World coffee body mulls forum to finance producers

October 8th, 2009 BANGALORE - Besides the recession, high inflation, volatile currency rates and scarce finance are also posing challenges to the global coffee sector, an industry expert said Thursday. "High inflation rates have reduced the power of coffee producers with production costs squeezing margins and fluctuating exchange rates impacting exporters and buyers," International Coffee Organisation (ICO) executive director Nestor Osorio said here at the India International Coffee Festival (ICCF-2009).

October 7th, 2009 TORONTO - Canada's Jim Flaherty has been named the finance minister of the year by Euromoney magazine. The honour comes after the World Economic Forum rated Canada's performance as the best among G8 economies in the current global crisis.

October 7th, 2009 BANGALORE - Indian coffee growers have to increase their productivity and quality of beans to compete in the global market and sustain the growth momentum achieved after years of cyclical downturn, a top official said Wednesday at the International Coffee Festival (ICCF 2009). "Stakeholders in the coffee industry comprising planters, curers, roasters and exporters have to find out innovative methods to produce, process, cure and market their Arabicas and Robustas to enhance their competitive edge in the global market and sustain growth in an environment impacted by climate change," said Karnataka Chief Secretary S.V.

October 3rd, 2009 G-7 finance ministers face dollar concernsISTANBUL — Finance ministers from the Group of Seven rich countries gathered Saturday to confront concerns about the dollar, in a forum whose role is under question as developing countries get more say. G-7 officials indicated their joint statement could be less detailed than communiques of the past, always intensely parsed for policy language that could move markets.

September 30th, 2009 US Treasury official: G-7 may drop joint statementWASHINGTON — Finance ministers from the world's seven most developed economies may not even issue a joint communique when they meet in Istanbul this weekend, a senior U.S. Treasury official said Wednesday.

September 8th, 2009 GENEVA - Switzerland Tuesday replaced the US in the top place in the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranking of most competitive countries for doing business. "The United States falls one place to second position, with weakening in its financial markets and macroeconomic stability," the Geneva-based foundation said.

August 20th, 2009 Shares of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters riseNEW YORK — Shares of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters — seller of Keurig coffee products — rose Thursday after a Janney Montgomery Scott analyst said the stock price had been weaker than it should be. Analyst Mitchell Pinheiro reiterated a "Buy" rating on the stock and said the company's fundamentals had not changed even though the shares had dropped after a recent secondary share offering.

August 18th, 2009 Recalls: coffee makers, dust collection switchesThe following recalls have been announced: — About 9,800 Black & Decker thermal coffee makers, made in China and distributed by Applica Consumer Products Inc., of Miramar, Fla., because the coffee makers can overheat and melt, posing a burn hazard. The company has received one report of a coffee maker melting.

July 22nd, 2009 China promises solar subsidies to boost industryBEIJING — China's government says it will pay up to 70 percent of the price of new solar power systems in an effort to speed development of clean energy industries. The Finance Ministry's announcement Tuesday comes as Beijing tries to reduce China's surging demand for imported oil and gas and create companies that cash in on growing global demand for clean energy technology.

July 1st, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Many finance ministers around the world may appear icy and unapproachable, but not Punjab's 40-something Manpreet Singh Badal who is blogging his way into cyber popularity and even inviting suggestions for the budget he will present next week. Manpreet, who turns 47 this month, is scoring several hits every day on his personal blog (www.manpreetbadal.wordpress.com).

May 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Poor awareness, mammoth size, diversity and insularity are challenges India must overcome to ensure fair trade practices in grassroots businesses, World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) president Paul Myers, himself a leading economist, said in the capital Friday. WFTO, a global representative forum of more than 350 organisations established in 1989, tries to ensure fair deals for small-scale producers at the grassroots the worldover and correct trade imbalances, while factoring in ecological concerns and participation by all segments of industry.

April 6th, 2009 BANGALORE - For scores of people, be they regulars or occasional visitors to Bangalore's most popular avenue, M.G. Road, Monday was a listless day.

January 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The ministry of finance Monday clarified that there was never any proposal to apply windfall tax to private oil producers in the country. Special secretary of the ministry Rita Menon said at a session in Petrotech 2009 that the windfall tax had been a proposal to 'formalise' the discounts offered by state-run oil producers as part of the subsidy-sharing mechanism.

January 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The ministry of petroleum and natural gas Monday clarified that there was never any proposal to apply windfall tax to private oil producers in the country. Special secretary of the ministry Rita Menon said at a session in Petrotech 2009 that the windfall tax had been a proposal to 'formalise' the discounts offered by state-run oil producers as part of the subsidy-sharing mechanism.

December 22nd, 2008 BANGALORE - Retail chain Cafe Coffee Day has opened a 'square' in the heart of India's IT hub, across the evergreen Cubbon Park, to give a flavour of original brews from the world over to coffee lovers. Complete with a wi-fi enabled conference room, customers can even do business at the new cafe.