The main aviation hub in Guangzhou, where the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) is underway, set record for daily international arrivals on Tuesday and Wednesday, official data showed Thursday, indicating the increasing global reach of the biannual fair.
The current edition of the Canton Fair is taking place in the capital of south China's Guangdong Province from Oct 15 to Nov 4, with the number of exhibitors exceeding 32,000, a record high.
According to the border inspection station of the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, inbound foreigner trips exceeded 18,000 both on Tuesday and Wednesday, accounting for over 70 percent of all arrivals at the airport, an all-time high.
Data also showed between Oct 10 and Oct 15 daily inbound foreigner trips averaged 15,000 at the Baiyun Airport, an increase of 4.2 percent compared with the period from April 10 to 15 in the lead-up to the 137th edition of the Canton Fair.
Guangzhou airport sees surge in foreign arrivals in lead-up to 138th Canton Fair
Guangzhou airport sees surge in foreign arrivals in lead-up to 138th Canton Fair
Guangzhou airport sees surge in foreign arrivals in lead-up to 138th Canton Fair
Global food commodity prices climbed for a second consecutive month in March, driven mainly by higher energy costs linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in report released on Friday.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent above its level a year ago.
According to the report, the FAO Vegetable Oil Index and Sugar Price Index showed the largest increases, up 5.1 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.
The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.5 percent from the previous month, driven primarily by higher world wheat prices, which rose 4.3 percent.
The FAO Meat Price Index rose by 1.0 percent from the previous month, and the FAO All-Rice Price Index declined by 3.0 percent in March, according to the report.
FAO stated that rising energy and fertilizer prices have been driving up agricultural input costs.
If the conflict stretches beyond 40 days, farmers will have to choose to farm the same with fewer inputs, plant less, or switch to less intensive fertilizer crops, according to FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero.
These choices will hit future yields and shape food supply and commodity prices for the rest of this year and beyond, Torero said.
Global food prices rise for 2nd consecutive month in March amid Middle East conflict: FAO
