May 11, 2012

World food output to increase this year

World meat output, such as fish, is expected to increase by almost 2% to 302 million tonnes in 2012, with most of the growth happening in developing countries, according to the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation.

World milk production in 2012 is forecast to grow by 2.7% to 750 million tonnes. Asia is expected to account for most of the increase. The region will also emerge as the main market for imports, where global figures are anticipated to reach 52.7 million tonnes.

The analysis also sees fish production growing by 2.1% to 17.3 million tonnes, due to a 5.8% increase in aquaculture output that offset a small decline in capture fisheries following limitations on catches of small pelagic species in the Pacific.