Reuters Daily Agriculture Brief 270409

Financial Crisis - 1045 GMT
- Fears of a global swine pandemic grow with new infections in U.S., Canada; 103 dead in Mexico. Dampens talks of recovery.
- Oil and stock markets fall, but drug makers gain - World finance leaders say at the weekend there was a "break in the clouds" of the economic storm, but call for more measures
- Japan cuts forecast for economy to shrink 3.3 percent in the year to next March instead of previous estimate of zero growth
- U.S. Federal Reserve expected to hold fire, refrain from fresh policy steps
- Chrysler shows signs of progress with unionised workers in battle to stay alive
- Global warming to hit southeast Asian countries hard
- German consumer sentiment should hold firm going into May as shoppers less downbeat on economy -market research group
- Franch jobless figures, due out on Monday, are not good says Lagarde

GRAINS:

Grain, oilseed markets sink on swine flu fears
PARIS/SINGAPORE, April 27 (Reuters) - Grain and oilseed markets fell sharply on Monday on concern that a swine flu outbreak in North America could reduce demand.
"The drop is related to concerns over the spread of swine flu which could trigger a fall in meat consumption and therefore in animal feed," one French trader said.

Flu outbreak to loom over U.S.-Mexico truck dispute
GENEVA, April 27 (Reuters) - The prompt resolution of a 15-year old dispute over access to U.S. roads by Mexican trucks could be another casualty of the deadly swine flu outbreak, international trade experts said on Monday.
Increased health checks to control the virus, which has killed 103 people in Mexico and infected at least 20 in the United States, could also slow the passage of goods across the busy but troubled U.S.-Mexico border, they said.

EDIBLE OIL/OILSEEDS:

Markets tumble as flu jitters spread
KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Reuters) - Asian vegetable oil markets slid on Monday as concerns spread over an outbreak of swine flu in Mexico reduced meat and grains demand.
"Hopefully this is a minor hiccup," said S. Paramalingam, executive director of local brokerage Pelindung Bestari.

COMMODITIES MARKETS:

Flu fears hit raw materials, grains; gold rises
LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) - Oil fell below $49 while copper shed 4 percent on Monday, as most commodity markets were stalked by fear that a deadly flu outbreak spreading from Mexico may become a pandemic and hurt bids to stabilise the global economy.
"Equities are weaker and people are getting out of some of the riskier assets and into havens," said David Thurtell analyst at Citigroup in London.

FINANCIAL MARKETS:

World stocks, oil tumble as flu fears spread
LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) - World stocks tumbled after seven weeks of gains and oil and the euro fell on Monday as concerns intensified the spread of swine flu, which has killed more than 100 people in Mexico, would hit the global economy.
"The swine flu seems to be one of those 'Black Swan' events that has caught the market by surprise. This is a concern as to whether it might impact any potential... recovery chances," said Martin Slaney, head of derivatives at GFT Global Markets.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES:

Indonesian CPO exchange fails to attract interest
JAKARTA, April 27 (Reuters) - Indonesian crude palm oil producers do not want to trade the commodity on an exchange, making it harder to establish a benchmark price in the world's top producing country, the head of the exchange said on Monday.
The plan to trade CPO on the Jakarta Futures Exchange was intended to create a more transparent benchmark, but a lack of incentives is making it hard to appeal to potential users, Hasan Zein Mahmud, chairman of Jakarta Futures Exchange, told Reuters in an interview.