Egyptian furniture manufacturers face rising freight costs and a shortage of skilled workers, weakening their ability to compete in export markets. Industry representative Alaa Nasr El-Din is calling for shipping-cost relief, incentives to retain craftspeople and the removal of real estate tax on factories.
Diesel prices in Greece rose 12.1% in July against June, the third-largest monthly increase in the European Union, according to Eurostat data reported by sbctv.gr. The EU average increase was 4.3%, with Poland at 13.4% and Germany at 12.7% ahead of Greece. Prices rose in 17 member states, while Cyprus, Sweden and Ireland recorded declines.
Shortages of critical medicines are becoming a permanent weakness of the European market in 2026, with oncology drugs, anti-tuberculosis treatments, insulins and antiepileptics affected. The European monitoring mechanism received 70 critical-shortage notifications in 2025 and the EMA task force met 31 times on the issue. Manufacturing failures at a single European supplier have left ifosfamide and cyclophosphamide short across the EU and EEA for the whole year.
Ghana’s cocoa harvest is forecast to fall 13% to 650,000 tonnes, while StoneX expects Côte d’Ivoire’s 2026-2027 output to decline 11% to 1.8 million tonnes. Weather disruption and crop disease could tighten global supply before inventories have fully recovered.
Greek producer prices for the new corn crop could open at €0.22-0.24 per kilogram, but the outcome depends heavily on import costs. Ukrainian export capacity, Romania’s harvest and logistics, and competitively priced Bulgarian truck deliveries will determine whether the market can sustain those levels.
Ethiopia is seeking to convert growing banana production into a larger export business. The Ministry of Agriculture has identified quality, productivity and access to overseas markets as the main areas for improvement.
Hungary’s apple harvest could fall to 135,000 tonnes in 2026, its lowest level in at least five decades. Drought has reduced yields and fruit size, while remaining European stocks may delay substantial price increases until spring.
Kazakhstan will require Data Matrix codes on beer and beer beverages in glass bottles produced or imported from September 1, 2026. Producers and importers must generate and apply the codes, while retailers must scan them at checkout.
Abnormal summer heat may reduce Ukraine’s potato harvest after temperatures exceeded 37°C for five consecutive days during a critical crop-development stage. Procurement prices could rise by 25–30% in October–November, followed by another increase of about 10% in winter.
New Zealand First has proposed giving qualifying value-added dairy manufacturers access to as much as 500 million litres of Fonterra milk annually. The ten-year entitlement would support investment in New Zealand processing plants before tapering over its final four years.
Brazilian hog prices remain under pressure, with Globo Rural describing the sector’s current position as its weakest since 2022. Cepea researchers said the situation resembles the downturn recorded that year, although the available source material provides no current price, regional market or production figures.
Zambia produced a record 4.9 million tonnes of maize this season, 28% more than last year. With annual consumption of about 2.8 million tonnes, the country could have close to 2 million tonnes available for exports and stocks.
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