SYDNEY, Australia (Reuter) – More than half of the state of New South Wales has been declared a drought area by the state government following a worsening of dry conditions.
New South Wales agriculture minister Richard Amery said 55 percent of the state is now officially drought-declared, up from 42 percent in April, following the failure of autumn rains.
“The situation is not desperate at this stage (but) there is now cause for serious concern,” he said.
“Rain is urgently required to sow early varieties of winter crops, replenish farm water supplies and improve pasture conditions,” he said.
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Stockowners in the northwestern of the state, where drought has prevailed over a long period, are accelerating stock reduction, he said.
A spokesperson for Amery told Reuters the drought declaration was made despite recent rainfall in isolated areas of northern New South Wales.
“There’s been no general widespread rain,” he said.
Beijing mice eat tonnes of poison
BEIJING, China (Reuter) – Beijing mice this spring munched their way through 320 tonnes of rat poison and virtually wiped themselves out in the process, Xinhua news agency reported.
About 1.5 million people took part in a campaign to rid suburban Beijing’s farmland of mice, Xinhua said, adding that 95 percent of the city’s mice are now dead and the campaign has saved 100,000 tonnes of grain in the last year.
“The furry rodents have nibbled their way through 320 tonnes of rat poison to virtually wipe themselves out in China’s capital,” the official news agency said.
Chemical giant’s profits slide
PARIS, France (Reuter) – French chemicals group Rhone-Poulenc, still digesting last year’s Fisons purchase, reported a 13.5 percent slide in first quarter earnings April 29 but said it still expected better full year figures.
The company said net income declined to 633 million French francs ($167 million Cdn) in the first quarter from 732 million in the same period last year.
Earnings per share declined to 1.97 francs from 2.32.
“Contrary to 1995 which began with an excellent first quarter and which then deteriorated afterwards, Rhone-Poulenc is expecting a steady progression in its 1996 financial results, which will benefit moreover from an improvement in operating results for the whole of its businesses,” the company said.
Sara Lee buys meat processor
CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuter) – Sara Lee Corp. has agreed to acquire Aoste, a processed meats company based in France with annual sales of about $1.15 billion.
The proposed transaction is expected to close this summer, pending regulatory approval, Sara Lee officials said.
Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Aoste manufactures and distributes cured and cooked ham, dry and cooked sausages, patŽ and other charcuterie in France, Italy, Germany and Belgium.
Aoste was founded in 1976 and has about 2,500 employees and 19 production facilities in France and Italy.
Aoste will become a part of Sara Lee Processed Meats Europe. This group was formed in 1993 through Sara Lee’s acquisition of the processed meats business of BP Nutrition’s Consumer Foods Group. Fiscal 1995 sales for Sara Lee Processed Meats Europe were about $590 million.
Sara Lee is a global food and consumer products company with $24 billion in annual sales.
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