arabica production areas. The average yield of robusta fields in Brazil has increased by 50% over the past decade, while arabica yields have increased by 24%. Brazil’s 2024 coffee crop is estimated at 58 million bags, a 5% increase from the previous year, potentially reaching a total of 164 million bags over three years from 2022. This growth occurs as Vietnam, the main producer of robusta beans, faces production challenges due to adverse weather. Brazil may soon produce more robusta beans than Vietnam.
Reduced rainfall and recent sunny days have destroyed cereal crops in West Nicosia farming communities. Farmers are unable to save their crops, citing irreversible damage due to drought. An elderly farmer reported never seeing such a disaster before, with minimal rain and the ground showing deep cracks. Andreas Alexandrou, the provincial secretary of the Panagrotikos Association of Nicosia, observed widespread devastation in the communities of Akaki, Meniko, Peristerona, and Orunta, describing the landscape as yellow and dreary. The Ministry of Agriculture is monitoring the situation, and there are calls for prompt identification of affected areas and guidance for farmers.