trainset.txt

+1	 JAPAN FIRM PLANS TO SELL U.S. FARMLAND TO JAPANESE	 MORIOKA, Japan, March 12 -	 A Japanese real estate company  said it will launch a campaign to sell land in U.S. Farming  areas to rich Japanese.  Higashi Nippon House said it would offer around 2,200 acres  of land in Illinois, California, Florida and Indiana from early  April to gauge response. It set up International Farm Corp of  America in Chicago last September to oversee the operation.  American farmers would continue as working tenants and part  of the profits from harvests of rice, corn, soybean and oranges  would go to the Japanese investors as rental.  Japanese Agriculture Ministry officials told Reuters sales  were limited to farmers to keep land in agricultural use.  "Two years ago, I began to seek my own farmland in Japan,"  said Isao Nakamura, president of Higashi Nippon. "However, sale  of Japanese farmland is strictly controlled by the government,  so I began to look for the land in the U.S to make my dream to  own farm land come true."  Nakamura said hundreds of companies exist in the U.S. To  sell farmland to investors as more and more farmers face  difficulties due to the recession in U.S. Agriculture.  REUTER 
-1	 NORTH BH SETS ONE-FOR-FIVE OFFER FOR NORGOLD FLOAT	 MELBOURNE, March 12 -	 North Broken Hill Holdings Ltd  & lt;NBHA.ME > (NBH) said it will offer one & lt;Norgold Ltd > share for  every five NBH shares in the float of its newly created gold  offshoot.  The 20 cent par-value shares will be offered at 22 cents to  shareholders registered April 3, NBH said in a statement.  Norgold's issued capital will be 240.5 mln shares, of which  63 pct will be held by NBH after 89 mln are issued to  shareholders to raise 19.6 mln dlrs, it said.  Norgold will take control of a portfolio of precious metal  exploration and pre-development interests held by NBH.  The major gold deposit to be acquired by Norgold is 100 pct  of the Bottle Creek deposit, west of Leonora in Western  Australia, NBH said.  Production of gold from the project, at an annual rate of  35,000 ounces, is scheduled to begin early in 1988.  Norgold will also have a 10 pct stake in the Coronation  Hill gold/platinum project in the Northern Territory and 43 pct  of the Poona copper/gold project in South Australia.  Other gold exploration interests to be acquired by Norgold  are in Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and  Tasmania, NBH said.  REUTER 
-1	 OUTOKUMPU IN COPPER DEAL WITH IBERICA DEL COBRE	 HELSINKI, June 26 -	 Finland's state-owned mining company  Outokumpu Oy said in a statement it was entering Spanish  markets as a shareholder in Iberica del Cobre, S.A., a  manufacturer of copper products.  Outokumpu will acquire 21 pct of the shares in the Spanish  company and a company will be set up as an agent for Outokumpu  Spain. The deal awaits approval by the Spanish government.  Iberica del Cobre makes tubes, rods, rolled and drawn  copper and alloy products and its sales of 87,000 tonnes of  output in 1986 amounted to 22 billion pesetas. Outokumpu's  turnover in 1986 was 7.58 billion markka.  Reuter 
+1	 ROTTERDAM GRAIN HANDLER SAYS PORT BALANCE ROSE	 ROTTERDAM, April 13 -	 Graan Elevator Mij, GEM, said its  balance in port of grains, oilseeds and derivatives rose to  146,000 tonnes on April 11 from 111,000 a week earlier after  arrivals of 404,000 tonnes and discharges of 369,000 tonnes  last week.  The balance comprised 21,000 tonnes of grains plus oilseeds  and 125,000 tonnes of derivatives.  This week's estimated arrivals total 274,000 tonnes, of  which 71,000 are grains/oilseeds and 203,000 derivatives.  The figures cover around 95 pct of Rotterdam traffic in the  products concerned.  Reuter 
+1	 U.S. SENATE PANEL VOTES TO LIMIT COUNTY LOAN RATE  CHANGES STARTING WITH 1988 CROPS	(NO DATE)	(NO TEXT)
+1	 USSR SEEN LIKELY TO HONOR CORN COMMITMENT	 WASHINGTON, March 9 -	 The Soviet Union will likely honor  its commitment with the United States to buy a minimum of four  mln tonnes of corn this year, an Agriculture Department  official said.  "They have always honoured the agreement, and there's no  reason now to think they won't this year," he told Reuters.  "They have an aggressive buying campaign from the European  Community, from Canada, from the U.S. They're active buyers  from all sources at this point," the official said in  explaining why the Department raised its Soviet grain imports  estimate today by three mln tonnes to 26 mln tonnes.  This is a dramatic shift from just a few months ago when  analysts were saying the USSR might not buy any U.S. corn for  the first time in 15 years.  A drawdown of corn supplies in China and Argentina, concern  over Soviet winter crops, and increasing competition for U.S.  corn were all cited as possible factors in creating Moscow's  recent interest.  Lower corn production prospects in some major supplying  countries have stirred activity from big buyers such as Japan,  and the Soviets are also closely watching the situation, the  official said.  "The Soviets will try to out-capitalize the capitalists"  and buy corn before prices get too high, the official said. "As  soon as they need corn, they'll buy it," he added.  USDA has confirmed one mln tonnes of corn sold to the  Soviet Union, but both U.S. and Soviet analysts have said the  purchases stand at 1.5 mln tonnes.  The USDA official would not speculate on when the Soviets  would enter the U.S. market again.  "There has definitely been an evolving mind set -- from the  situation of slow grain buying a couple months ago to one of  frenetic buying now," the official said.  However, the situation in wheat is "a different story," he  said. Greater world supplies of wheat, heavier Soviet purchase  commitments and less competitive U.S. wheat prices make Soviet  purchases of U.S. wheat less likely, he said.  Speculation has continued for several days that the U.S.  is considering making an export bonus wheat subsidy offer to  the Soviets, but U.S. officials have provided no confirmation.    Reuter 
-1	 LONDON GOLD MORNING FIX HIGHEST SINCE OCTOBER	 LONDON, April 13 -	 Gold bullion continued to move higher  supported by good general buying and was fixed this morning at  436.50 dlrs, 268.368 stg, an ounce, up from Friday's close of  432.00/50, dealers said.  The setting was the highest since October 8 as gold built  on Friday's gains, which had been based on the weakness of the  dollar and fears of a trade war between the United States and  Japan.  It opened slightly firmer at 433.50/434.00 and moved up  steadily during the morning supported by commission house and  trade buying, dealers said.  Dealers said there was resistance around 440.00 but with  sentiment still firm some traders believe the rally may even  take gold as high as 500 dlrs.  Platinum was fixed this morning at 583.50 dlrs an ounce, up  from Friday's close of 578.50/580.50, and also the highest  setting since October.  REUTER 
+1	 U.K. WHEAT AND BARLEY EXPORTS ADJUSTED UPWARDS	 LONDON, March 3 -	 The U.K. Exported 535,460 tonnes of wheat  and 336,750 tonnes of barley in January, the Home Grown Cereals  Authority (HGCA) said, quoting adjusted Customs and Excise  figures.  Based on the previous January figures issued on February 9,  wheat exports increased by nearly 64,000 tonnes and barley by  about 7,000 tonnes.  The new figures bring cumulative w heat exports for the  period July 1/February 13 to 2.99 mln tonnes, and barley to  2.96 mln compared with 1.25 and 1.89 mln tonnes respectively a  year ago.  January wheat exports comprised 251,000 tonnes to European  Community destinations and 284,000 tonnes to third countries.  The Soviet Union was prominent in third country  destinations, taking 167,700 tonnes while Poland was credited  with 54,500 and South Korea 50,000 tonnes. Italy was the  largest EC recipient with 75,000 tonnes followed by West  Germany with 55,200 and France 52,000 tonnes.  Barley exports for January comprised 103,700 tonnes to the  EC and 233,000 to third countries. The Soviet Union was the  largest single importer with 133,265 tonnes followed by Saudi  Arabia with 53,800 tonnes.  Reuter 
-1	 S AFRICA MINE MANAGERS FACE CHARGES IN DISASTER	 JOHANNESBURG, March 5 -	 Seven managers and employees at  General Mining Union Corp Ltd's Kinross Mines Ltd will face  charges of culpable homicide following last year's disaster  when 177 gold miners died, the Attorney General's Office said.  The mineworkers were killed last September at Kinross when  a fire set off toxic fumes which suffocated miners underground.  Three of the accused face alternative charges of breaking  safety regulations set out in the Mines and Works Act.  The spokesman said the case would probably be heard in  Witbank Regional Court, near Kinross, in mid-May.  Reuter 
+1	 SUGAR QUOTA IMPORTS DETAILED -- USDA	 WASHINGTON, Feb 26 -	 The U.S. Agriculture Department said  cumulative sugar imports from individual countries during the  1987 quota year, which began January 1, 1987 and ends December  31, 1987 were as follows, with quota allocations for the quota  year in short tons, raw value --  CUMULATIVE     QUOTA 1987  IMPORTS     ALLOCATIONS  ARGENTINA        nil          39,130  AUSTRALIA        nil          75,530  BARBADOS         nil           7,500  BELIZE           nil          10,010  BOLIVIA          nil           7,500  BRAZIL           nil         131,950  CANADA           nil          18,876  QUOTA 1987  IMPORTS     ALLOCATIONS  COLOMBIA         103          21,840  CONGO            nil           7,599  COSTA RICA       nil          17,583  IVORY COAST      nil           7,500  DOM REP        5,848         160,160  ECUADOR          nil          10,010  EL SALVADOR      nil          26,019.8  FIJI             nil          25,190  GABON            nil           7,500  QUOTA 1987  IMPORTS     ALLOCATIONS  GUATEMALA        nil          43,680  GUYANA           nil          10,920  HAITI            nil           7,500  HONDURAS         nil          15,917.2  INDIA            nil           7,500  JAMAICA          nil          10,010  MADAGASCAR       nil           7,500  MALAWI           nil           9,,100  QUOTA 1987  IMPORTS    ALLOCATIONS  MAURITIUS         nil         10,920  MEXICO             37          7,500  MOZAMBIQUE        nil         11,830  PANAMA            nil         26,390  PAPUA NEW GUINEA  nil          7,500  PARAGUAY          nil          7,500  PERU              nil         37,310  PHILIPPINES       nil        143,780  ST.CHRISTOPHER-  NEVIS             nil          7,500  QUOTA 1987  IMPORTS  ALLOCATIONS  SWAZILAND          nil         14,560  TAIWAN             nil         10,920  THAILAND           nil         12,740  TRINIDAD-TOBAGO    nil          7,500  URUGUAY            nil          7,500  ZIMBABWE           nil         10,920    Reuter 
+1	 LONDON COCOA TRADES AT LOWS BY MIDMORNING	 LONDON, April 3 -	 Cocoa futures fell to session lows by  midmorning, posting losses from last night of six to two stg a  tonne in 1987 deliveries, dealers said.  Weekend profittaking by jobbers and general book-squaring  featured the fall which was aided by steady sterling versus the  dollar and lack of offtake in the physicals market.  Dealers said the market was switch and straddle-bound, in  that any pressure on one particular month was certain to be  reflected in adjacent deliveries.  The undertone, however, remained cautious as operators  await an eventual start to ICCO buffer stock buying, dealers  said.  The market was originally forecast to open with average  five stg gains from last night following New York's firmer  close yesterday, dealers said.  But this was largely counter-balanced by currency factors.  Near July traded at its session low of 1,327 stg after one  hour versus 1,333 bid last night and an early high of 1,335.  Volume midmorning was 730 lots including 350 lots crossed  and 108 switches.  There was no sign of any origin activity.  REUTER 
-1	 U.S. MINT SEEKING 4,784,000 LBS ZINC	 WASHINGTON, March 9 -	 The U.S. Mint said it is seeking  offers on 4,784,000 lbs of special high-grade zinc that it  intends to purchase.  It said selling offers will be due at 1100 hrs EST, March  24.  The Mint said two increments of 1,300,000 lbs each are for  delivery the weeks of April 13 and april 20 to Ball Corp,  Greeneville, Tenn., and two increments of 1,092,000 lbs each  are to be delivered the weeks of April 20 and April 27 to  LaSalle Rolling Mills, LaSalle, Ill.  Firms, in submitting offers, may elect to receive payment  from the Mint by standard check or by wire transfer. Awards  will be based on whichever method is most cost advantageous to  the goverment at the time the awards are determined.  The offers will have a minimum acceptance period of 10  calendar days, the Mint said.  Reuter 
+1	 INDONESIA REJECTS WORLD BANK FARM REFORM IDEAS	 JAKARTA, June 18 -	 Indonesia rejected World Bank  recommendations for sweeping reforms to its farm economy, as  the country's foreign aid donors met to consider giving it 2.5  billion dlrs in grants and soft loans.  Agriculture Minister Achmad Affandi, in written remarks  distributed today as Indonesia's 14 foreign donor nations met  at The Hague, said, "The general argument presented by the Bank  for this free trade, open economy view is weak."  The Bank called for overhauls in how Indonesia manages the  largest farm area in South-east Asia, and said agricultural  growth was stagnating under subsidies for rice farming.  The Bank report said Indonesia's rice production had peaked  and the subsidies are a waste of money.  Affandi replied that rice is the main staple and provides  an income for 17 pct of the workforce. The subsidies were  needed to support the fertilizer industry, including importers,  exporters, producers and distributors, he said, as well as  assisting in small part the majority of Indonesian farmers.  Affandi agreed with a bank recommendation that farmers  should be free to choose their own crops, but he said the  government would continue to maintain production targets for  "strategic commodities" such as rice and sugar.  The Bank report was especially critical of Indonesia's  drive to plant sugar, saying domestic sugar prices are double  the world average because of inefficiencies, and the country  would save money by importing the commodity.  However, Affandi said volatile world sugar prices, the need  to save foreign exchange and an already up-and-running sugar  industry were good arguments for continuing the sugar drive.  He also said import barriers and trade monopolies in the  agricultural sector were needed to help domestic industry  develop and because of "over-production and price intervention  in the developed nations."  Reuter 
-1	 ASARCO UPS U.S. LEAD PRICE 0.50 CT TO 27 CTS	 NEW YORK, April 13 -	 Asarco Inc said it is increasing its  base spot sales price for refined lead by one-half cent to 27.0  cents a lb, FOB, delivered in carload lots, effective  immediately.  Reuter 
-1	 NORANDA MINE SEEN BELOW FULL OUTPUT FOR MONTHS	 MURDOCHVILLE, Quebec, April 3 -	 Noranda Inc said production  will remain shut down at its fire-damaged copper mine here  until it can completely examine the mine.  If it decides to keep the mine open it would take four or  five months before it could resume full production.  Company spokesman Dale Coffin said the investigation could  take from a few days to several weeks but would not be more  specific.  Noranda said when it resumes production it plans to operate  the mine at about one-third of the normal 72,000 tonnes annual  finished capacity.  The fire, which started Wednesday and burned itself out  late yesterday weakened part of the mine's support structure,  Coffin said.  One miner was killed and 56 others were trapped underground  for about 24 hours before being brought safely out.  Reuter 
-1	 NIPPON MINING LOWERS COPPER PRICE	 TOKYO, April 8 -	 Nippon Mining Co Ltd said it lowered its  selling price for electrolytic copper by 10,000 yen per tonne  to 260,000, effective immediately.  REUTER 
+1	 MEXICO HAS NO PLANS TO LEAVE ICO	 MEXICO CITY, June 2 -	 Mexico has no intention of leaving  the International Coffee Organization (ICO), in the event of  Brazil withdrawing from the group, the Mexican Coffee Institute  (IMC) said.  The IMC said in a statement th e ICO is an important  instrument for ensuring producers obtain an adequate price.  Mexico currently produces around five mln 60-kilo bags of  coffee per year.  Brazil said during a meeting of coffee producers in Rio de  Janeiro over the weekend that it would consider leaving the ICO  if its export quota was reduced by the organization.  Reuter 
-1	 PIONEER GROUP UNIT GETS MORE GHANA GOLD LAND	 BOSTON, March 6 -	 The Pioneer Group Inc said its 70  pct-owned Teberebie Goldfields Ltd venture was granted an  additional concession of land in Ghana to seek and mine gold.  The State Gold Mining Corp of Ghana granted the venture an  additional 14.5 square kilometers in Teberebie, Ghana,  contiguous to 11.5 square kilometers granted earlier.  The original concession appears to have a substantial  amount of gold bearing material containing about 2 grams, or  6/100 ounces, of gold per tonne. But the venture has no firm  estimate on the costs of extracting the gold and no assurances  can be given that the reserves can be mined profitably, the  company said. It said Teberebie Goldfields has not conducted  tests on the newly granted land but added the land seems to be  similar in geological characteristics to the original land.  Reuter 
-1	 PERU ANNOUNCES LARGE NEW GOLD FIND	 LIMA, March 30 -	 President Alan Garcia said Peru has found  gold deposits worth an estimated 1.3 billion dlrs in a jungle  region near the Ecuadorean border about 1,000 km north of here.  He told reporters yesterday the deposits, located at four  sites near the town of San Ignasio, contained the equivalent of  100 tonnes of gold.  Garcia said the government would soon install a two mln dlr  treatment plant at Tomaque. It will extract enough ore to  provide an estimated 25 mln dlr profit by the end of this year,  he added.  Garcia said the other gold-bearing deposits are located at  Tamborapa, Pachapidiana, and a zone between the Cenepa and  Santiago rivers.  Reuter 
+1	 COLOMBIA DENIES SELLING COFFEE BELOW MARKET	 BOGOTA, March 7 -	 Colombia denied having sold 440,000 60-kg  bags of old crop coffee below current market prices to clients  in Europe and Asia.  A spokesman for the National Coffee Growers Federation,  commenting on rumours which had circulated in market circles,  said these were false.  REUTER 
-1	 PERU PRESIDENT WARNS OF RETALIATION ON SILVER	 LIMA, April 24 -	 The Peruvian government's freeze on silver  sales, which has contributed to a sharp boost in the metal's  price, could draw retaliation by rich nations and big traders  seeking lower prices, President Alan Garcia said.  Peru, the world's second biggest silver producer, stopped  selling its refined silver and state-marketed ore on tuesday.  Since then, the metal's price has risen to its highest level in  nearly three years. It closed today at over nine dlrs an ounce  on world markets.  Garcia said the move showed that a small nation like Peru  could move international markets and did not have to accept  cheap prices for silver, traditionally one of the top revenue  earners of the country.  Peru exported its refined silver last year at an average  price of 5.40 dlrs a troy ounce. As recently as one month ago,  silver bullion was trading for about 5.70 dlrs an ounce on  world markets.  "One thing is that Peru, which produces silver, sells it  silently and in a submissive manner at the price world markets  want," he told reporters at the presidential palace.  "The other is that a nationalist government says, 'wait a  moment I can't sell silver at these prices,'" he added.  The peruvian energy and mines minister, Wilfredo Huayta,  said the government would maintain its freeze on new sales of  silver until the price of the metal reaches "the true value this  raw material should have." He did not specify this level.  Garcia said rich nations and big traders, faced with Peru's  stance, could try to defend themselves.  "They have some stocks, they have silver deposits, they can  make fictitious sales and that way try to make the price of our  mineral fall in the world market," Garcia said.  "Whatever manoeuvre they take will be answered by Peru," he  said. "Peru is in a position of action."  President Garcia had recently spoken by telephone with  Mexican President Miguel de la Madrid, Huayta said. Mexico is  the world's biggest producer of silver.  Mexico and Peru together produce nearly nearly 40 pct of  the world's silver, the official newspaper El Peruano said.  The newspaper added that Peruvian central bank president  Leonel Figueroa and the head of the central bank of Mexico,  Miguel Mancera Aguayo, met in Mexico City yesterday to  coordinate actions aimed at consolidating the upward trend of  the price of the metal.  Analysts in Zurich, a major silver trading centre, said  today the rally in silver prices was also fuelled by investors  buying the metal to protect themselves against inflation, which  they fear could be rekindled by the dollar's weakness.  On an historical basis, silver is still relatively cheap  compared to gold, which some investors believe could set the  stage for further rises, they said.  Reuter 
+1	 WEST GERMAN TAPIOCA USE SEEN DECLINING	 HAMBURG, April 29 -	 West German use of tapioca is likely to  decline further despite favourable prices and import licences  for only 420,000 tonnes have been registered since the start of  the current agricultural year, compared with 640,000 tonnes  during August/April the previous year, trade sources said.  The 12 European Community (EC) countries have licensed a  total of 4.22 mln tonnes, while at the same year-earlier period  the EC contracted for 3.17 mln tonnes, they said.  The Netherlands is registering an increase in licences to  around 2.9 mln tonnes, up 400,000 tonnes from last year, they  said.  Total EC tapioca imports during the current agricultural  year are expected to stagnate at last year's level of around  6.0 mln tonnes, the sources said.  They reported a rise in consumption and in import licences  for France, Spain and Belgium but said the West German compound  feed industry was increasingly using grain in feed mixtures.  Sellers quoted tapioca for nearby delivery at around 27  marks per 100 kilos against 37 marks in March and 34 marks in  April last year.  Feed barley was quoted at about 42 marks per 100 kilos,  resulting in higher West German feed stuff prices, but demand  was seen as slack.  The sources said the West German feed industry was trying  to help cut the grain surplus through increased use of grain in  feed mixtures.  Other EC member countries are likely to take advantage of  the lower tapioca prices, they said.  REUTER 
-1	 BETHLEHEM STEEL & lt;BS > RAISES H-PILE PRICES	 BETHLEHEM, Pa., April 2 -	 Bethlehem Steel Corp said  effective with shipments of May 3 transaction prices for all  H-piles will be increased by 30 dlrs per short ton.  The company said a new base price, coupled with revised  size extras, will result in a published price of 446 dlrs per  ton HP14 and 420 dlrs for all other H-pile sizes.  Reuter 
-1	 ASARCO UPS U.S. LEAD PRICE 0.50 CT TO 26.50 CTS	 NEW YORK, April 9 -	 Asarco Inc said it is increasing its  base spot sales price for refined lead by one-half cent to  26.50 cents a lb, FOB, delivered in carload lots, effective  immediately.  Reuter 
+1	 SRI LANKA APPEALS FOR DROUGHT RELIEF AID	 COLOMBO, March 30 -	 Sri Lanka has appealed to 24 countries  for emergency aid to help 2.4 mln villagers affected by the  country's worst drought in 36 years, government officials said.  Embassies received letters over the weekend outlining aid  needed for a sixth of Sri Lanka's population in 13 districts.  The letter said the government had to step in "to avert  serious economic hardship" and because the Social Services  Ministry had already used up its entire 1987 budget provision  of 23 mln rupees by distributing help to the worst hit areas.  The letter said 548.76 mln rupees were needed for a six  month period, at least until the May-September (Yala) rice crop  was harvested. Over 25,000 tonnes of wheat, rice, flour and  other cereals were required, it said, along with supplies of  sugar, lentils, dried or canned fish and milk.  In some of the most seriously affected districts, the Maha  (October 1986-April 1987) crop had been "almost completely  devastated," the letter said. Maha paddy output was now  estimated at 70 mln bushels, 20 mln less than originally  expected.  There were two scenarios for the Yala crop, with a high  forecast of around 40 mln bushels conditional on adequate  rainfall within the next three to four weeks.  "Should the present drought continue, however, production is  estimated at around 20 mln bushels," the letter added.  Total estimated paddy output for 1987 would be between 90  and 110 mln bushels, or 1.35 to 1.65 mln tonnes of rice. Last  year's output was 124 mln bushels, down from 127 mln in 1985.  The letter said villagers in most seriously affected  districts had been deprived of any means of subsistence because  subsidiary crops had also failed.  It said the government's current budget did not permit it  to provide sustained and adequate relief to those affected.  "Revenue has been adversely affected by depressed commodity  prices and slowing of the economy. Defence commitments continue  to exert pressure on the expenditure side."  The 548.76 mln cash would cover payments of 150 rupees per  month for each family, as well as handling, transport and  distribution of emergency food. But such an outlay of funds by  the government would not be possible without seriously  impairing development projects, or "greatly fuelling inflation"  in the economy, the letter said.  The letter said the Food Department would be able to  release wheat and rice from the buffer stock to meet the  immediate cereal requirements "provided such stocks are replaced  subsequently."  The Meteorological Department said the country was  experiencing its worst drought since 1951 and the four-month  dry spell prevailing in most of the areas would only break when  the monsoon rains fell in late May.  The letter said some areas had been experiencing the  drought since August, and in the rice growing district of  Kurunegala there had been no effective rainfall since June  1986.  Reuter 
+1	 CUBAN CATTLE THREATENED BY DROUGHT	 HAVANA, March 5 -	 Over 750,000 head of cattle are suffering  the effects of a severe shortage of feed as a result of a  prolonged drought in the normally rich sugar and cattle  producing province of Camaguey, the newspaper Granma reported.  The province produces 23 pct of Cuba's beef and is the  island's number two province in milk production. Granma said  20,000 head of cattle are now in imminent danger.  The newspaper said a "cattle emergency" had been decreed and  the cattle are being rounded up.  Some 110,000 head have been transferred to the sugar cane  conditioning centers where newly harvested cane is cleaned  before being sent to the mills. The cattle are being fed the  residue left after cleaning the cane stalks. 32,000 head have  been sent to nearby provinces of Las Tunas and Ciego de Avila.  Despite Cuba's ambitous cattle development plans, beef  rationing has been in effect over the past 25 years. In Havana,  each Cuban receives approximately 3/4 lb of rationed beef every  18 days.  In a major area hit by drought, San Miguel, practically no  rain has fallen in the past 14 months. Grazing lands are  parched and the region was unable to produce 117,000 tonnes of  silage projected in its annual plan.  Granma said rainfall over the past year has been less than  50 pct of normal precipitation.  Reuter 
-1	 STELCO & lt;STEA.TO > , USWA REACH CONTRACT SETTLEMENT	 TORONTO, April 27 -	 Stelco Inc said contract negotiations  with United Steelworkers of America concluded in a memorandum  of settlement for a new three-year collective agreement  covering about 12,000 workers at 15 of Stelco's plants.  Further terms of the new agreement were not immediately  disclosed.  The company said early negotiations began March 2, 1987 in  order to reach a new contract well before the July 31, 1987  expiry of the existing contract.  It said the new contract was endorsed by negotiating  committees of all union locals representing Stelco workers.  Reuter 
-1	 TAIWAN SEES SHARP DECLINE IN SHIPBREAKING	 TAIPEI, April 1 -	 Taiwan's shipbreaking industry is  expected to decline sharply this year despite the boom in 1986  because of keener competition from South Korea and China, the  rising Taiwan dollar and U.S. Import curbs on steel products,  industry sources said.  Last year, Taiwanese breakers demolished a record 344  vessels totalling 3.69 million light displacement tons (ldt),  up on 165 of 2.97 million ldt in 1985, Lin Chung-jung, a Taiwan  Shipbreaking Industry Association (TSIA) spokesman, told  Reuters.  China scrapped vessels of some 1.1 mln ldt last year while  South Korea demolished ships of 910,000 ldt, he said.  Yao Liu, president of Chi Shun Hwa Steel Co, a leading  shipbreaker and steel producer in Kaohsiung, told Reuters, "We  expect to scrap fewer ships this year because of an expected  decline in our steel product exports."  Lin said many breakers predicted a 20 pct decline in  scrapping operations this year due to falling demand from the  U.S., Japan and Southeast Asia for Taiwanese steel.  Taiwan agreed last year to voluntarily limit its steel  product exports to the U.S. To 120,000 tonnes in the first half  of 1987 from about 260,000 tonnes in the first half of 1986, a  Taiwan Steel and Iron Association official said.  Yao said the rising Taiwan dollar means Taiwan's steel  exports are more expensive than South Korea's and China's.  The Taiwan dollar has strengthened by some 16 pct against  the U.S. Unit since September 1985 and some bankers and  economists said it could appreciate to 32 to the U.S. Dollar by  the end of the year from 34.23 today, Yao said.  In comparison, the won rose by about five pct and yuan  remained stable during the same period, he added.  "We have lost some orders to South Korea and mainland China  because foreign importers have switched their purchases," he  said.  Taiwan's steel exports to the U.S., Japan and Southeast  Asia slipped to 148,000 tonnes in the first two months of 1987  from about 220,000 tonnes a year earlier, the Taiwan Steel and  Iron Association official said.  He said he expected further declines in later months but  did not give figures.  REUTER 
-1	 MINPECO LIFTS FORCE MAJEURE ON ZINC INGOT  SHIPMENTS FROM CAJAMARQUILLA-SPOKESMAN	(NO DATE)	(NO TEXT)
+1	 USDA COMMENTS ON EXPORT SALES REPORT	 WASHINGTON, April 9 -	 U.S. corn sales of just over 1.0 mln  tonnes in the week ended April 2 were eight pct above the prior  week, but 25 pct below the four-week average, the U.S.  Agriculture Department said.  In comments on its latest Export Sales Report, the  department said Iraq, Japan and the USSR were the largest  buyers.  Sales for the next marketing year, which begins September  1, totaled 503,200 tonnes and were mainly to Iraq and Taiwan.  Wheat sales of 119,300 tonnes for the current season and  net reductions of 13,700 tonnes for the 1987/88 season were  four-fifths below the combined total for the prior week and the  four-week average, it said.  Sri Lanka was the most active wheat destination with  purchases of 52,500 tonnes for the current year, it said.  Other significant purchasers for the current year were  Mexico and Honduras, it said.  Soybean sales of 240,500 tonnes were one-fifth below the  prior week and nearly one-third below the four-week average.  Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Italy and Israel were the major  purchasers, the department said.  Net sales of 117,700 tonnes of soybean cake and meal fell  31 pct from the previous week and 38 pct below the four-week  average. Major increases for West Germany, Venezuela, the  Netherlands and Saudi Arabia were partially offset by  reductions for unknown destinations, USDA said.  Activity in soybean oil resulted in decreases of 2,400  tonnes, with sales to unknown destinations down by 2,700  tonnes, while sales to Canada increased 200 tonnes, the  Department said.  Combined sales of 71,300 running bales of cotton -- 60,200  bales for the current season and 11,100 bales for 1987/88  season -- were four-fifths higher than the prior week's level  but nine pct below the four-week average.  Mexico was the dominant buyer for the current year followed  by Zaire, Italy, and Spain, the department said.  The primary buyers for the 1987/88 season were South Korea,  Spain, Japan and Taiwan, the department said.  Sorghum sales of 143,300 tonnes were 25 pct less than the  prior week, with Japan and Venezuela the main buyers.  Reuter 
+1	 RENEWAL OF U.S./USSR GRAIN PACT SAID UNCERTAIN	 WASHINGTON, March 4 -	 Prospects for renewal of the  five-year U.S./USSR grains agreement are uncertain at this  point, a Soviet trade official told Reuters.  The current trade imbalance between the United States and  the Soviet Union, high U.S. commodity prices, and increased  world grain production make a renewal of the supply agreement  next year less certain, Albert Melnikov, deputy trade  representative of the Soviet Union, said in an interview.  The current agreement expires on Sept 30, 1988.  Melnikov said that world grain markets are different than  when the first agreement was signed in 1975.  Statements from both U.S. and Soviet officials have  indicate that a long term grains agreement might not be as  attractive for both sides as it once was.  "We have had one agreement. We have had a second agreement,  but with the second agreement we've had difficulties with  prices," Melnikov said.  "I cannot give you any forecasts in response to the future  about the agreement.... I do not want to speculate on what will  happen after Sept 30, 1988," he said.  Melnikov noted that he has seen no indications from Soviet  government officials that they would be pushing for a renewal  of the agreement.  "The situation is different in comparison to three, five or  ten years ago ... We can produce more," he said.  Reuter 
-1	 U.S. STEEL FIRMS STUDY USX UNIT PRICE HIKE	 NEW YORK, June 18 -	 Two major steel companies said they  were studying a price increase announced yesterday by USX  Corp's USS steelmaking division.  Spokesman for Armco Inc and Bethlehem Steel Corp said the  proposed price hike was under study.  Yesterday, USS said it plans to raise base prices on plate  products by 20 dlrs a short ton, or about five pct, effective  with shipments October 4.  A spokesman for LTV Steel Co, a unit of LTV Corp, declined  comment, adding that the company does not make heavy plate and  makes few other plate products.  Reuter 
-1	 COPPER STUDY GROUP CONSIDERED AT GENEVA MEETING	 GENEVA, March 3 -	 Major copper producing and consuming  countries are considering a U.S. proposal to set up a study  group to review the world copper market, delegates said.  The U.S. initiative was introduced last December at a  meeting held here under the auspices of the United Nations  Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).  The U.S., the world's largest copper consumer and second  biggest producer after Chile, has proposed setting up a body to  improve statistics and market transparency of the copper  economy, and provide a forum for discussion.  The new body would not aim at negotiating measures to  stabilise depressed world prices.  This week's meeting, which began yesterday, is due to end  Friday.  Reuter 
+1	 CHINA SUGAR OUTPUT SEEN LOWER -- USDA	 WASHINGTON, March 4 -	 China's 1986/87 sugar crop has been  revised to 5.26 mln tonnes (raw value), down four pct from the  previous forecast and five pct below the previous season, the  U.S. Agriculture Department said.  In its World Production and Trade Report, the department  attributed the decline to relatively poor profitability of  sugar, causing harvested area of cane and beets to decline  seven pct from 1985/86.  Beet sugar production for 1986/87 is now estimated at  837,000 tonnes, five pct less than earlier forecast and down  five pct from the previous season, while cane output is  projected at 4.423 mln tonnes, down four pct from previously  forecast and five pct below the previous season, it said.  Reuter 
-1	 URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL	NNADI PETERS nnadipeters_f@yahoo.com, Tue Feb 04 09:51:19 2003	Dear Sir, We want to transfer to overseas account ($ 26,000.000.00 USD) Twenty six million United States Dollars) from a Prime Bank here in South Africa, I want to ask you, If you are not capable to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can serve to receive this money, as long as you will remain honest to me till the end for this important business trusting in you and believing in God that you will never let me down either now or in future. I am the Auditor General of one of the prime banks here in South Africa, during the course of our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has operated on this account again, after going through some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [Heir/WILL] hence the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account is a foreigner, a great industrialist and he died since 1993.No other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that until his death he was the manager GOLD ARK [pty]. SA. We will start the first transfer with Six million [$6,000.000] upon successful transaction without any disappoint from your side, we shall re-apply for the payment of the remaining rest amount to your account. The total amount involved is (USD 26 M) Twenty six million United States Dollars only. I want to first transfer $6,000.000 [Six million United States Dollar] from this money into a safe foreigners account abroad before the rest. But I don't know any foreigner, I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved to a local person here, without valid international foreign passport, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid international passport or drivers license and foreign a/c because the money is in US dollars and the former owner of the a/c is a foreigner too, and the money can only be approved into a foreign a/c. However, we will sign a binding agreement, to bind us together when we meet face to face after the first transfer of 6 million before transferring the second part of 20 million. I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business, you are the first and the only person that I am contacting for this business, so please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take urgently. Send also your private telephone and fax number including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit. I want us to meet face to face to build confidence and to sign a binding agreement that will bind us together immediately after the first transfer before we fly to your country for withdrawal, sharing and investments. I need your full co-operation to make this work fine because the management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which I will give to you upon your positive response and once I am convinced that you are capable and will meet up with instruction of a key bank official who is deeply involved with me in this business. I need your strong assurance that you will never, never let me down. With my influence and my position in the bank the bank official can transfer this money to any foreigner's reliable account that you can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending our physical arrival in your country for sharing. The bank official Will destroy all documents of transaction immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any place and to build confidence you can call me for heart to heart discussion through my private satellite phone which I secured for the security and safety of this business as you know that this business is confidential. I will use my position and influence to obtain all legal approvals for onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance from the relevant ministries and foreign exchange departments. At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 35% of the total amount, 60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring. I look forward to your earliest reply through my email address.You should reply back to my private email address: < nnadipeters10@hotmail.com > Yours truly NNADI PETERS. 
-1	 ABMS SAYS U.S. ZINC STOCKS HIGHER IN FEBRUARY	 NEW YORK, March 9 -	 Total U.S. slab zinc stocks held by  smelters rose to 24,735 short tons at the end of February  from  22,120 short tons at the end of January, the American Bureau of  Metal Statistics reported.  Zinc production increased to 26,732 short tons in February  from 25,786 short tons in January.  Shipments from smelters' plants declined to 23,560 short  tons in February from 24,564 short tons in January.  Reuter 
-1	 NORANDA SAYS FIRE CAUSED 10 MLN DLRS IN DAMAGE	 Murdochville, Quebec, April 3 -	 & lt;Noranda Inc > said a copper  mine fire that killed one miner and trapped 44 others for  nearly a day caused an estimated 10 mln Canadian dlrs in  damage.  The fire, which started Wednesday and burned for more than  24 hours, destroyed the mine's three-year-old conveyor system,  officials said.  Michel Lefebvre, vice president of operations, said Noranda  will operate the mine at about one third of its normal 72,000  short ton annual finished capacity, using above ground  reserves, until it decides whether to keep the mine open.  "The events we sustained yesterday and the day before are a  very serious setback for Gaspe Mines operations," Lefebvre said.  Gaspe Mines is the name of the Noranda division that operates  the Murdochville mine.  He said it would take four or five months to bring  operations up to full capacity if the company decides to do so,  adding that he believes there is a good chance Noranda will  fully reopen the mine.  Reuter 
+1	 THAI SUGAR PRODUCTION INCREASES	 LONDON, March 11 -	 Thai sugar production totalled 960,788  tonnes in January, an increase of 12.7 pct on January 1986,  according to figures received by the International Sugar  Organization.  November and December production figures also exceeded last  year's totals with the result that output in the first three  months of the season showed a 23.1 pct increase over 1985/86.  Production in the November 1986 to January 1987 period totalled  1.29 mln tonnes.  Thai exports in December and January were down, however.  January exports fell from 73,164 to 35,910 tonnes.  Domestic consumption increased 7.3 pct to 192,069 tonnes  for the three month period, but this was not sufficient to  prevent a significant rise in stocks, which climbed to 1.62 mln  tonnes by the end of January, compared with 1.52 mln a year  earlier.  Thai Agricultural Ministry officials have previously  forecast a decline in 1986/87 raws output to around 2.3 mln  tonnes from 2.48 mln in 1985/86.  Reuter 
-1	 USX & lt;X > /WORTHINGTON PLANT REACHES DESIGN LEVELS	 JACKSON, Mich., June 15 -	 USX Corp said it and Worthington  Industries & lt;WTHG.O > Inc's Worthingon Specialty Products steel  processing plant in Jackson, Mich., has recently reached  production at the levels for which it was designed.  The company said the 600,000 short ton per year plant is  designed to provide automotive, appliance and other customers  with first-stage processed steel for just-in-time delivery.  It opened in August 1986, just as USX was beginning a  six-month labor dispute. USX is sourcing the plant with coils  from its Gary, Ind., works and Mon Valley Works near  Pittsburgh, and Worthington is operating the plant.  Reuter 
+1	 U.S SENATE PANEL VOTES TO LIMIT COUNTY LOAN DROP	 WASHINGTON, Oct 19 -	 The Senate Agriculture committee voted  to limit changes in county loan rate differentials starting  with the 1988 crop as part of a budget deficit reduction  package.  The panel also approved measures that could trigger larger  corn and wheat acreage reduction requirements, increase  farmer-held reserve storage payments, reduce a potential milk  support price cut, and require advance deficiency payments for  producers of major crops.  A proposal to require imported tropical oils be labeled on  U.S. food products failed by a 10-8 vote.  Reuter 
+1	 EC AWARDS 123,000 TONNES BARLEY EXPORT  LICENCES AT 138.75 ECUS PER TONNE - TRADERS	(NO DATE)	(NO TEXT)
-1	 PHELPS DODGE SEEKS TO DIVERSIFY MORE FROM COPPER	 NEW YORK, June 2 -	 Phelps Dodge Corp is prepared to make  another large non-copper acquisition and a deal could be struck  in the near future, chairman G. Robert Durham said.  Durham told Reuters the company was examining potential  candidates but not yet talking with any. Any acquisition must  have a different economic cycle to copper, he said.  Phelps Dodge, the largest U.S. copper producer, last year  paid 240 mln dlrs for Columbian Chemicals Co which makes carbon  black used in rubber and tires. The purchase was part of a  strategic plan to diversify and then match earnings between  copper and non-copper operations.  The company could spend between 250 mln and 500 mln dlrs to  buy another non-copper firm, Durham said, citing 100 mln dlrs  of cash and 580 mln dlrs of untapped bank credit.  Reuter 
-1	 ZAMBIAN LATE 1986 COPPER OUTPUT UP, SALES DOWN	 LUSAKA, March 5 -	 Zambian copper production rose 3.2 pct to  113,275 tonnes in fourth quarter 1986 from 109,767 in the same  1985 period but sales fell 18.7 pct to 119,967 tonnes from  147,537, Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines, ZCCM, said.  A spokesman for the government-controlled mining company  said the country's cobalt production fell 24 pct to 879 tonnes  over the same period, while cobalt sales rose 92 pct to 1,734  tonnes. He did not give figures for the fourth quarter of 1985.  Lead production fell 22.9 pct to 1,670 tonnes from 2,165  and zinc production dropped 14 pct to 4,830 tonnes, he added.  ZCCM, which monopolises copper mining in Zambia and  accounts for about 90 pct of the country's foreign exchange  earnings, made a net loss of 718 mln kwacha in 1986 compared  with a net profit of 19 mln kwacha the previous year.  The 1986 losses were after taking into account net interest  payments of 426 mln kwacha, an exchange loss of 412 mln kwacha  and taxes of 235 mln kwacha.  Reuter 
-1	 NORTHGATE & lt;NGX > QUEBEC WORKERS END STRIKE	 TORONTO, June 1 -	 Northgate Exploration Ltd said  hourly-paid workers at its two Chibougamau, Quebec, mines voted  on the weekend to accept a three-year contract offer and  returned to work today after a one-month strike.  It said the workers, represented by United Steelworkers of  America, would receive a 1.21-dlr-an-hour pay raise over the  life of the new contract and improved benefits.  Northgate, which produced 23,400 ounces of gold in first  quarter, said that while the strike slowed production, "We are  still looking forward to a very satisfactory performance." The  Chibougamau mines produced 81,500 ounces of gold last year.  Reuter 
+1	 IBC DETAILS PLANS TO PAY CREDITORS	 RIO DE JANEIRO, June 18 -	 The Brazilian Coffee Institute,  IBC, gave details of its plans to pay the 18 companies that  bought 630,000 bags of robusta coffee in the London market on  its behalf last September.  An IBC spokesman told Reuters that a 15 mln dlr loan from  the Banco do Brasil would be used to pay five mln dlrs a month  in June, July and August to creditors.  He said an auction of coffee would raise additional money  and added that a Reuter report on June 16 gave the wrong  impression that the auction was necessary to raise part of the  15 mln dlrs. No date has yet been set for the auction.  Reuter 
-1	 NORANDA BEGINS MURDOCHVILLE MINE SALVAGE	 TORONTO, April 9 -	 Noranda Inc said it began salvage  operations at its Murdochville, Quebec mine where a fire last  week killed one miner and caused 10 mln dlrs in damage.  Noranda said the cause and full extent of the damage is  still unknown but the fire destroyed 6,000 feet of conveyor  belt.  The company said extreme heat from the fire caused severe  rock degradation along several ramps and drifts in the mine.  Production at the mine has been suspended until  investigations are complete. The copper mine and smelter  produced 72,000 tons of copper anodes in 1986.  The smelter continues to operate with available  concentrate from stockpiled supplies, Noranda said.  Reuter 
+1	 SEASONAL EXPORTS REPORTED BY U.S. EXPORTERS	 WASHINGTON, April 9 -	 Exports of the following commodities  between start of current seasons and April 2, with comparisons,  as reported to USDA by exporters, in thousand tonnes, unless  noted --  4/2/87    Prev Wk   4/3/86  Wheat        21,044.6  20,398.3  19,725.8  Soybeans     14,334.2  14,063.5  14,698.4  Corn         20,296.0  19,194.6  25,182.6-x  Sorghum       3,222.5   3,149.7   3,168.9-x  Soybean Oil     138.4     135.8     179.9  Soybean Meal  4,098.0   3,880.6   3,141.3  Cotton        4,333.1   4,204.7   1,510.4  X-2,059,300 tonnes of corn and 763,800 tonnes of sorghum added  to reflect change in marketing year to Sept-Aug.  Reuter 
-1	 CHINA, CHILE TO BUILD COPPER TUBE PLANT IN CHINA	 PEKING, April 13 -	 China's state-owned Beijing Non-Ferrous  Metals Industrial Corp and & lt;Wrought Copper Ltd > of Chile signed  a contract to jointly build a copper tube plant on the  outskirts of Peking, the China Daily said.  The Beijing-Santiago Copper Tube Co involves an investment  of 9.93 mln dlrs and will, on completion, have a production  capacity of 5,000 tonnes of copper tubes a year, it said.  It said Chile will supply copper at preferential rates to  the venture, whose equipment comes from & lt;Wednesbury Tube Co > of  U.K.  The agreement calls for joint Sino-Chilean management of  the venture for 15 years, the paper said.  It said the venture is the first economic cooperation  project between China and Chile, but gave no more details.  China is a major copper importer. Customs figures show it  imported 171,118 tonnes of copper and alloy in calendar 1986,  down from 355,652 tonnes in 1985.  REUTER 
-1	 GERMAN STEEL INDUSTRY SEEKS LAY-OFF FUNDS	 BONN, June 16 -	 The West German government today considered  demands for nearly 850 mln marks to lay off or retrain 20,000  steel workers.  Government spokesman Friedhelm Ost said Chancellor Helmut  Kohl reviewed a joint proposal by steel employers and trade  unions at a special meeting with steel industry  representatives.  Companies like Fried Krupp & lt;KRPG.D > and Hoesch Werke AG  & lt;HWKG.F > , which saw profits plunge last year, have taken the  unusual step of aligning with the metalworkers' trade union, IG  Metall, to press for government finance to slim staff levels  still further.  Government officials said Bonn was prepared to take part in  a common effort to find a solution for the steelworkers. But  since the government was struggling to finance tax cuts by  reducing state subsidies, it could not pay for all the layoffs.  A spokesman for IG Metall said the joint proposal foresaw  redundancy payments to 10,000 workers in Ruhr and Rhineland  plants. Some 6,000 workers would be redeployed in non-steel  making sectors of steel companies, while a further 4,000 would  be eligible for job-retraining schemes. Redundancies are  estimated at 600 mln marks, while job retraining would cost a  further 240 mln.  REUTER 
+1	 BRAZIL SUSPENDS IMPORT OF 500,000 TONNES MAIZE	 SAO PAULO, March 5 -	 Brazil has suspended the importation  of 500,000 tonnes of maize ordered last year because of the  excellent domestic maize harvest expected this year,  Agriculture Minister Iris Resende said.  The Agriculture Ministry expects a record maize crop of  27.7 mln tonnes, a 36 pct increase on last year's crop of 20.3  mln tonnes.  Brazil's total grain crop is expected to be 65.3 mln  tonnes. "This is a record in the history of Brazilian  agriculture," a ministry spokesman said.  Resende announced suspension of the maize imports at a news  conference in Brasilia yesterday.  The ministry spokesman said he had no other details on the  maize transaction.  Reuter 
-1	 PLACER PACIFIC HOPES FOR MISIMA GOLD APPROVAL SOON	 SYDNEY, March 9 -	 & lt;Placer Pacific Ltd > said it hopes the  Papua New Guinea government will approve development of the  Misima gold project next month, following the submission of its  final environmental plan in Port Moresby today.  This completes the major documentation required to gain  official approval to proceed, Placer said in a statement.  Placer has estimated the epithermal deposit, located on the  eastern half of Misima Island off the southeastern coast of  Papua New Guinea, contains proven and probable reserves of 62.1  mln tonnes grading 1.35 grams/tonne gold and 20 grams/tonne  silver, and exploration is continuing.  REUTER 
+1	 SINGAPORE'S UIC TO BUY INTO TECK HOCK COFFEE FIRM	 SINGAPORE, April 1 -	 Singapore's United Industrial Corp Ltd  (UIC) has agreed in principle to inject 16 mln dlrs in  convertible loan stock into & lt;Teck Hock and Co (Pte) Ltd > , a  creditor bank official said.  UIC is likely to take a controlling stake in the troubled  international coffee trading firm, but plans are not finalised  and negotiations will continue for another two weeks, he said.  Teck Hock's nine creditor banks have agreed to extend the  company's loan repayment period for 10 years although a  percentage of the new capital injection will be used to pay off  part of the debt.  Teck Hock owes more than 100 mln Singapore dlrs and since  last December the banks have been allowing the company to  postpone loan repayments while they try to find an investor.  The nine banks are Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd, United  Overseas Bank Ltd, Banque Paribas, Bangkok Bank Ltd, Citibank  N.A., Standard Chartered Bank Ltd, Algemene Bank Nederland NV,  Banque Nationale de Paris and Chase Manhattan Bank NA.  REUTER 
-1	 RESCUE WORKERS BRINGING MINERS FROM UNDERGROUND	 MURDOCHVILLE, Quebec, April 2 -	 Rescue workers are bringing  out miners who have been trapped in a & lt;Noranda Inc >   copper mine for almost 24 hours by fire which has so far killed  one and sent 17 to hospital, company officials said.  "We're working to take the men out - everybody that's  underground is safe, we're established contact with them and  now it's really just finding out how to take them out," Andre  Fortier, a vice president with Noranda Minerals, which owns the  mine said.  Ange-Aime Kenny died after being trapped by smoke from the  fire, company officials said. Fortier said he believed all the  workers would be rescued by the end of the night. He said he  did not believe any of the 17 men taken to hospital were  seriously injured.  Reuter 
+1	 CEREALS MCAS TO BE UNCHANGED NEXT WEEK	 BRUSSELS, April 1 -	 Monetary compensatory amounts, MCA's,  will be unchanged for the week starting April 6, EC Commission  officials said.  Cereals MCA's are plus 2.4 points for West Germany and the  Netherlands, minus two points for Denmark, minus eight points  for France, minus nine for Ireland, minus 5.7 for Italy, minus  25.7 for Britain, minus 44.1 for Greece and minus 10.5 for  Spain.  Reuter 
+1	 UK SUGAR FACTORY CLOSES DUE TO SHORTAGE OF BEET	 LONDON, Oct 19 -	 British Sugar Plc was forced to shut its  Ipswich sugar factory on Sunday afternoon due to an acute  shortage of beet supplies, a spokesman said, responding to a  Reuter inquiry  Beet supplies have dried up at Ipswich due to a combination  of very wet weather, which has prevented most farmers in the  factory's catchment area from harvesting, and last week's  hurricane which blocked roads.  The Ipswich factory will remain closed until roads are  cleared and supplies of beet build up again.  This is the first time in many years that a factory has  been closed in mid-campaign, the spokesman added.  Other factories are continuing to process beet normally,  but harvesting remains very difficult in most areas.  Ipswich is one of 13 sugar factories operated by British  Sugar. It processes in excess of 500,000 tonnes of beet a year  out of an annual beet crop of around eight mln tonnes.  Despite the closure of Ipswich and the severe harvesting  problems in other factory areas, British Sugar is maintaining  its estimate of sugar production this campaign at around 1.2  mln tonnes, white value, against 1.34 mln last year, the  spokesman said.  British Sugar processes all sugar beet grown in the U.K.  The sugar beet processing campaign, which began last month,  is expected to run until the end of January. Sugar factories  normally work 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the  campaign.  As of October 11, 12 pct of the U.K. Sugar crop had been  harvested, little different to the same stage last year when 13  pct had been lifted. Since then, however, very wet weather has  severely restricted beet lifting.  Harvesting figures for the week to October 18 are not yet  available.  Reuter 
-1	 WESTERN MINING TO OPEN NEW GOLD MINE IN AUSTRALIA	 MELBOURNE, April 8 -	 Western Mining Corp Holdings Ltd  & lt;WMNG.S > (WMC) said it will establish a new joint venture gold  mine in the Northern Territory at a cost of about 21 mln dlrs.  The mine, to be known as the Goodall project, will be owned  60 pct by WMC and 40 pct by a local W.R. Grace and Co & lt;GRA >   unit. It is located 30 kms east of the Adelaide River at Mt.  Bundey, WMC said in a statement  It said the open-pit mine, with a conventional leach  treatment plant, is expected to produce about 50,000 ounces of  gold in its first year of production from mid-1988. Annual ore  capacity will be about 750,000 tonnes.  REUTER 
+1	 U.S. COFFEE IMPORT REPORTING SYSTEM QUESTIONED	 NEW YORK, Oct 20 -	 A voluntary compliance system for  monitoring U.S. coffee imports under quotas is viewed  skeptically by many in the coffee industry, said analysts and  trade sources.  "Many sectors of the trade, including large roasters and  importers, are adamant against voluntary compliance because of  the past, which was subject to tremendous irregularities as it  became a matter of the trade monitoring each other," one  analyst said.  On Monday, a National Coffee Association newsletter said  the Office of U.S. Trade Representative will implement a  voluntary compliance system temporarily because legislation to  monitor imports is tied up in the Congressional trade bill.  Under the arrangement, milar to one in 1980, coffee  importers would voluntarily present needed documents to the  U.S. government until Congress approves the monitoring  authority, but if coffee arrives without valid certification,  it will still be allowed entry.  While many believe producers will not seek to add to the  overburdened stock situation in the U.S., others believe some  will ship outside of the quota requirements in lieu of  monitoring controls, trade sources said.  "Last time, there was a lot of false information submitted  to customs which resulted in a lot of indictments and fines," a  U.S. Customs spokesman said.  "Customs can do a good job when given the tools, but when  its hands are tied, it doesn't have the authority to demand  Form O (documents tracking merchandise from source to  destination)," he said.  Many see it as a true test of whether producers and  importers will abide by the quota system.  "It is a key to seeing whether there are any teeth in the  quota agreement," said one major U.S. roaster.  "Last time we had a gentleman's agreement, the trade did  not act as a gentleman," said another analyst adding, "without  the need to submit documents, the ball will be in the  producers' hands."  Some feel that importers will take advantage of the  voluntary compliance due to development of a two-tier market,  in which non-member countries buy coffee at a big discount.  Many fear that dealers will buy coffee destined for non-member  countries at discounts and then bring it into the U.S. falsely  labelled.  According to customs officials, several green coffee  importers confessed in 1985 that they had imported coffee  fraudulently after buying it for non-member destinations,  forging landing certificates and then relabelling it as navy  beans.  "If there's that much of a discrepancy between prices for  one country and another, producers may be teted to get rid of  their stocks of coffee by selling to non-member nations and by  circumventing the quota provisions," said Paine Webber analyst  Bernie Savaiko.  Still, others believe that producers will not be hard  pressed to aggravate the overburdened coffee stock situation in  the U.S. in the near term.  "It would be naive to suggest that any agreement would not  have some share of connivance, but I think the voluntary system  seemed to suffice and, coupled with the fact that we have so  much coffee, I don't think that it poses that much of a  threat," one trader said.  Reuter 
+1	 COLOMBIA'S COFFEE MARKETING TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE	 BOGOTA, March 12 -	 Colombia intends to improve the  marketing of its coffee with the accent on more flexibility on  setting export registration prices, finance minister Cesar  Gaviria said.  Speaking to reporters after announcing a lower export  registration price, or reintegro, of 1.10 dlr per lb ex-dock  New York, Gaviria said export mechanisms would be more agile.  "In the first stage, we decided not only to lower the  reintegro but also to adopt a flexible policy of reintegro that  will allow private exporters to participate more actively in  Colombia's coffee export policy," he said.  Traders said this means the export registration price will  change more often in a truer reflection of market trends.  Gaviria said the measures merely responded to new market  factors since a return to a system of International Coffee  Organisation (ICO) export quotas may not occur in the short  term.  ICO talks last month in London failed to break a deadlock  over re-introduction of export quotas, suspended in February  1986.  Gaviria stressed that Colombia will not necessarily suffer  from depressed prices because it can compensate lower prices  with increased volume.  "Colombia will continue to export its traditional amount of  coffee, between 9.6 and 10 mln bags (of 60 kilos), and will do  so without an agreement among producers," he said.  He ruled out a much higher volume of exports, or up to 13.5  mln bags as mentioned in market circles, "because the idea is  precisely not to disrupt the market."  Colombia exported a record 11.5 mln bags in the 1985/86  coffee year which ended last September 30.  Echoing Gaviria's words, Jorge Cardenas, manager of the  national coffee growers' federation, said Colombia sought to  adapt its coffee marketing policy to circumstances.  "There is great expectation in the world for the policies  that Brazil and Colombia will adopt. Ours is beginning to  emerge and no agreement among producers is foreseeable in the  immediate future," he told journalists.  Trade sources in Rio today said Brazil's future export  policy was unlikely to be revealed before the end of next week.  Cardenas said a new ICO meeting could only take place when  problems that hindered an agreement at the recent London talks  have been resolved.  Asked to comment on a Reuter report from Jakarta saying  Indonesia hoped Colombia could use its contacts with Brazil to  suggest a compromise on the quota issue, Cardenas said the  Brazilian stand was quite clear.  He said Brazil's current quota "reflects the reality of the  market, allows for an orderly supply and satisfies demand," but  added more clarity was needed to assess the criteria that  determined it.  Cardenas said lows registered immediately after the failure  of the London talks were triggered by a widespread fear among  dealers of an imminent price war and the belief that producers  would go out and sell their coffee as quickly as possible,  which did not happen.  Reuter 
+1	 COFFEE PRICES SET TO CONTINUE SLIDE - TRADERS	 LONDON, April 2 -	 Coffee prices look set to continue  sliding in the near term, given the lack of progress towards a  new International Coffee Organization (ICO) export quota  accord, according to coffee traders and analysts.  Robusta coffee futures dipped sharply to 4-1/2 year lows  yesterday at 1,220 stg per tonne, basis the May position, when  the lack of new debate on quotas at ICO talks here confirmed  expectations that efforts to restore quotas would not be  revived at this stage, they said.  The 15-day ICO average composite price fell to 99.69 cents  a lb for April 1, the lowest for 5-1/2 years.  Quotas will not now be renegotiated before the ICO's annual  September council session, and in the interim the Brazilian  frost season from June to August may prove the only bullish  factor to stem further price weakness, they said. Futures  bounced back from the lows today towards the previous trading  range around 1,260/1,270 stg per tonne on May as the market  recovered from yesterday's "confidence blip," one trader  commented.  But despite today's upturn, the overall trend is for lower  prices in the near future, one trade source said.  The market had become increasingly vulnerable to  yesterday's shakeout, having held within a 1,250/1,350 stg  second position trading range for 22 successive sessions, he  said.  Technically the market is more likely to decline further as  it absorbs today's brief rally. Steep declines towards the  1,100/1,050 stg area could foster a "three figure mentality," and  speculators may elect to push for coffee prices below the  psychological 1,000 stg level, he added.  Some traders said today's upturn was in part due to  Brazil's opening last night of May green coffee export  registrations.  This had been widely anticipated by the market and came as  no surprise, but it did remove some prevailing uncertainty and  light trade buying was seen this morning as a consequence.  However, the overall trend remains downwards and a test of  support at 1,200 stg should be expected soon, with the only  possible supportive influence on the horizon being the approach  of Brazil's frost season, they said.  Roasters are believed to be well covered, limiting  activities to modest hand-to-mouth purchases and generally not  taking up producer offers, they added.  Central American producers have sold the bulk of their  current crops, but robusta producers in West Africa and  Indonesia need to sell coffee for April through July shipment,  and this could pressure prices further, traders said.  However, one dealer, although seeing no reason to be  bullish, advised caution. "Everybody's bearish now, just as they  were bullish when the market was at 3,100 stg," he said.  Arthur Cherry, coffee analyst at E.D. and F. Man, expressed  doubts the price spiral would continue much below current  levels. "One dlr coffee is catastrophic for many producers --  there must be a minimum below which prices cannot fall."  While prices dropped to the lowest levels since September  1982 yesterday, manufacturers have no plans to cut their retail  prices.  "Its impossible to say, we can't predict anything like that  at this stage," a General Foods spokesman said.  Manufacturers have lowered prices recently anyway in  response to market weakness. At the beginning of March the  price of a 100 gram jar of coffee was cut to 1.55 stg from 1.65  stg in Britain. But should coffee market prices continue to  fall, the situation would be reviewed, the spokesman added.  Nestle also has no plans to make additional price cuts in  the near future.  "The market seems to have established some equilibrium and  doesn't look set to go much lower," a Nestle spokesman  commented.  Coffee's plunge this week has been mirrored by tea, which  fell to a 5-1/2 year low at today's auction at 1.18 stg per  kilo for medium quality, traders added.  Reuter 
+1	 FIRS 87/88 EC BEET SUGAR ESTIMATE UNCHANGED 12.63 MLN TONNES WHITE EQUIVALENT	(NO DATE)	(NO TEXT)
-1	 BOND CORP STILL CONSIDERING ATLAS MINING BAIL-OUT	 MANILA, April 8 -	 Bond Corp Holdings Ltd & lt;BONA.S > and Atlas  Consolidated Mining and Development Corp & lt;ATLC.MN > are still  holding talks on a bail-out package for the troubled mining  firm, an Atlas statement said.  Atlas, the Philippines' biggest copper producer, said it  had been hit by depressed world copper prices. It reported a  net loss of 976.38 mln pesos in the year ending December 1986,  compared with a net loss of 1.53 billion in 1985.  The company said it had been able to cut its losses because  its scaled-down copper operations in the central island of Cebu  started in the second half of 1986.  Atlas said negotiations were continuing on the acquisition  by Bond of the company's existing bank loans and their  restructuring into a gold loan.  A memorandum of understanding signed by the two sides in  October last year said Bond would acquire Atlas' total loans of  275 mln dlrs, to be repaid by the mining company in gold.  Atlas said the two sides were also discussing equity  infusion into Atlas and the creation of a development fund for  further exploration and development of the company's gold  properties in the central province of Masbate.  Wilson Banks, general manager of & lt;Bond Corp International  Ltd > in Hong Kong, told Reuters the Atlas statement on the  negotiations was "reasonably accurate."  Banks said Bond Corp was seriously considering several  investments in the Philippines but did not give details.  In its statement, Atlas said development of the pre-World  War Two underground mines in Masbate had been accelerated and  the ore tonnage had increased, extending the operation's life  at least until 1993.  REUTER 
-1	 NORANDA & lt;NOR.TO > IN TALKS WITH BRUNSWICK MINERS	 TORONTO, June 15 -	 Noranda Inc said contract talks that  resumed today were continuing with about 1,600 unionized  workers at its 63 pct-owned Brunswick Mining and Smelter Corp  & lt;BMS.TO > lead-zinc mine and lead smelter at Bathurst, New  Brunswick.  A Noranda official said in reply to an inquiry that the  talks involved both the mine and smelter union locals, which  are part of the United Steelworkers of America.  The mineworkers' contract expires July 1. They will vote on  June 22 either to authorize a strike or ratify a possible  contract offer. The smelter workers' pact expires July 21.  The Brunswick mine produced 413,800 tonnes of zinc and  206,000 tonnes of lead last year at a recovery rate of 70.5 pct  zinc and 55.6 pct lead. Concentrates produced were 238,000  tonnes of zinc and 81,000 tonnes of lead.  Reuter 
+1	 SOVIET SUGAR CONSUMPTION UP AS HOME BREWING GROWS	 MOSCOW, Oct 19 -	 A sharp rise in Soviet sugar consumption  since the start of the Kremlin's anti-alcohol drive indicates  home brewing is costing the state 20 billion roubles in lost  vodka sales, Pravda said.  The Communist Party newspaper said sugar sales had  increased by one mln tonnes a year, enough to be turned into  two billion bottles of moonshine.  At current vodka prices of 10 roubles a bottle, it said,  this meant illicit alcohol consumption had reached the  equivalent of 20 billion roubles a year, or annual revenues  from vodka sales before the May 1985 anti-alchohol decree.  "Official statistics show a reduction in consumption of  vodka, but this is a deceptive statistic -- it does not count  home-brew," Pravda said.  "The epidemic first engulfed the villages and has now also  firmly settled into cities, where the availability of natural  gas, running water and privacy has made it much easier."  Kremlin leader Mikhail Gorbachev launched the anti-alcohol  campaign shortly after taking office in March 1985 as a first  step to improving Soviet economic performance, which had been  seriously hurt by drunkenness among the working population.  REUTER 
+1	 NO GRAIN SHIPMENTS TO THE USSR -- USDA	 WASHINGTON, March 26 -	 There were no shipments of U.S.  grain or soybeans to the Soviet Union in the week ended March  19, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department's latest  Export Sales report.  The USSR has purchased 2.40 mln tonnes of U.S. corn for  delivery in the fourth year of the U.S.-USSR grain agreement.  Total shipments in the third year of the U.S.-USSR grains  agreement, which ended September 30, amounted to 152,600 tonnes  of wheat, 6,808,100 tonnes of corn and 1,518,700 tonnes of  soybeans.  Reuter 
-1	 TOTAL U.S. COPPER STOCKS LOWER IN JANUARY	 NEW YORK, March 3 -	 Total copper stocks held by U.S. rod  mills and refiners (including wirebars, cathodes, scrap, rod  and in-process material) dropped to 155,467,000 lbs at the end  of January from 203,513,000 lbs at the end of December, the  American Bureau of Metal Statistics said.  Rod stocks held by refiners and rod mills decreased to  61,384,000 lbs in January from 69,986,000 lbs in December.  Cathode inventories at rod mills fell to 86,456,000 lbs in  January from 124,409,000 lbs in December, while wirebar stocks  were lower at 3,508,000 lbs versus 4,913,000 lbs in December.  December rod mill wirebar use nearly doubled to 3,148,000  lbs in January from 1,540,000 lbs in December. Cathode use by  mills and refiners increased to 255,266,000 lbs in January from  238,821,000 lbs in December.  Reuter 
-1	 URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL AND PARTNERSHIP	      "KUMA SAVIMBI" <kuma_savimbi@maktoob.com>, Fri, 8 Nov 2002 00:08:28 +0000	  This mail, I know may embarrass you. by embarrassment, I mean coming from somebody you never know or met before, even coming from a Country perhaps you don't even know (GHANA) noted for dishonest and fruadulet practices. Well, this is not one of those scam leters from GHANA or other AFRICA Countries, but from a family of who are in distress and require your assistance.   I write to introduce myself to you. I am Kuma Savimbi, the first son of Paul Edward SAVIMBI, the murdered rebel leader of the UNITA REBEL MOVEMENT OF ANGOLA. Prior to my father's death he entrusted the sum of Twenty Four Million United States Dollars (US$24M). And 400KG Alluvial Gold Dust? 99.5% Purity, which he deposited in a SECURITY COMPANY for safe keeping and I'm privileged to have all the documents as the first son after his death, as the first son, but there is a clause in the deposit agreement with the Company that says only his foreign partner will be allowed to collect the consignment on his behalf hence he never wanted to be traced with the amount as a popular African Leader, unfortunately he did not mention to us my mother and I the name of the Foreign Partner before he died, that is why I'm contacting you to assist us for the clearance of  the consignment from the Security Company before transferring to your bank account for the investment perhaps in your country. The money was gotten from the sale of diamonds my father sold to an Arms and Ammunitions firm in Russia. I saw that as a golden opportunity, since my father has been killed and is no more in command, which means the war will soon be over, so I decided to divert and convey this money to my own destination due to what is happening in my country where soldiers and Government functionaries are looting Government funds and properties. Following this political crisis, I was forced to leave our country to GHANA while my Mother and my brothers, sisters are now in Cote D'Ivoire. I am presently living in ACCRA-GHANA as an asylum seeker pending the outcome of application filed on my behalf by my attorney for travel documents in the Department of Home Affairs. According to the financial laws in GHANA, an asylum seeker does not have any financial right like opening of a bank account or making any large investment in the country. In view of this, coupled with the way in which the money was acquired, I decided not to invest this money in any African countries, and because of the involvement of GHANA in the peace process and also the involvement of the United Nations Peace Keeping Force in Angola makes me to have fear that if this money is invested in GHANA or any other African countries, I might loose it. Therefore, I am appealing and asking for your assistance in transferring this money for investment purpose either in your country or any other country outside Africa. I am prepared to offer 15% of the total sum to you for your effort and 85% will be for my family investment. I ask and appeal for is your complete assurance that this money will be safe with you as soon as it is transferred into your bank account or any account you wish this money to be transferred into outside Africa. If you are interested in assisting me please contact me, the undersigned immediately through the e-mail or phone above. Further details will be forwarded to you upon receipt of your response. I expect your rapid response, and co-operation. Best regards, Kuma Savimbi. ALTERNATIVE E-MAIL:(kuma_savimbi@yahoo.com) Beware, of impersonators. NB: THIS TRANSACTION IS RISK FREE. YOUR CONFIDENCE &  TRUST IS OUR WATCHWORD AS WE ARE TO WORK TOGETHER TO THE REALIZATION OF THIS OBJECTIVE. I HEREBY INFORMING THAT I HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS AS REGARDS TO THIS CONSIGNMENT, SO BE REST ASSURED, AND BEWARE OF IMPERSONATORS.  
+1	 SOVIET UNION FEATURES IN U.K. GRAIN EXPORTS	 LONDON, March 31 -	 The Soviet Union featured prominently in  U.K. Grain exports outside the EC for the period July 1/March  13, taking a combined total of 1.10 mln tonnes of wheat and  barley out of all-destination U.K. Exports of 7.16 mln tonnes,  the Home Grown Cereals Authority said, quoting provisional  Customs and Excise figures.  The Soviet total comprises 634,000 tonnes of wheat and  472,000 tonnes of barley. Grain traders said the figures  understate shipments already made by several thousand tonnes  and they expect total U.K. Grain exports to the USSR this  season to reach 2.5 mln tonnes, comprising 1.5 mln wheat/1.0  mln barley.  Reuter 
+1	 COCOA BUFFER STOCK COMPROMISE GAINING ACCEPTANCE	 LONDON, March 27 -	 A final compromise proposal on cocoa  buffer stock rules presented by International Cocoa  Organization, ICCO, council chairman Denis Bra Kanon is swiftly  gaining acceptance by consumer and producer members, delegates  said.  "We are close, nearer than ever to accepting it, but we  still have some work to do," producer spokesman Mama Mohammed of  Ghana told Reuters after a producers' meeting.  European Community, EC, delegates said EC consumers  accepted the package in a morning meeting and predicted "no  problems" in getting full consumer acceptance.  Delegates on both sides are keen to come to some agreement  today, the last day of the fortnight-long council meeting, they  said.  The compromise requires that buffer stock purchases from  non-ICCO member countries cannot exceed 15 pct of total buffer  stock purchases, delegates said. The non-member cocoa issue has  been among the most contentious in the rules negotiations.  The 15 pct figure, up five percentage points from earlier  proposals, represents a concession to consumers, delegates  said. They have demanded a larger allowance for non-member  cocoa in the buffer stock than producers have wanted.  Another problem area, delegates said, was the question of  price differentials for different origins of cocoa bought into  the buffer stock, by which the buffer stock manager could  fairly compare relative prices of different cocoas offered to  him.  The compromise narrowed the range of differentials between  the origins from what previous proposals had detailed -- a move  some delegates described as "just fiddling."  But the adjustments may prove significant enough to appease  some countries that were not satisfied with the original  proposed differentials assigned to them, delegates said.  The compromise also stated buffer stock purchases on any  day would be limited to 40 pct each in nearby, intermediate or  forward positions, delegates said.  If the compromise is accepted by the council, most  consumers and producers want buffer stock rules to take effect  next week, or as soon as practically possible.  The full council is scheduled to meet around 1500 GMT to  discuss the compromise, and could agree on it then if all  parties are satisfied, they said. Consumers are due to meet  before the council.  Reuter 
-1	 INDIA AND JAPAN TO DISCUSS IRON ORE PRICES	 NEW DELHI, March 5 -	 The state-owned Minerals and Metals  Trading Corp will send a team to Japan next week to negotiate  an iron ore export contract for 1987/88 beginning April 1,  trade sources said.  Japan, the biggest buyer of Indian iron ore with imports of  around 23 mln tonnes a year, has asked India to reduce prices  from the current average of 18 dlrs a tonne, the sources said.  "Japan has said it may be forced to reduce ore imports from  India next year if New Delhi fails to reduce the price," one  source said, but declined to give further details.  REUTER 
+1	 GRAIN CERTIFICATE REDEMPTIONS PUT AT 240 MLN BU	 KANSAS CITY, March 9 -	 Over 240 mln bushels of government  grain have been allocated in redemptions for commodity  certificates since the program began April 30, according to the  Commodity Credit Corporation.  Redemptions included 11.4 mln bushels of corn valued at  17.0 mln dlrs, or an average per-bushel price of 1.492 dlrs,  since the current grain catalogs were issued December 1 by CCC.  Wheat redemptions totaled 9.6 mln bushels, valued at 23.7  mln dlrs, since December 1.  More 
-1	 SLATER & lt;SSI.A.TO > PLANS U.S. MODERNIZATION	 TORONTO, April 13 -	 Slater Industries Inc said it planned a  15 mln dlr modernization of its Slater Steels Corp Fort Wayne  specialty bar division in Indiana.  It said the modernization would involve replacement of the  existing bar mill with a high-speed, quick-change continuous  mill. The new facility will lower labor and mill costs and  enhance product quality and range, Slater said.  Completion date of the new mill was undisclosed.  Reuter 
+1	 PAKISTAN BIDS FOR IMPORT OF 100,000 TONNES SUGAR	 KARACHI, March 30 -	 Trading Corp of Pakistan Ltd said it  had invited tenders up to April 11, 1987 for the import of  100,000 tonnes of white refined crystal sugar up to June.  It said each cargo should consist of 15,000 tonnes. Four  cargoes should reach Port Bin Qasim or Karachi Port (buyers  option) by May 31 and the balance by June 30, 1987, it added.  REUTER 
+1	 LYNG SAYS NO DECISIONS TAKEN AT CABINET COUNCIL	 WASHINGTON, March 6 -	 U.S. Agriculture Secretary Richard  Lyng said no decisions were taken today at a White House  Economic Policy Council meeting.  Speaking to reporters on his return from the meeting, Lyng  said only about five minutes of the session dealt with  agriculture issues.  "It was not a decision making meeting," Lyng said.  Aides to Lyng earlier said the administration's agriculture  legislative proposals would be the farm-related topic on the  agenda. Lyng would not comment on what farm issues were  discussed.  Asked how he would respond to farm groups and Congressmen  urging the U.S. to offer a wheat bonus to the Soviet Union,  Lyng said he would be listen but be "non-committal."  Reuter 
-1	 AUSTRALIAN METAL TRADER LINKS TO ASTURIANA DE ZINC	 BRISBANE, March 11 -	 & lt;Metal Traders Australasia Ltd > said a  newly-formed subsidiary, the & lt;Austmet Ltd > group, has  negotiated an exclusive long-term contract with Spain's  & lt;Asturiana de Zinc > to market its zinc metal exports.  Metal Traders said in a statement the contract would  underpin the worldwide zinc, copper and lead trading activities  of Austmet, a wholly-owned London-based company with a U.S.  Unit in Stamford, Connecticut.  Austmet has recruited a group of base metal traders,  currently operating out of Britain and the U.S., Who have  handled Asturiana's business for the past five years, it said.  Asturiana has a three-year option to purchase 25 pct of the  Austmet group, to be priced on an independent valuation at the  time of exercise, Metal Traders said.  Austmet will have an initial equity base of one mln stg, a  turnover of 200 mln Australian dlrs rising to 300 mln in the  first year, and credit lines of up to 30 mln U.S. Dlrs.  Austmet should be generating profits from July 1 and a  1.5-2.5 mln dlr net is envisaged within two years, it said.  Metal Traders said Asturiana has the largest zinc smelting  capacity in Europe -- nearly 200,000 tonnes a year of 99.995  pct high-grade zinc, at Aviles in northern Spain.  Metal Traders, a listed company, was formerly & lt;Pyrotech  Resources N.L. > whose chief activity was the development and  marketing of high-technology smelting processes invented in  Australia, notably the Siromelt Zinc Fuming Process.  But in late 1986, control of the company changed and it  expanded by acquisition into metal trading in Australia and  Asia. It then changed its name.  It also has the marketing contract for mineral sands  produced by & lt;TiO2 Corp N.L. > , of which it holds 17.5 pct.  In today's statement, Metal Traders also said it is  reviewing possible acquisition of a mineral producer.  REUTER 
+1	 USDA ESTIMATES AUSTRALIA WHEAT CROP	 WASHINGTON, March 9  -	 The U.S. Agriculture Department  forecast Australia's 1986/87 wheat crop at 17.30 mln tonnes, vs  17.50 mln tonnes last month. It estimated 1985/86 output at  16.13 mln tonnes, vs 16.13 mln last month.  Australian wheat exports in 1986/87 are forecast at 14.50  mln tonnes, vs 15.00 mln tonnes last month, while exports in  1985/86 are estimated at 15.96 mln tonnes, vs 15.96 mln last  month.  Reuter 
+1	 USDA REPORTS 10.572 MLN ACRES IN CONSERVATION	 WASHINGTON, March 13 -	 The U.S. Agriculture Department has  accepted 10,572,402 more acres of highly erodable cropland into  the Conservation Reserve Program, USDA announced.  In the latest signup, farmers on 101,020 farms submitted  bids on a total of 11,254,837 acres.  The accepted bids for annual rental payments ranged up to  90 dlrs per acre with an average of 51.17 dlrs per acre.  Land entered into the Conservation Reserve Program will be  ineligible for farming for ten years and must be planted with  permanent vegetative cover.  Producers enrolled 1,894,764 acres of corn base acreage in  the conservation program to take advantage of a corn "bonus"  rental payment that was offered by USDA.  The corn bonus, to be paid in generic comodity  certificates, amounts to two dlrs per bushel, based on the ASCS  program payment yield for corn, for each acre of corn based  accepted into the reserve.  The state showing the biggest enrollment in the  conservation program during this signup was Texas with  approximately 1.225 mln acres, followed by Iowa with 1.030 mln  acres, Minnesota with 890,000 acres, Montana 875,000 acres, and  Kansas with 842,000 acres.  Other states showing big enrollment were Missouri with  646,000 acres, North Dakota with 588,000 acres, and Nebraska  with 554,000 acres.  In the corn belt states of Illinois and Indiana, 217,000  acres and 116,000 acres respectively were enrolled.  Farm land signed up to date in the conservation program  totals 19,488,587 acres. Bids on the previous signups ranged up  to 90 dlrs per acre with an average of 45.52 dlrs.  Reuter 
+1	 CACEX DENIES BRAZIL FCOJ PRICE RISE RUMOURS	 RIO DE JANEIRO, March 4 -	 There has been no rise in the  price of Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice, FCOJ, a spokesman  for the Banco do Brasil's Foreign Trade Department, Cacex,  said.  He was responding to rumours in the international market  that Brazil had raised its FCOJ prices in range of 1,075 to  1,150 dlrs per tonne.  Reuter 
-1	 S. AFRICAN UNION OBJECTS TO PLANNED MATTHEY MOVE	 JOHANNESBURG, June 18 -	 A South African trade union is in  dispute with a subsidiary of Britain's Johnson Matthey Plc over  the company's proposal to move a platinum refinery near  Johannesburg to a black tribal homeland.  The 30,000-member mainly black Chemical Workers Industrial  Union said it fears the planned move to the Bophuthatswana  homeland, where South African unions are not recognised, could  lead to job losses and affect wages.  A mass dismissal last year at the Impala Platinum Holdings  Ltd & lt;IPLA.J > mines in the tribal homeland sent world platinum  prices rocketing.    The union said talks with management over the proposed move  had broken down. It said an earlier ballot of refinery workers  showed that most favoured striking over the move but added that  no final decision had been taken on strike action.  The refinery processes all platinum metals of Rustenburg  Platinum Holdings Ltd, the world's largest platinum producer.  It is owned by Matthey Rustenburg Ltd, a joint-subsidiary  of Johnson Matthey and Rustenburg which, in turn, is owned by  mining group Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Co Ltd.  Reuter 
+1	 EC GRANTS FREE MARKET BARLEY, MAIZE EXPORTS	 LONDON, April 9 -	 The European Commission authorised the  export of 65,000 tonnes of free market barley at today's tender  at a maximum rebate of 138.75 European currency units and  55,000 tonnes of French maize at 130 Ecus, grain traders here  said.  It rejected bids for breadmaking and feed wheat, they said.  Reuter 
+1	 OKLAHOMA WEEKLY CROP REPORT	 OKLAHOMA CITY, March 30 -	 The Oklahoma weekly USDA crop  report said cold weather slowed crop development and caused  some cattle deaths.  Wheat growth was halted by cold weather, and rain early in  the week prevented fertilizer application and weed spraying.  Fields in the west were short of nitrogen, and moderate insect  activity was noted in the southwest region.  Wheat condition was rated 15 pct fair, 84 pct good and one  pct excellent.  Row crop activity was very slow amid wet conditions.  Topsoil moisture was rated 30 pct adequate and 70 pct surplus,  and subsoil moisture was rated 100 pct adequate. Only two days  were suitable for fieldwork.  Reuter 
+1	 MALAYSIA DECLINES TO STATE POSITION ON COCOA PACT	 KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 -	 Government officials in Malaysia, a  major cocoa producer, have declined to say whether it will join  the International Cocoa Agreement (ICCA) for which buffer stock  rules were agreed in London last week.  Ministry of Primary Industries officials said in January  the cabinet would decide on Malaysia's participation, but so  far a decision has not been announced. The government is said  to be in favour of joining the pact, but local cocoa growers  and traders told Reuters they are against the idea because  certain provisions in it may be to their disadvantage.  Malaysia is the world's fourth largest cocoa producer. The  government feels that the pact, through its buffer stock  mechanism, can help stabilise prices in a market which is  labouring under surpluses, officials said.  But growers and traders are concerned Malaysia's  participation in the pact will require them to pay a levy for  exports of cocoa to non-member countries of the ICCA.  They estimate the levy at around 100 ringgit a tonne at  current prices and said they are not prepared to accept it  because a big portion of Malaysia's cocoa exports, officially  estimated at 112,000 tonnes in 1986, goes to non-members.  Most growers and traders added they are also against a  buffer stock measure under the agreement which requires  withholding of cocoa stocks when prices slump.  Malaysia, which produced 117,000 tonnes of cocoa last year,  might be forced to withhold up to 70,000 tonnes worth some 30  mln ringgit under such a measure in the long-term, and this  might affect their economic viability, they said.  "The cost of maintaining such a stock can be high and it  will be a real messy business for the government and the trade  if it ever occurs," an industry source said.  The growers and traders also said that under new buffer  stock rules Malaysia can continue to benefit even if it is not  a member of the pact, as the buffer stock manager is also  allowed to buy from non-members for the stockpile.  Under the new rules purchases from non-members, such as  Malaysia, will be limited to 15 pct of the total stock.  Malaysia has come under pressure from some producers to  join the pact soon, officials said, but they noted that it need  not rush to do so as there are provisions which allow countries  to join the agreement even at a later date.  REUTER 
-1	 STEEL FIRMS STUDY USX & lt;X > UNIT PRICE HIKE	 NEW YORK, June 18 -	 Two major steel companies said they  were studying a price increase announced yesterday by USX  Corp's USS steelmaking division.  Spokesman for Armco Inc & lt;AS > and Bethlehem Steel Corp & lt;BS >   said the proposed price hike was under study.  Yesterday, USS said it plans to raise base prices on plate  products by 20 dlrs a ton, or about five pct, effective with  shipments October 4.  A spokesman for LTV Steel Co, a unit of LTV Corp & lt;QLTV > ,  declined comment, adding that the company does not make heavy  plate and makes few other plate products.  A spokesman for & lt;National Steel Corp > , a joint venture of  National Intergroup Inc & lt;NII > and Nippon Kokan K.K., said the  company is not in the product lines affected.  Reached later, an Inland Steel Industries Inc & lt;IAD >   spokesman said the company was studying the pricing move.  USX said the increase will be on all plate products,  including carbon, high-strength low-alloy, strip mill and alloy  plates. It also said it planned 20-dlr-a-ton increases on some  special plate widths and thicknesses.  Analysts have said firm prices for steel should contribute  to better results at the nation's major steelmakers.  Reuter 
+1	 UK INTERVENTION BD SAYS EC SOLD 60,500 TONNES WHITE SUGAR AT REBATE 43.147 ECUS.	(NO DATE)	(NO TEXT)
-1	 MAGMA RAISES COPPER PRICE 0.50 CT TO 66.00 CTS	 NEW YORK, April 7 -	 Magma Copper Co, a subsidiary of  Newmont Mining Corp, said it is raising its copper cathode  price by 0.50 cent to 66.00 cents a lb, effective immediately.  Reuter 
-1	 BALL & lt;BLL > TO SUPPLY PENNY BLANKS TO MINTS	 MUNCIE, IND., April 7 -	 Ball Corp said it was awarded a  one-year 12,750,000 dlr contract to supply copper-plated zinc  penny blanks to the U.S. mints in Philadelphia and Denver.  The new contract, effective in June, calls for shipping  23,200,000 pounds of blanks to the mint in Philadelphia and  7,600,000 pounds to Denver. It said the blanks will be  manufactured in Greenville, Tenn.  Ball began supplying blanks to the San Francisco and West  Point mints in 1981 when the penny's content was changed to  zinc from copper.  Reuter 
+1	 CUBA SUGAR CROP SEEN AT LEAST SAME AS LAST YEAR	 LONDON, March 13 -	 Cuban sugar export figures for January  suggest that this year's crop may be at least as large as last  year's 7.35 mln tonnes, according to sugar analysts.  Exports in January totalled 733,000 tonnes raw value, up  from 725,000 a year earlier, according to figures received by  the International Sugar Organization.  January is the first major export month and the figures  thus give a good indication of the current crop, they said.  Fourth quarter exports fell to 622,000 tonnes from 909,000  tonnes a year earlier, but this was because Cuba was destocking  at the end of 1985, they added.  Trade house C Czarnikow recently estimated production this  year at 7.50 mln tonnes.  Cuban sugar production in the third quarter of 1986 was  12,000 tonnes, giving a final 1985/86 crop total of 7.35 mln  tonnes, compared with a 1984/85 crop of 8.10 mln tonnes.  There is normally no third quarter production in Cuba, but  a hurricane meant that last year's crop was extended.  Exports to the USSR were substantially down in January at  362,000 tonnes from 489,000 in January 1986, but other Comecon  countries received 210,000 tonnes, against 80,000 tonnes in the  same month last year, figures received by the ISO show.  Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Romania all took  substantially more Cuban sugar.  Cuba's November 1986 exports totalled 158,000 tonnes,  compared with 190,000 tonnes in 1985, and December's total was  237,000 tonnes, down from 518,000 tonnes the year before.  Calendar year exports for 1986 were also lower at 6.69 mln  tonnes against 7.21 mln in 1985 -- the lowest level since  1980's 6.19 mln tonnes, the figures show.  Reuter 
-1	 AMAX ZINC CO RAISES DYECAST ALLOY PRICES	 GREENWICH, CONN, June 29 -	 Amax Zinc Co, a division of Amax  Inc, said it is increasing the price of dyecast alloys No.  Three and No. Five by three cents a lb, effective immediately.  Dyecast alloy No. Three is now 52.5 cents a lb, while alloy  No. Five is now 53.5 cents a lb, the company said.  Reuter 
-1	 U.S. SILVER PRODUCTION ROSE IN DECEMBER	 WASHINGTON, April 3 -	 U.S. mine production of silver rose  to 2,295,230 troy ounces in December from 2,181,082 in  November, the Interior Department's Bureau of Mines said.  U.S. imports of silver in December were 8,458,000 ounces,  vs 19,950,000 in November, and 8,840,000 in December, 1985.  Silver exports totaled 1,549,000 ounces in December, vs  2,346,000 in November and 1,504,000 ounces in December, 1985.  Silver mining production in the 12-month period Jan-Dec,  1986 totaled 31,720,769 ounces, vs 39,357,197 ounces produced  over the same period in 1985.  Imports of silver in Jan-Dec, 1986 totaled 144,890,000  ounces, vs 152,601,000 ounces in Jan-Dec, 1985, while silver  exports stood at 25,114,000 ounces and 24,756,000 ounces over  the respective periods, the bureau said.  Reuter 
-1	 COMINCO STRIKE TALKS STILL STALLED	 TRAIL, British Columbia, June 15 -	 Cominco Ltd has no  contract negotiations scheduled this week with any of the five  striking locals at the Trail smelter and Kimberley lead-zinc  mine, union spokesmen said.  However, leaders of the negotiating teams are trying to set  up an informal meeting to discuss the stalemate, John Owens,  spokesman for United Steelworkers of America local 480 said.  Owens said Cominco has said the strike, which began May 9,  is costing it five mln Canadian dlrs a day in debt service  costs that are not covered by revenue. He said the company has  not estimated total lost revenue.  Cominco spokesmen were not immediately available for  comment.  Reuter 
+1	 ICO PACT UNLIKELY BY AUTUMN - ITALIAN ADVISER	 TRIESTE, Italy, March 3 -	 The prospects of the  International Coffee Organization (ICO) reaching an agreement  on coffee export quotas before September appear dim, Alberto  Hesse, former president of the European Coffee Federation,  said.  "There is no real goodwill in certain delegations to go to  quotas," Hesse, who advises the Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry  on coffee issues, told Reuters. He declined to name the  delegations.  A special meeting between importing and exporting countries  ended in a deadlock late yesterday after eight days of talks  over how to set quotas.  The ICO executive board will meet from March 30 to April 1  but the full council is not due to meet again until September.  "I am not optimistic about an agreement soon," Hesse said.  Reuter 
-1	 BELGIAN ECU COIN ISSUE PRICED, SALE DATE SET	 BRUSSELS, March 5 -	 A limited Belgian issue of silver Ecu  coins with a face value of five Ecus will go on sale from March  23 at a price of 500 Belgian francs each, a Finance Ministry  spokesman said.  Gold Ecu coins with a face value of 50 Ecus will be sold  from the same day. The spokesman told Reuters the price for  these would be fixed just before they go on sale but was likely  to be between 8,500 and 9,000 francs.  At least two mln silver coins and several hundreds of  thousands of the gold coins will be minted, he said. They will  be sold both in Belgium and abroad.  The coins will be the first ever denominated in the Ecu,  the "basket" comprised of the 12-nation European Community's  currencies except the Spanish peseta and the Portuguese escudo.  The issue is being made to mark the 30th anniversary of the  EC's founding Treaty of Rome this month. Finance Minister Mark  Eyskens, who currently presides over the EC's council of  economic and finance ministers, has called the issue a  political act of symbolic value which aimed to make the  Community's goal of monetary integration more concrete.  The coins will be legal tender in Belgium but most demand  is expected to come from coin collectors.  REUTER 
-1	 CSC INDUSTRIES UNIT TO INCREASE PRICES	 WARREN, Ohio, March 30 -	 Copperweld Steel Co & lt;CPSL > , a  subsidiary of CSC Industries Inc., said it will increase from  market price levels its bar, semi-finished and leaded products  effective July One.  Hot rolled and cold finished bar wil be increase 25 dlrs  per net ton, while semi-finished products will be increased 15  dlrs per net ton, the company said.  Anticipated higher energy and raw material costs, combined  with current market trends, were cited by the company as  reasons for the increases.  Reuter 
+1	 SOVIET UNION TO IMPORT MORE GRAIN IN 86/87-USDA	 WASHINGTON, April 9 -	 The U.S. Agriculture Department  increased its estimate of 1986/87 grain purchases by the Soviet  Union to 28 mln tonnes, up two mln tonnes from last month.  In its monthly report on the Soviet grain situation, the  USDA said imports will be higher than earlier estimated because  Soviet grain buyers have been actively purchasing in the last  month.  USDA said the increased purchasing is "somewhat surprising"  because of recent higher Soviet crop estimates.  All of the increase in estimated imports will be in corn,  USDA said.  Of the 28 mln tonnes total, 15 mln tonnes will be wheat, 12  mln tonnes coarse grains, and the remaining one mln tonnes  miscellaneous grains and pulses, USDA said.  USDA noted that the Soviet winter grain crop suffered  through a severe winter and spring field work has been delayed.  The severe winter "is believed to have resulted in above  average winter-kill," USDA said.  Some grain trade analysts have said abnormal winter losses  maybe one reason why the Soviet Union has been actively buying  grain recently.  USDA said Moscow already has purchased over 25 mln tonnes  grain for delivery in 1986/87, including 14 mln tonnes wheat  and 12 mln tonnes coarse grain.  Reuter 
+1	 USDA ESTIMATES 1986/87 ORANGE JUICE YIELD  AT 1.50 GALS PER BOX FROM FLORIDA CROP	(NO DATE)	(NO TEXT)
-1	 PEGASUS GOLD & lt;PGULF > STARTS MILLING IN MONTANA	 JEFFERSON CITY, Mont., March 27 -	 Pegasus Gold Inc said  milling operations have started at its Montana Tunnels open-pit  gold, silver, zinc and lead mine near Helena.  The start-up is three months ahead of schedule and six mln  dlrs under budget, the company said. Original capital cost of  the mine was 57.5 mln dlrs, but came in at 51.5 mln dlrs, the  company said.  After a start-up period, the mill is expected to produce  106,000 ounces of gold, 1,700,000 ounces of silver, 26,000 tons  of zinc and 5,700 tons of lead on an annual basis from  4,300,000 tons of ore, the company said.  Reuter 
-1	 NIPPON STEEL, INLAND DISCUSSING U.S. JOINT VENTURE	 TOKYO, March 11 -	 Nippon Steel Corp & lt;NSTC.T > and & lt;Inland  Steel Co > of the U.S. Are negotiating to set up a joint steel  venture in Indiana, a Nippon Steel spokesman said, declining to  give more details.  Several local newspapers reported the joint venture would  be capitalised at 150 mln dlrs, owned 60 pct by Inland and 40  pct by Nippon Steel, and have annual production capacity of one  mln tonnes of steel to supply car makers.  REUTER 
-1	 U.S. MINT SEEKING OFFERS ON COPPER, NICKEL	 WASHINGTON, April 7 -	 The U.S. Mint said it is seeking  offers on 3,701,000 lbs of electrolytic copper and 629,000 lbs  of electrolytic cut nickel cathodes or briquettes that it  intends to purchase.  It said both metals are for delivery in the week of May 11  to Olin Corp, East Alton, Ill.  Offers for the copper are due by 1100 hrs EDT, April 21,  while offers on the nickel are due at 1100 hrs EDT on April 14.  The Mint said that firms, in submitting their offers,  select to receive payment by standard check or be wire  transfer. Awards are determined by whichever of the two methods  is most cost advantageous, based on the cost of money at that  time.  The minimum acceptance periods for each solicitation is  three calendar days for the copper and 10 calendar days for the  nickel, the Mint said.  Reuter 
-1	 STEEL TECHNOLOGIES & lt;STTX > IN JOINT VENTURE	 LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 30 -	 Steel Technologies Inc said it  signed an agreement with Mitsui and Co Ltd & lt;MITSY > and its  subsidiaries to establish a joint venture corporation to be  called Mi-Tech Steel Inc.  Mitsui, through its subsidiaries, Mitsui and Co USA Inc and  Mitsui Steel Development Co Inc, and Steel Technologies each  will own 50 pct of the new company, the company said.  Mi-tech Steel will construct, own and operate steel service  centers. The facilities will be established to serve Japanese  and domestic automobile and appliance parts manufactures in the  U.S., the company said.  The initial processing center will be located near  Murfreesboro, Tenn., and is expected to begin operations in the  fall of 1987, Steel Technologies said.  Daryl Elser, president of Steel Technologies, will be  president of the new company, it said.  Reuter 
+1	 FROST NOT EXPECTED TO DAMAGE POLAND'S WHEAT	 WARSAW, March 4 -	 Poland's winter wheat is likely to  survive recent frosts but the impact of the cold will not be  known until late April, the Polish meteorology institute said.  Some varieties of winter wheat sown in Poland can survive  ground temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees C, Spokesman  Teresa Tomaszewska told Reuters.  Even though an earlier thin protective layer of snow mainly  melted in February, air temperatures down to minus 30 C should  not be harmful, she said, but added that wheat can still be  damaged by cold spells in March and April, when young shoots  may be exposed to night frosts.  Reuter 
+1	 LICHT SEES STAGNANT EUROPEAN BEET AREA	 RATZEBURG, March 11 -	 The overall area devoted to sugar  beet in Europe is forecast to remain stagnant this year at 7.22  mln hectares compared with 7.21 mln ha in 1986, West German  statistician F.O. Licht said.  It was feared that the recent steep rise in sugar prices  would have a marked effect on planting intentions this year,  Licht said, but judging by this first estimate the effect was  probably minimal.  The total beet area in the European Community is forecast  to fall two pct to 1.85 mln ha against 1.89 mln in 1986.  The total Western Europe area is put at 2.49 mln ha,  against 2.50 mln in 1986. Eastern Europe area is forecast at  4.73 mln ha against 4.72 mln.  Individual West Europe country estimates, in 1,000 hectares  (with 1986 figures in brackets), are, Belgium/Luxembourg 114  (118), Denmark 69 (69), France 419 (421), Greece 35 (44),  Ireland 36 (38), Italy 270 (275), Netherlands 129 (138),  Portugal 1 (1), Spain 192 (190), U.K. 200 (201), West Germany  385 (399), Austria 32 (28), Finland 30 (31), Sweden 51 (52),  Switzerland 15 (14), Turkey 355 (340), Yugoslavia 160 (136).  Eastern Europe plantings are forecast as follows, USSR 3400  (3440), Albania 10 (9), Bulgaria 52 (50), Czechoslovakia 195  (196), East Germany 210 (205), Hungary 108 (96), Poland 460  (440), Romania 295 (280).  On the basis of average yields this year, Licht said these  area forecasts pointed to a total European beet sugar crop in  1987/88 of 29.8 mln tonnes, raw value, down from 31.4 mln  tonnes in 1986/87. Licht said sugar yields were fairly high  last season, thanks to favourable weather, and this increases  the chances of a significant reduction in production in  1987/88.  Based on average yields, EC beet sugar production could  fall nearly 10 pct this year to 13.5 mln tonnes from 14.9 mln  in 1986/87, while total Western Europe production could be 16.9  mln tonnes against 18.1 mln. Eastern Europe production could be  12.9 mln tonnes against 13.3 mln in 1986/87.  Reuter 
-1	 U.S. MINERALS & lt;USMX.O > COMMISSIONS NEW GOLD MINE	 DENVER, June 29 -	 U.S. Minerals Exploration Co said it and  Pegasus Gold Inc & lt;PGUL.O > of Spokane, Wash, officially  commissioned a new gold, zinc and lead producing mine.  U.S. Minerals said the new Montana Tunnels Mine near  Helena, Mont, is expected to reach full production in August  1987. U.S. Minerals said the mine is designed to operate at an  average of 12,500 tons or ore per day and is projected to  produce 95,000 ounces of gold in 1988, plus significant  quantities of silver, lead and zinc.  U.S. Minerals said it has a 50 pct net profit royalty  interest in the mine after payback of development costs.  Reuter 
-1	 ECONOMIC SPOTLIGHT - MITSUBISHI HEAVY FIGHTS BACK	 TOKYO, March 12 -	 International efforts to redirect Japan's  export-driven economy toward domestic consumption face heavy  going if the country's largest defence contractor and world's  biggest shipbuilder is anything to go by.  Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd & lt;MITH.T > (MHI), which began  making ships and iron goods for Japan's military rulers 130  years ago, is responding to the strong yen by redoubling its  efforts to maintain its share of export markets.  "If we sell the best quality and the cheapest products,  everyone will buy them," MHI president Yotaro Iida said.  Although two of MHI's main businesses, shipbuilding and  power plant construction, have been hit hard by the yen's 40  pct rise against the dollar, the company has no plans to  abandon them, Iida told Reuters in an interview.  Its other big activity, aircraft component manufacture, has  performed so well that MHI now accounts for half of the money  Tokyo spends on defence procurement each year.  "We have made the utmost efforts among the world's  manufacturers to improve productivity," he said. "You may be  surprised if you come to see our plants. The outside is old but  the inside is ultra-modern, with robots and computers."  Securities analysts at major securities houses agreed that  MHI has pared costs more quickly than its competitors. The  company has slashed its workforce to 47,000 from 86,000 in  1976.  Despite its cost-cutting, MHI expects profits to drop 40  pct to 30 billion yen in the current fiscal year ending March  31, from 1985/86's record 50.14 billion.  And that includes gains from the sale of MHI's stake in  Mitsubishi Motors Corp & lt;MIMT.T > for 49 billion yen.  Iida is optimistic about the future, however. He said a  resurgence of demand from the Middle East following the recent  recovery in oil prices coupled with persistent demand for power  plants in developing countries will help MHI restore its  exports-to-sales ratio to the past decade's average of 30 pct.  MHI's exports-to-sales ratio fell to 25.9 pct in the  half-year ended last September, from 35 to 36 pct five years  ago.  China is the most promising market, although MHI also  considers other non-oil-producing developing countries as major  customers.  "Our customers are all seen as being in trouble due to a  lack of foreign currency," Iida said. But he added that he felt  MHI could sell to those markets with Japanese government  financial support.  It can also finance the plants itself and recover its  investment through product sales, a strategy Iida said could  prove popular in the future.  In shipping, MHI is fighting back against low-priced South  Korean competition by building more technologically advanced  carriers to carry liquefied natural gas and other products  difficult to transport.  Shipbuilders Association officials told Reuters MHI is the  world's largest shipbuilder in terms of orders and capacity.  Domestically, MHI is involved in 12 national projects,  including development of nuclear fusion reactors and launch  vehicles for man-made satellites.  It has been the biggest contractor for the Japan Defence  Agency's F-15 and F-14 jet fighters and missiles, although all  of these have been built under licence from U.S. Firms.  MHI is now heading up five Japanese companies seeking to  develop the country's own fighter plane to replace the  currently used F-1 support fighters in the late 1990s.  Military experts said Washington is putting strong pressure  on Tokyo to buy a U.S. Plane, either the McDonnell Douglas Corp  F-18 or General Dynamics Corp F-16, to reduce Japan's huge  trade surplus with the U.S.  "It might be a good idea to jointly produce planes with U.S.  Makers as Japan is supported by the U.S. Defence umbrella," Iida  said.  MHI also plans to cooperate with the U.S. In its Strategic  Defence Initiative space defence program by participating in  the project when it moves from the research stage, he said.  The U.S. Has been seeking Japan's technological support.  In fiscal 1985/86, aircraft accounted for 17.1 pct of MHI's  sales, shipbuilding 17 pct and power plants 27.9 pct. Iida said  the ideal ratio is power plants 30 pct, aircraft and special  vehicles 25 pct and shipbuilding 15 pct.  As for the remaining 30 pct, Iida said he wanted to shift  the domestic focus away from heavy machinery sold to  manufacturers and towards household goods, but he declined to  specify which products.  "By the end of this year, you may find our brand name on  your daily products, although this does not mean we will run  away from our mainstream business," he said.  REUTER 
-1	 NORANDA BEGINS SALVAGE OPERATIONS AT MURDOCHVILLE	 Toronto, April 9 -	 & lt;Noranda Inc > said it began salvage  operations at its Murdochville, Quebec, mine, where a fire last  week killed one miner and caused 10 mln dlrs in damage.  Another 56 miners were trapped underground for as long as  24 hours before they were brought to safety.  Noranda said the cause and full extent of the damage is  still unknown but said it does know that the fire destroyed  6,000 feet of conveyor belt.  Noranda said work crews have begun securing the ramp  leading into the zone where the fire was located. The company  said extreme heat from the fire caused severe rock degradation  along several ramps and drifts in the mine.  Noranda estimated that the securing operation for the zone  will not be completed before the end of April.  Noranda said the Quebec Health and Safety Commission, the  Quebec Provincial Police and Noranda itself are each conducting  an investigation into the fire.  Production at the mine has been suspended until the  investigations are complete. The copper mine and smelter  produced 72,000 tons of copper anodes in 1986 and employs 680  people.  The smelter continues to operate with available  concentrate from stockpiled supplies, Noranda said. Reuter  Reuter 
-1	 SIX KILLED IN SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD MINE ACCIDENT	 JOHANNESBURG, Oct 19 -	 Six black miners have been killed  and two injured in a rock fall three km underground at a South  African gold mine, the owners said on Sunday.   & lt;Rand Mines Properties Ltd > , one of South Africa's big six  mining companies, said in a statement that the accident  occurred on Saturday morning at the & lt;East Rand Proprietary  Mines Ltd > mine at Boksburg, 25 km east of Johannesburg.  A company spokesman could not elaborate on the short  statement.  REUTER 
-1	 GIANT BAY & lt;GBYLF > IN IDAHO GOLD VENTURE	 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 13 -	 Giant Bay Resources  Ltd said it signed an agreement in principle with Hecla Mining  Co for an operating joint venture on Hecla's Stibnite, Idaho,  gold deposit.  Giant Bay said if its bioleaching technology is used for  ore processing, it will have the right to acquire a working  interest in the property. It said it may spend as much as three  mln U.S. dlrs, excluding capital costs to bring the mine into  production. It said drilling has indicated substantial sulphide  reserves with a gold grade of about 0.1 ounce a ton, and early  tests show the gold ore responds to bioleaching.    Reuter 
+1	 U.S. FEEDGRAIN 0/92 SUPPORTERS EVALUATE POSITION	 WASHINGTON, March 6 -	 Advocates of a 0/92 plan for  feedgrains will likely delay offering their proposals if a  disaster aid bill before the House Agriculture Committee is  scaled back to include only 1987 winter wheat, congressional  sources said.  The disaster aid bill, introduced by Rep. Glenn English  (D-Okla.), sparked sharp controversy with its proposals to  implement a 0/92 program for 1987 wheat and 1988 winter wheat.  An agreement has been reached to trim the bill back to 1987  wheat, but supporters of a 0/92 feedgrains plan said even that  scaled-down version would not be equitable for farmers.  Unless the English bill pertains only to 1987 winter wheat,  it is more than a simple disaster payment and feedgrains should  be treated equally, they said.  If the bill is narrowed to just winter wheat, then  supporters of a 0/92 feedgrains amendment will probably not  offer their proposals next week, sources said.  English has agreed to support an amendment by Rep. Charles  Stenholm (R-Tex) to narrow the bill to 1987 wheat only, but  whether he would also back a further reduction is unclear.  Agricultural aides to English said the congressman's first  choice is to make the option available to all 1987 wheat  farmers. However, if the political reality is that disaster aid  for winter wheat farmers would be unavailable because of  controversy over spring wheat, then English might consider an  even greater cutback in the bill, they said.  Under a 0/92 plan, farmers could forego planting and still  receive 92 pct of deficiency payments.  Rep. Arlan Stangeland (R-Minn.) and Harold Volkmer (D-Mo.)  have both expressed interest in expanding the English bill to  include a 0/92 program for feedgrains.  An aide said Stangeland does not want to reopen the farm  bill, but to be fair to all crops.  Only a small percentage of spring wheat farmers would  likely sign up for 0/92 since the incentives to plant are  greater than to idle the land, economists said.  Opponents to a 0/92 feedgrains program argue it is  premature to make major changes in the farm bill and that the  House Agriculture Committee needs to study more closely the  impacts of such a program.  Reuter 
+1	 NEW ZEALAND MAY BUY U.S. WHEAT -- USDA	 WASHINGTON, April 1 -	 New Zealand may need about 100,000  tonnes of wheat this year, which would normally come from  Australia, but may be from the United States, the U.S.  Agriculture Department said.  In its report on Export Markets for U.S. Grains, the  department said with the deregulation of the New Zealand Wheat  Board, which normally imports wheat from Australia, there is  the possibility of wheat purchases from the united states since  the shipping cost between New Zealand and the Eastern Coast of  Australia and the West Coast of the United States are about  equal.  Reuter 
-1	 PERU SAYS IT HELD TALKS WITH MEXICO ON SILVER	 LIMA, April 24 -	 The heads of the central banks of Mexico  and Peru have met in Mexico city to coordinate actions aimed at  consolidating the upward trend in the price of silver, the  official newspaper El Peruano said.  It said that Peruvian central bank president Leonel  Figueroa met yesterday with the president of the bank of  Mexico, Miguel Mancera Aguayo.  Peru, which froze new sales of refined silver and its  government-marketed silver ore on tuesday, is the world's  second biggest producer of the precious metal. Mexico is the  largest producer.  Together, the two nations account for nearly 40 pct of the  world's silver output, the official paper El Peruano said.  Peru adopted the move on tuesday in an bid to stablilise  the price of silver bullion, which has climbed in a month from  about 5.70 dlrs an ounce to over 9.00 dlrs an ounce today.  After the meeting of the Peruvian and Mexican central bank  heads, it was understood that Mexico might diversify the use of  silver, El Peruano said.  It said that Mexico and Peru did not want to speculate with  the price of silver. Instead, they aimed to see that the price  of the precious metal recuperated to adequate levels.  El peruano did not specify what these levels were.  El peruano quoted energy and mines minister Wilfredo Huayta  as saying that Peru did not want to participate in speculative  operations with silver.  He said the government's aim was to avoid a "brutal fall" in  the price of silver.  Figueroa's office confirmed the Peruvian central bank  president had travelled to mexico city. It was not certain if  he had returned to Lima by midday today.  Reuter 
+1	 ASCS TAKES STEPS TO EASE SALES OF CCC SOYBEANS	 KANSAS CITY, JUNE 15 -	 The Agricultural Stabilization and  Conservation Service announced several temporary steps to  enable it to respond more quickly to the high demand for  Commodity Credit Corp.-owned soybeans.  The CCC has suspended its practice of contacting storing  warehousemen before selling soybeans for cash to a third party,  said Collyn Peterson, deputy director in the ASCS Kansas City  office.  In addition, he said, minimum quantities for sales will be  25,000 bushels, or all of a warehouse total inventory if less  than that.  ASCS has added telephone lines to handle calls from those  interested in buying soybeans, Peterson said.  Reuter 
-1	 GMK SAYS THREE KMA PARTNERS MULLING RECONSTRUCTION	 MELBOURNE, April 27 -	 The three Australian participants in  the & lt;Kalgoorlie Mining Associates > (KMA) gold mining venture  are discussing a possible restructuring of their interests in  & lt;Gold Mines of Kalgoorlie Ltd > (GMK), KMA said.  The other participants are Western Mining Corp Holdings Ltd  & lt;WMNG.S > (WMC) and Poseidon Ltd & lt;POSA.S > , GMK said in a brief  statement. It gave no further details.  KMA is owned 52 pct by & lt;Kalgoorlie Lake Pty Ltd > (KLV) and  48 pct by a local unit of Homestake Mining Co & lt;HM > .  KLV in turn is owned 47 pct each by Poseidon and GMK and  six pct by WMC.  The KMA joint venture was formed in 1976 and operates the  Mount Charlotte and Fimiston gold mines in Western Australia.  The two mines produced a total of 222,000 ounces of gold in  1985/86 ended June 17.  KMA is the sole source of GMK's revenue and profits and the  major contributor to Poseidon's earnings, their annual reports  show. GMK is owned 31.8 pct by WMC.  REUTER 
-1	 BELGIUM LAUNCHES BONDS WITH GOLD WARRANTS	 ZURICH, April 9 -	 The Kingdom of Belgium is launching 100  mln Swiss francs of seven year notes with warrants attached to  buy gold, lead manager Credit Suisse said.  The notes themselves have a 3-3/8 pct coupon and are priced  at par. Payment is due April 30, 1987, and final maturity April  30, 1994.  Each 50,000 franc note carries 15 warrants. Two warrants  are required to allow the holder to buy 100 grammes of gold at  a price of 2,450 francs, during the entire life of the bond.  The latest gold price in Zurich was 2,045/2,070 francs per  100 grammes.  Reuter 
-1	 SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD HOLDINGS RISE IN MARCH	 PRETORIA, April 7 -	 South African gold holdings rose 172.56  mln rand to 4.17 billion rand in March after rising 39 mln rand  to 4.0 billion rand in February, Reserve Bank figures show.  In volume terms gold holdings rose to 5.51 mln ounces in  March from 5.26 mln ounces in February, valued at 757.24 rand  an ounce for March versus 754.59 rand an ounce for February.  Total gold and fo reign assets rose to 6.30 billion rand  from 6.22 billion, of which the gold content increased to 66.22  pct from 64.3 pct.  Foreign bills remained at zero in March while investments  fell slightly to 105.69 mln rand from February's 106.56 mln  rand and other assets to 2.02 billion rand from 2.11 billion,  the figures showed.  Total liabilities fell to 12.21 billion rand in March after  rising to 13.62 billion in February.  REUTER 
+1	 YUGOSLAVIA TO TENDER FOR 100,000 TONNES WHEAT	 WASHINGTON, April 9 -	 Yugoslavia will tender April 14 for  100,000 tonnes of wheat, the U.S. Agriculture Department's  Counselor in Belgrade said in a field report.  The report, dated April 7, said the wheat must be from 1986  and 1987 harvest, and imports of soft wheat from Europe and  from other suppliers will not be considered.  It said the imports will be used to rebuild the federal  reserves and as a result will not be subject to import  surcharges.  Reuter 
+1	 WHEAT BY CLASS BREAKDOWN	 WASHINGTON, April 9 -	 The U.S. Agriculture Department gave  the 1986/87 breakdown of supply and distribution for wheats by  classes, in mln bushels, with comparisons, as follows.  HARD WINTER --  1986/87           1985/86  04/09/87 03/09/87  04/09/87 03/09/87  Start Stocks 1,009   1,009      717     717  Production   1,018   1,018    1,230   1,230  Ttl Supply-X 2,027   2,027    1,947   1,947  Domestic Use   599     579      543     543  Exports        450     475      395     395  Total Use    1,049   1,054      938     938  End Stocks     978     973    1,009   1,009  Note - Season begins June 1. X-Includes imports  HARD SPRING --  1986/87           1985/86  04/09/87 03/09/87  04/09/87 03/09/87  Start Stocks   498     498      371     371  Production     451     451      460     460  Ttl Supply-X   956     956      838     838  Domestic Use   218     192      174     174  Exports        200     190      166     166  Total Use      418     382      340     340  End Stocks     538     574      498     498  Note - Season begins June 1. X-Includes imports.  SOFT RED --  1986/87           1985/86  04/09/87 03/09/87  04/09/87 03/09/87  Start Stocks   79     79       64     64  Production    290    290      368    368  Ttl Supply-X  369    369      432    432  Domestic Use  181    193      204    204  Exports       120    120      149    149  Total Use     301    313      353    353  End Stocks     68     56       79     79  Note - Season begins June 1. X-Includes imports  WHITE --  1986/87           1985/86  04/09/87 03/09/87  04/09/87 03/09/87  Start Stocks  198    198      173    173  Production    232    232      254    254  Ttl Supply-X  433    433      430    430  Domestic Use   82     83       80     80  Exports       170    160      152    152  Total Use     252    243      232    232  End Stocks    181    190      198    198  Note - Season begins June 1. X-Includes imports.  DURUM --  1986/87            1985/86  04/09/87 03/09/87  04/09/87 03/09/87  Start Stocks   121    121      100    100  Production      95     95      113    113  Ttl Supply-X   221    221      218    218  Domestic Use    54     58       44     44  Exports         85     80       53     53  Total Use      139    138       97     97  End Stocks      82     83      121    121  Note - Season begins June 1. X-Includes Imports.    Reuter 
-1	 MINT REVIEWS OFFERS ON 3,701,000 LBS COPPER	 WASHINGTON, April 21 -	 The U.S. Mint received 17 offers  from seven firms at prices ranging from 0.66845-0.6840 dlrs per  lb for payment by standard check and 0.66695-0.68 dlrs per lb  for wire transfer payment in a review of offers on 3,701,000  lbs of electrolytic copper it is seeking to purchase.  Philipp Brothers, N.Y., led with the lowest offers of  0.66695 for wire transfer payment and 0.66845 dlrs per lb to be  paid by check, followed by Cerro Sales Corp, N.Y., with 0.6684  dlrs per lb on one mln lbs for wire payment, and 0.6713 dlrs  per lb on one mln lbs for standard payment.  Firms, in submitting offers, elect to be paid by standard  check or wire transfer, with awards based on whichever of the  two methods is more cost advantageous at that time.  Cerro Sales also offered prices for wire payment of 0.6689  dlrs per lb on one mln lbs and 0.6693 dlrs per lb on 1,701,000  lbs. Cerro's standard payment offers included 0.6719 dlrs per  lb on one mln lbs and 0.6723 dlrs per lb on 1,701,000 lbs.  Cargill Metals, Minneapolis, offered 0.67025 dlrs per lb  for wire payment and 0.67275 dlrs per lb for standard payment,  while Elders Raw Materials, Darien, Ct., offered 0.6718 dlrs  per lb for wire payment and 0.6735 dlrs per lb for standard  payment on increments of 950,000 lbs each.  Other offers for wire transfer payment include 0.6759 dlrs  per lb on 380,000 lbs, submitted by Deak International, N.Y.,  0.6789 dlrs per lb on the entire quantity by Diversified Metals  Corp, St. Louis, and 0.68 dlrs per lb by Gerald Metals,  Stamford, Ct.  Other standard payment offers include 0.6819 dlrs per lb on  950,000 lbs by Diversified Metals, and 0.6840 dlrs per lb on  the entire quantity by Gerald Metals.  The Mint said the copper is for delivery the week of May 11  to Olin Corp, East Alton, Ill.  The offers have a minimum acceptance period of three  calendar days, it said.  Reuter 
-1	 COMEX RAISING MARGINS FOR GOLD AND COPPER  FUTURES EFFECTIVE AT TODAY'S OPENING - OFFICIAL	(NO DATE)	(NO TEXT)
+1	 U.S. EXPORTERS REPORT 455,000 TONNES  OF WHEAT SOLD TO CHINA FOR 1986/87 AND 1987/88	(NO DATE)	(NO TEXT)
+1	 CCC CREDITS FOR BANGLADESH AMENDED - USDA	 WASHINGTON, April 7 -	 The Commodity Credit Corporation  (CCC) has reallocated 5.0 mln dlrs in credit guarantees  previously earmarked for sales of U.S. wheat to provide  coverage for sales of U.S. vegetable oil to Bangladesh, the  U.S. Agriculture Department said.  USDA said the action was taken at the request of the  Bangladesh government and reduces the guarantee line authorized  for wheat sales from 25.0 mln dlrs to 20.0 and creates a new  line of 5.0 mln dlrs for vegetable oils.  To be eligible for coverage under the CCC' s Intermediate  Export Credit Program, credit terms must be in excess of three  years, but not more than seven years.  All sales covered by the credit guarantees must be  registered and shipped by September 30, 1987, USDA said.  Reuter 
+1	 FRENCH CEREAL EXPORTS THROUGH ROUEN UP IN MARCH	 PARIS, April 1 -	 French cereals exports through Rouen port  rose to 751,563 tonnes between March 1 and March 25 from  603,413 tonnes in the same 1986 period, freight sources said.  The Soviet Union took 263,051 tonnes of wheat and barley,  Saudi Arabia 90,944 tonnes barley, China 87,259 wheat, Algeria  64,896 wheat, Bangladesh 30,000 wheat, Morocco 27,500 maize,  Greece 26,700 wheat and barley, Spain 25,124 wheat, Poland  24,683 wheat, Brazil 24,082 wheat, Italy 21,659 wheat, Cyprus  20,700 wheat and maize, Israel 16,500 maize and the U.K. 8,797  tonnes wheat.  Six ships are loading 120,000 tonnes of wheat, the sources  said. They include 30,000 tonnes for China, 31,000 for the  Soviet Union, 25,000 for Turkey, and 35,000 for Italy. Another  ship is loading 17,000 tonnes of colza for the Soviet Union.  Another 12 ships should arrive to load 344,000 tonnes of  cereals by the end of the week. Six are to load 186,000 tonnes  of wheat for the Soviet Union. Two will load 60,000 tonnes of  barley for Saudi Arabia, one 28,000 tonnes of wheat for China,  two 25,000 tonnes of wheat each for Algeria and Turkey and one  20,000 tonnes of wheat for Italy. Another is expected to load  20,000 tonnes of colza for the Soviet Union.  Flour exports through Rouen rose to 23,457 tonnes in the 25  day period from 5,500 in the equivalent 1986 period, the  sources said.  Sudan took 19,327 tonnes and west coast Africa 4,130.  Four ships are currently loading 32,000 tonnes, including  24,000 for Egypt, 6,000 for Tanzania and 2,000 for Mauritania.  A ship is expected later this week to load 12,000 tonnes  for China.  Reuter 
+1	 U.S. EXPORTERS REPORT 200,000 TONNES WHEAT  SOLD TO JORDAN FOR 1987/88 DELIVERY	(NO DATE)	(NO TEXT)
-1	 SILVER STATE MINING & lt;SSMC > SEES PRODUCTION RISE	 DENVER, March 6 -	 Silver State Mining Corp said it expects  gold production this year to be more than double 1986's 17,458  ounces.  The company's 1985 production was 2,050 ounces.  Reuter 
+1	 EC COMMISSION DETAILS SUGAR TENDER	 BRUSSELS, April 8 -	 The EC Commission confirmed it granted  export licences for 118,350 tonnes of current series white  sugar at a maximum export rebate of 46.496 European Currency  Units (ECUs) per 100 kilos.  Out of this, traders in France received 34,500 tonnes, in  the U.K. 37,800, in West-Germany 20,000, in Belgium 18,500, in  Spain 5,800 and in Denmark 1,750 tonnes.  REUTER 
+1	 FALLING SOYBEAN CRUSH RATIOS CUT OUTPUT	 CHICAGO, Feb 26 -	 The sharp decline in soybean crush ratios  seen in the last few weeks, accelerating in recent days, has  pushed margins below the cost of production at most soybean  processing plants and prompted many to cut output of soybean  meal and oil.  The weekly U.S. soybean crush rate was reported by the  National Soybean Processors Association this afternoon at 21.78  mln bushels, down from the 22 mln bushel plus rate seen over  the past two months when crush margins surged to the best  levels seen in over a year.  Active soymeal export loadings at the Gulf had pushed  soybean futures and premiums higher, prompting a pick-up in the  weekly crush number.  However, much of that export demand seems to have been met,  with most foreign meal users now waiting for the expected surge  in shipments of new crop South American soymeal over the next  few months.  U.S. processors are now finding domestic livestock feed  demand is very light for this time of year due to the milder  than normal winter, so they steadily dropped offering prices in  an attempt to find buying interest, soyproduct dealers said.  Soybean meal futures have also steadily declined in recent  weeks, setting a new contract low of 139.70 dlrs per ton in the  nearby March contract today.  "Many speculators down here bought March soymeal and sold  May, looking for no deliveries (on first notice day tomorrow,  which would cause March to gain on deferreds)," one CBT crush  trader said.  "But they've been bailing out this week because the March  has been acting like there will be a lot delivered, if not  tomorrow, then later in the month," he added.  As a result of the weakness in soymeal, the March crush  ratio (The value of soyproducts less the cost of the soybeans)  fell from the mid 30s earlier this month to 22.6 cents per  bushel today, dropping over five cents in just the last two  days.  The May crush ended today just over 17 cents, so no  processors will want to lock in a ratio at that unprofitable  level, the trader said. Hopefully, they will now start to cut  back production to get supplies in line with demand, he added.  With futures down, processors are finding they must bid  premiums for cash soybeans, further reducing crush margins.  A central Illinois processor is only making about 30 cents  for every bushel of soybeans crushed at current prices, down  sharply from levels just seen just a few weeks ago and below  the average cost of production, cash dealers said.  Most soybean processing plants are still in operation, with  little talk of taking temporary down-time, so far. But  processors will start halting production in the next few weeks  it they continue to face unprofitable margins, they added.  Reuter 
-1	 HOMESTAKE & lt;HM > MULLS BUYING ORE RESERVES	 NEW YORK, April 13 -	 Homestake Mining Co is considering  acquiring more gold ore reserves in addition to the company's  exploration efforts, chief executive Harry Conger told Reuters  in an interview.  "We are looking at more options to acquire more reserves  rather than just exploration," Conger said adding, "the move to  consider acquisitions represents a change in the company's  acquisitions policy."  Conger said all of Homestake's current cash position of 120  mln dlrs would be available to acquire reserves. In addition,  Homestake has two lines of credit totaling 150 mln dlrs which  have not been drawn on today and could be used to finance an  acquisition, he said.  Conger said he anticipates 1987 exploration budget will be  about the same as 1986 spending of 27.3 mln dlrs. Conger said  exploration for precious metals may be slightly higher than  last year's spending of 17.7 mln dlrs while oil and gas  exploration spending will be slightly less than last year's 9.6  pct.  Conger said he sees Homestake's 1987 gold production about  the same as 1986 gold production of 669,594 ounces.  However, 1987 first quarter production from its McLaughlin  reserve will be about 10 pct lower than last year's 45,400  ounces due to start-up production problems.  He said he believes gold prices will hold above the 400  U.S. dlr an ounce level for the rest of 1987.  IN 1986, company earnings were based an average market  price for gold of 368 dlrs an ounce.  Conger said a three pct change in gold prices represents a  12 cts a share impact on earnings but he declined to give a  specific forecast for 1987's first quarter, due to be released  in 10 days, or for full year 1987 results.  Reuter 
+1	 ARGENTINA UNAFFECTED BY BRAZIL'S MAIZE DECISION	 BUENOS AIRES, March 6 -	 A government official said that a  decision by Brazil not to import maize because it forecast a  record harvest would not affect Argentina's exports.  "We have heard nothing about this, but if Brazil has decided  not to import maize that is no problem for us as it is not one  of our main customers," Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries  Under-Secretary Miguel Braceras said.  Private sources also said Argentina's exports would not be  affected by Brazil's decision, which Agriculture Minister Iris  Resende announced yesterday in Sao Paulo.  Brazil had not asked for any Argentine maize, they said.  They also said a smaller crop and adverse weather this  summer in Argentina had reduced production.  Braceras said that last year Brazil bought 800,000 tonnes  of Argentine maize but in some years it had not imported any  from Argentina.  The Soviet Union was Argentina's main customer and Japan  was also becoming a bigger importer of the country's maize, he  said.  Reuter 
+1	 UGANDAN GOVERNMENT PROPOSES NEW TAXES	 KAMPALA, April 24 -	 The Ugandan government, in its four  year investment and development plan, proposed taxing land and  food crops in an attempt to broaden its revenue base away from  dependence on coffee sales.  The government also said in the plan, made available to  Reuters, that a devaluation of the Ugandan shilling would do  little to redress a chronic balance of payments deficit.  The plan, the first since President Yoweri Museveni took  power 15 months ago, seeks to raise 2.4 billion dlrs in  investment funds from abroad between 1987 and 1991.  It says the government had already secured 1.4 billion dlrs  in pledges before Islamic lenders promised a further 494 mln  dlrs at a conference in Kampala last week.  Uganda already had an external debt of 984 mln dlrs at the  end of 1986 and in the nine months of the current budget debt  servicing will cost 204 mln dlrs, almost 50 pct of export  earnings of 431 mln, the plan said.  The new fiscal measures include a proposed tax on large  land holdings, regardless of whether the owners are exploiting  them, and taxes on maize, beans and other crops sold by the  Produce Marketing Board.  The plan says the aim is to spread the tax burden, which in  Uganda has traditionally fallen almost exclusively on coffee  farmers. Coffee provides over 90 pct of foreign exchange  earnings and more than 70 pct of government revenue.  On exchange rate policy, it repeats Museveni's argument  that any form of fotation would not help allocating resources.  Western governments and multilateral funds say the Ugandan  shilling is grossly overvalued and the government must change  the exchange rate if it wishes to encourage investment. The  shilling sells on the black market at more than 15,000 to the  dollar, compared with an official rate of 1,400.  REUTER 
-1	 AB M GOLD TO RAISE INTERESTS IN CANADA COMPANIES	 NEW YORK, April 24 -	 ABM Gold Corp will use the proceeds of  an initial public offering of seven mln shares of stock at 10  dlrs a share to increase its interest in three Canadian  companies, said co-managing underwriters PaineWebber Inc and  Advest Inc.  ABM Gold manages and develops properties of Sonora Gold  Corp & lt;SON.TO > , Goldenbell Resources Inc & lt;GBL.TO > , United Gold  Corp & lt;UGC.V > and Inca Resources Inc & lt;IRI.TO > .  Proceeds will be used to raise its stake in Sonora, buy a  15 pct interest in the net profits of Sonora's Jamestown mine,  and buy capital stock of Goldenball and United, they said.  ABM Gold explores, acquires and develops gold properties in  California, and also processes gold-bearing ore into gold  bullion.  The co-managing underwriters said they are selling 3.5 mln  shares in the U.S. and Canada, while an interational offering  will be managed by PaineWebber International. The underwriters  have been granted an option to buy up to an additional 105,000  shares to cover over-allotments.  Reuter 
-1	 HUDSON BAY MINING CUTS U.S., CANADA ZINC PRICES	 TORONTO, March 9 -	 & lt;Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co Ltd >   said it cut prices for all grades of zinc sold in North America  by one U.S. ct a pound and by one Canadian ct a pound,  effective immediately.  The new price for high grade zinc is 37 U.S. cts and 49-1/2  Canadian cts a pound, the company said.  Special high grade, prime western and continuous  galvanizing grade with controlled lead now costs 37-1/2 U.S.  cts and 50 Canadian cts a pound. The new price for continuous  galvanizing grade alloyed with controlled lead and aluminum  additions is 37-3/4 U.S. cts and 50-1/4 Canadian cts a pound.  Reuter 
-1	 MUELLER BRASS LOWERS PRODUCT PRICES	 PORT HURON, MICH., June 2 -	 Mueller Brass Co said that  effective with shipments today, it is adjusting the price of  all brass mill products, except free-cutting brass rod and  related alloys and copper water tube and related products, to  reflect contained copper values at 73 cents a pound, down two  cents.    Reuter 
+1	 BRAZIL BUYS FRENCH WHEAT AT TENDER	 RIO DE JANEIRO, April 2 -	 Brazil bought 75,000 tonnes of  French wheat at tonight's tender, a Brazilian Wheat Board  spokesman said.  For May shipment, it accepted offers from J. Souflet for  50,000 tonnes of wheat at 83.49 dlrs Fob per tonne.  For June shipment, Brazil bought 25,000 tonnes from J.  Souflet also at 83.49 dlrs Fob per tonne.  The next tender is set for April 9, for May, June and July  shipment, the spokesman said.  Reuter 
+1	 TURKEY ELIGIBLE FOR U.S. BONUS RICE	 WASHINGTON, April 3 -	 The U.S. Agriculture Department said  Turkey has been made eligible for the sale of up to 70,000  tonnes of medium grain milled rice under the department's  export enhancement program, EEP.  As with the 65 previous EEP initiatives, the export sales  would be subsidized with commodities from the inventory of the  Commodity Credit Corp and made at competitive world prices,  USDA said.  Reuter 
-1	 MEXICO SILVER POLICIES UNCHANGED, OFFICIALS SAY	 Mexico City, April 29 -	 Mexico's policies for silver  production and sales have not changed despite Peru's decision  last week to freeze its silver sales, government mining and  central bank officials said.  The officials also expressed doubt that such a policy  change was in the works.  Mexico is the world's leading silver producer and had an  output of about 73.9 mln troy ounces last year, according to  preliminary government figures.  Peru, the world's second leading silver producer, last week  suspended sales of the precious metal in what authorities in  Lima said was an effort to protect its price in an unstable  market.  Since the decision, Peruvian officials have said they will  discuss cooperation in the silver market with Mexican officials  in scheduled meetings.  Last week, Peruvian central bank president Leonel Figueroa  and the head of the central bank of Mexico, Miguel Mancera  Aguayo met in Mexico City in private talks said aimed at  consolidating the upward trend of silver prices.  Mexican minister of energy and mines, Alfredo del Mazo, is  also expected to meet so on with his Peruvian counterpart,  Wilfredo Huayta.  However, no Mexican decision has been made to follow the  Peruvian example of suspending new silver sales, Mexican  officials said.  One Mexican mining sector official working closely with the  government's production and sales policy told Reuters there  have been no changes in policy handed down by the central bank.  "The same policy that has been followed will be continued,"  said the official, who asked not to be further identified.  A spokesman for the central bank said the bank had no  information on any silver policy changes.  An energy and mines ministry spokesman and an official in  the ministry's metallurgy department also said no government  silver policy change had been made.  The mining sector official also said he doubted Mexico  would follow Peru's policy, reasoning that if the two  governments had intended to coordinate silver policies, Mexico  would have announced a sales suspension along with Peru last  week.  "It's very probable a change won't be made," the official  said.  Reuter 
-1	 METAL BULLETIN ZINC PRODUCER PRICE	 LONDON, April 13 -	 The London based trade journal "METAL  BULLETIN'S" average producer price of good ordinary brand zinc  for week ended April 10 is 790.00 dlrs per tonne.  Reuter 
+1	 ICCO buffer stock manager to buy 5,000 tonnes cocoa Tuesday, June 2 - official	(NO DATE)	(NO TEXT)
-1	 BETHLEHEM STEEL & lt;BS > SETS STEEL PRICE INCREASES	 BETHLEHEM, Pa., Oct 20 -	 Bethlehem Steel Corp said prices  for steel sheet products will be increased up to 30 dlrs a ton  effective January 3.  The increases will affect certain non-contract or spot  transactions and will be achieved through reductions in  competitive discounts.  The company said transaction prices for contract accounts,  which have a duration of six months or more, will also be  increased to commensurate levels.  Percentage increases were not immediately available.  Prices for flat-rolled steel sheet, used in automobiles,  appliances and other products, vary widely between about 350  and 800 dlrs a ton.  The company said it was taking the actions to restore sheet  transaction prices to more equitable levels. In many cases,  prices are still lower than those attained in 1984, it said.  Bethlehem also said that in response to changing market  conditions and potential inflationary pressures, efforts will  be made to mininize the number and the duration of firm price  contracts.  Reuter 
-1	 ZAMBIAN COPPER INDUSTRY HOPES FOR STEADY OUTPUT	 LUSAKA, June 18 -	 Zambia's copper mining industry is hoping  to achieve and maintain production at over 500,000 tonnes a  year in the next few years despite low world prices,  deteriorating ores and shortages of mine inputs, industry  officials said.  But Zambia's decision to abandon last May 1 a tough  International Monetary Fund (IMF) economic recovery program has  introduced an element of uncertainty into plans to restructure  the ailing industry and boost profitability, they said.  Copper production by the government-controlled Zambia  Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) for the 1987 financial year  ended March 31 improved slightly to about 471,000 tonnes from a  record 1986 low of 463,354 tonnes.  "We are convinced that by the end of the 1988 financial  year, copper production could well be over 500,000 tonnes due  to greater availability of spares and equipment," a ZCCM  official said.  ZCCM officials said the production of cobalt, another  strategic income earner, will also be tailored to meet demand.  Finished production in 1986 was 4,565 tonnes, 911 tonnes  higher than the previous year and the best production achieved  to date.  Protracted low world metal prices have badly hit the copper  industry in Zambia, the world's fifth biggest producer. Mining  is monopolised by ZCCM and accounts for about 90 pct of the  country's foreign exchange earnings.  Production has also been seriously affected in recent years  by equipment breakdowns, deteriorating ore and shortages of  spare parts, fuel and lubricants. The 463,354 tonnes output  last year compared with a peak 1975 output of 700,000 tonnes.  A five-year production and investment plan launched in 1984  by ZCCM is being funded by the European Community, the African  Development Bank and the World Bank.  The plan foresees the shutdown of some seven mining and  metallurgical units on the grounds they are unprofitable.  ZCCM, the second largest employer after the government, has  said it intends to lay off 20,000 of its 60,000 workforce as  part of the plan.  More than 250 mln dlrs have so far been channelled into the  industry in a bid to improve efficiency and profitability under  the five-year restructuring plan.  Company officials said although reserves were being  depleted, Zambia could continue to produce copper beyond the  end of the century, though at lower levels of production.  Industry sources said ZCCM's projected pre-tax profit for  the financial year ended March 31 would be around 500 mln  kwacha. But with the current mineral export tax level being  levied, a net loss is likely to be registered.  ZCCM recorded a net loss of 718 mln kwacha in 1986 compared  with a net profit of 19 mln kwacha the year before.  Under the foreign exchange auction system introduced in  1985, ZCCM's profits from its foreign exchange earnings rose as  the value of the kwacha fell to 21 to the dollar from just over  two to the dollar.  But on May 1, President Kenneth Kaunda abolished the  auctioning system, inspired by the International Monetary Fund,  and announced Zambia would pursue a go-it-alone economic  strategy based on national resources.  ZCCM officials are still cautious over what effects the  break with the IMF will have on the industry's plans.  "We are still consulting to see how the new measures will  affect us but it is too early to say just how we shall fare  under the new situation," Peter Hansen, director of operations  and third in the ZCCM hierarchy, told Reuters.  Some analysts believe the new officially-fixed exchange  rate of eight kwacha to the dollar will hit ZCCM's export  profits.  "Most specialists I have talked to tell me the break-even  point for ZCCM is a rate of 10 kwacha per dollar," Frederick  Chiluba, leader of the Zambian Congress of Trade Unions said.  High production costs continue to bedevil the Zambian  industry.  Zambia mines copper at a relatively expensive rate of 69  cents per pound, compared with 55 cents in the United States  and under 40 cents in Chile.  The industry also faces transport problems due to Zambia  being landlocked. The government confirmed this year it had  stopped sBending copper south through South Africa.  Over 80 pct of shipments, some 35,000 tonnes a month, are  sent by rail to the Tanzanian port of Dar-es-Salaam, while  5,000 tonnes go via Zimbabwe to the Mozambique port of Beira.  Transport has often been hit by shortages of wagons, spares and  fuel.  Reuter 
-1	 INT'L PHOENIX ENERGY & lt;IPYV > JOINS GOLD VENTURE	 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 15 -	 International  Phoenix Energy Corp said it launched a gold recovery venture  with & lt;Phoenix Exploration and Recovery Inc > and Mexico's  Sistemas Tecnicos De Recuperaciones, Sociedad Anonima de  Capital Variable.  The company said the joint venture will explore and recover  gold, precious metals and artefacts from treasure ships worth  10 billion dlrs reported to have sunk in the harbor area of  Vera Cruz, Mexico.  The company said it expects work to begin in 30 days.  Reuter 
-1	 MAJOR EUROPEAN ZINC SMELTER MERGER SEEN BY 1990	 AMSTERDAM, June 16 -	 There should be at least one merger  between major European zinc smelters before the end of the  decade, Christian Bue, Executive Vice President (comme rcial) of  SMM Penarroya in France, said.  Speaking on the second day of the Metal Bulletin base  metals conference, Bue said he expected the current talks  between five smelters including Penarroya to result in  integration between at least some of the companies before 1990.  The five companies, SMM Penarroya, Outokumpu Oy, Preussag  Ag, Ste de la Vieille Montagne and Boliden Ore and Metals AB,  have 22 pct of the world market, Bue added.  "We have no alternative than to integrate out businesses  into large trading blocs if we are to survive the cut-throat  price competition and the trend to forward integration from the  mining companies," Bue said.  "It is by no means certain that all the five companies  involved in the talks will integrate together. It is quite  likely, and even preferable, that the European smelters form  two or three large integrated blocs.  "In this way we will be better able to negotiate with our  concentrate suppliers on one side, and with the metal buyers on  the other," Bue added.  In the past, production overcapacity and the intense  competition between the European zinc smelters has meant they  have not only been in a very weak negotiating position when  buying concentrates, but in an even weaker one when selling the  metal, Bue noted.  Although the apparently easy solution is to simply shut  down excess capacity, the burden of this on individual  companies is far too heavy and no one can be expected to  volunteer, he added.  Another possible but very risky solution is to invest  heavily in more modern and lower cost facilities, he said.  "My answer to this suggestion is that individual companies  who do not invest will surely die, and those that do invest  might survive, but only might, " Bue said.  "The only real option in my mind is integration,  rationalization and stabilization. We have no alternative, " he  added.  Bue also said that the European smelters were completely  dissatisfied with the tradition of pricing concentrates and  metals in US dollars, and suggested moving either to a basket  of the world's major currencies or pricing in European currency  units (Ecus) to protect against exchange rate volatility.  Bue's views on integration between European smelters were  met by general approval from the conference audience comprising  representatives from many of the world's major mining, smelting  and trading companies, although some of the mining  representatives were somewhat sceptical in view of their own  industry's move towards integration with smelters.  However, some concentrate traders did express worry about  their own position if the metals industry does make the move to  large trading blocs.  The currency basket suggestion cropped up constantly, but  few said they thought matters would change in the near future.  REUTER 
-1	 NORANDA SETS TEMPORARY MINE SHUTDOWN	 Murdochville, Quebec, April 3 -	 & lt;Noranda Inc > said  production will remain shut down at its fire-damaged copper  mine here until it can completely examine the mine.  The fire, which started Wednesday and burned itself out  late yesterday, killed one miner and trapped 56 others  underground for about 24 hours. The 56 were eventually brought  safely out of the mine.  Company spokesman Dale Coffin said the investigation could  take from a few days to several weeks, but would not be more  specific.  Noranda said that, when it resumes production, it plans to  operate the mine at about one-third of the normal 72,000 metric  tons annual finished capacity.  The fire weakened part of the mine's support structure,  Coffin said.  Noranda said if it decides to keep the mine open, it would  take four or five months before it could resume full  production.  Reuter 
+1	 NY ANALYSTS SEE COFFEE FUTURES FALLING FURTHER	 New York, April 1 -	 New York coffee futures prices will  probably fall to about 85 cents a lb in the next month before a  consolidation trend sets in, according to market analysts.  Yesterday, prices for the spot May contract fell below 1.00  dlr a lb for the first time since August 1981 after the  International Coffee Organization did not place new export  quota discussions on its current agenda.  Talks aimed at renegotiating ICO export quotas, after five  years of price-supporting agreements, broke down in February.  "Short-term, it looks like a definite test of 90 cents,  perhaps 85 cents," said William O'Neill, coffee analyst with  Elders Futures. "But the additional downside may not be all  that great from current levels."  "At this price level the market is very vulnerable to  bullish developments," O'Neill added. "Rather than us having a  market that will plummet we'll kind of see prices erode --  probably to around 85 cents."  "I definitely see 90 cents and would not rule out a brief  drop to 85 cents," said Debra Tropp, a coffee analyst with  Prudential Bache. But she said by June worries about a freeze  in Brazil growing areas will become more of a market factor,  with prices likely to consolidate ahead of that time.  A trader at a major international trade house, who asked  not to be named, said he expects a 10 cent drop near term but  believes if Brazil opens May registrations at a relatively high  export price and requires a high contribution quota from  exporters the market could steady at the lower levels.  Longer term, he added, producer pressure will mount on  Brazil to agree to consumers' export quota terms, and a new  international agreement could come into force next fall.  Since the February talks broke down, the market has fallen  from about 130.00 cents a lb to a low of 98.10 cents a lb  today, as buyers and sellers sought to reassess supply and  demand.  Generally, analysts say, producers have a large buildup of  stocks, but U.S. roasters have drawn down supplies and will  need to do some buying soon.  "Most producing nations have just completed or are about to  complete their annual harvests and exportable supplies are at  their seasonal peak. Exports remain behind year ago and  warehouses in producer nations are becoming increasingly  overburdened," said Sandra Kaul, coffee analyst for Shearson  Lehman, in that firm's forthcoming quarterly coffee report.  Kaul said producers' need to procure hard currency to  service foreign debt will put further pressure on them to sell,  and "this should keep substantial pressure on exporters to  undertake sales despite the drop in prices to six year lows."  Kaul believes the market will drop to 80 cents a lb before  Brazil's frost season begins in June.  Accurate assessments of roaster demand are hard to come by,  though analysts note the peak winter consumption period is  passed and demand usually slows this time of year.  Shearson's Kaul estimated U.S. roaster ending stocks as of  January 31, including soluble and roasted, at 6.3 mln bags  compared with 6.9 mln at end-September 1986, a small drawdown  for the usually busy winter roasting season.  But Elders O'Neill said, "The roasters are not overstocked  by any means."  Analysts said picking a bottom to the market is difficult,  given the fact prices have fallen into uncharted territory  below the long-term support at 1.00 dlr per lb, and several  traders said the sidelines might be preferable for the short  term.  Reuter 
+1	 CHINA RAISES GRAIN PURCHASE PRICES	 PEKING, April 13 -	 China has raised the state purchase  prices of corn, rice, cottonseed and shelled peanuts from April  1 to encourage farmers to grow them, the official China  Commercial Daily said.  The paper said the price paid for corn from 14 northern  provinces, cities and regions has increased by one yuan per 50  kg. A foreign agricultural expert said the rise will take the  price to 17 fen per jin (0.5 kg ) from 16 fen.  The paper said the price for long-grained rice from 10  southern provinces and cities was raised by 1.5 yuan per 50 kg.  The paper said the price for round-grained rice from 11  provinces, regions and cities in central, east and northwest  China has been increased by 1.75 yuan per 50 kg. It gave no  more price details.  It said local authorities must inform farmers of the price  increases before farmers begin planting, to encourage  production of grains and oilseeds.  Chinese officials have said farmers are unwilling to grow  grain because they can earn more from other crops.  REUTER 
+1	 NORTH YEMEN CALLS SUGAR BUYING TENDER - TRADE	 LONDON, April 8 -	 North Yemen has called a buying tender  for Saturday for the purchase of 30,000 tonnes of white sugar  for arrival in June, traders said.  REUTER 
-1	 NO COMINCO STRIKE TALKS SCHEDULED	 TRAIL, British Columbia, June 19 -	 Cominco Ltd said no  talks were scheduled with striking workers at its Trail smelter  and Kimberley, British Columbia lead-zinc mine.  A company spokesman said the company and union met  informally Tuesday but talks did not constitute a formal  bargaining session. The last formal talks were on June 5.  The workers went on strike May 9 and production has been  shut down since then.  The Trail smelter produced 240,000 long tons of zinc and  110,000 long tons of lead last year. The Sullivan mine at  Kimberley produced 2.2 mln long tons of ore in 1986, most for  processing at the Trail smelter.    Reuter 
+1	 AGENCY TO REVIEW JOHNSON/JOHNSON & lt;JNJ > SWEETNER	 NEW BRUNSWICK, March 11 -	 Johnson and Johnson said the U.S.  Food and Drug Administration has notified the company its food  additive petition for a high-intensity sweetener has been  formally accepted and now will be reviewed by the agency.  The company said the product, with the generic name of  sucralose, is made from sugar and tastes like sugar, but is  about 600 times sweeter.  It yields no calories and does not promote tooth decay.  Reuter 
+1	 U.K. INTERVENTION BOARD DETAILS EC SUGAR SALES	 LONDON, April 8 -	 A total 118,350 tonnes of current series  white sugar received export rebates of a maximum 46.496  European Currency Units (Ecus) per 100 kilos at today's  European Community (EC) tender, the U.K. Intervention Board  said.  Out of this, traders in the U.K. Received 37,800 tonnes, in  France 34,500, in West Germany 20,000, in Belgium 18,500, in  Spain 5,800 and in Denmark 1,750 tonnes, it added.  Earlier today, London traders had declined to give a  projected view on the level of subsidy although some said total  tonnage awards would be around 60,000 tonnes.  Paris traders foresaw between 60,000 and 100,000 tonnes  being authorised for export at a 46.40/46.50 Ecu subsidy.  Cumulative sales authorisations for the current season  (1986/87) now stand at 2,194,970 tonnes (43 weeks).  Last week saw 102,350 tonnes whites authorised for export  under licences to end-Sep at the higest ever rebate of 46.864  European Currency Units (Ecus) per 100 kilos.  REUTER 
+1	 GRAIN SHIPS LOADING AT PORTLAND	 PORTLAND, April 1 -	 There were five grain ships loading and  three ships were waiting to load at Portland, according to the  Portland Merchants Exchange.  Reuter 
+1	 COLOMBIA COFFEE REGISTRATIONS REMAIN OPEN	 BOGOTA, April 8 -	 Colombia's coffee export registrations  remain open and there are no plans to close them since a new  marketing policy means an unlimited amount can be registered,  Gilberto Arango, president of the private exporters'  association said.  "The philosophy of the new policy is not to close  registrations. Nobody so far said may would be closed," he told  Reuters.  On March 13, Colombia opened registrations for April and  May for an unlimited amount.  Without giving breakdowns, Arango said private exporters  had registered 1,322,804 bags this calendar year up to April 6,  or roughly 440,000 bags per month, slightly lower than the  average in recent years.  He estimated the amount of bags registered by the national  coffee growers' federation at about the same, meaning a total  of about 900,000 bags registered and sold per month by  Colombia.  "The only change that could happen is, because of the  volume, we would be told that from such a date, registrations  would be for June shipment, etc" Arango said.  Reuter 
-1	 EC COMMISSION HAS OPEN ATTITUDE ON STEEL QUOTAS	 STRASBOURG, March 12 -	 The EC Commission said it was  adopting an "open attitude" about whether a system of production  quotas should remain for the indefinite future on heavy steel  products which account for about 45 pct of all EC steel goods.  In a statement, the Commission reiterated its view that the  industry needs to lose between 25 and 30 mln tonnes of capacity  by 1990. It had previously said the quota system, started in  1980, should be wound up completely by the end of next year.  The industry has argued for the maintenance of existing  quotas, which cover almost 70 pct of all output, saying almost  all steelmakers are losing money due to the depressed market.  Reuter 
+1	 U.S. SEES MORE HARMONY IN TALKS WITH FRANCE	 WASHINGTON, March 29 -	 The U.S. Expects more harmonious  talks than usual during French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac's  first official visit this week as frequently rancorous disputes  between the two countries begin to fade.  "The Libyan b ombing is a thing of the past, the trade war  didn't happen and we have reached reasonably good cooperation  on terrorism," one U.S. Official told Reuters.  "It looks like a reasonably harmonious visit in prospect,  more harmonious than usual."  Since taking office a year ago, Chirac has been obliged to  deal with a series of potentially serious disputes with the  United States.  During the U.S. Bombing of alleged terrorist targets in  Libya last April, France refused to allow British-based U.S.  Planes to overfly its territory, forcing them to take a  circuitous route. That angered Washington.  The U.S. Officials, who asked not to be identified, said a  year ago Washington felt the French were not taking strong  enough action against terrorism. "Now they are. We're pleased  and they are pleased that we are pleased," one said.  More recently, a dispute over U.S. Access to the grain  markets of Spain and Portugal after they joined the European  Community  threatened to become a trade war.  In retaliation for what Washington saw as deliberate  Community moves to exclude U.S. Grain, the United States was  poised to impose swingeing tariffs on European Community food  imports and a major trade war was averted at the last minute.  Last week, the forces of President Hissene Habre of Chad,  supported, trained and armed by Paris and Washington, scored a  major success by pushing Libyan troops out of their last bases  in northern Chad.  A French official added: "There is also a common interest in  getting Japan to cut its trade surplus with the rest of the  world by opening up its markets."  Although relations have improved markedly between the two  countries, many irritants remain. At the top of the list is the  Community's common agricultural policy (CAP).  To Washington, as one official put it, "CAP is the root of  all evil" in international food trade because it subsidises  farmers and sells vast amounts of excess produce at below world  prices, thereby eating into U.S. Markets.  REUTER 
+1	 LOWER ASCS CORN PRICES TO AFFECT TEN STATES	 WASHINGTON, March 27 -	 The Agriculture Department's  widening of Louisiana gulf differentials will affect county  posted prices for number two yellow corn in ten states, a USDA  official said.  All counties in Iowa will be affected, as will counties  which use the gulf to price corn in Illinois, Indiana,  Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama  and Louisiana, said Ron Burgess, Deputy Director of Commodity  Operations Division for the USDA.  USDA last night notified the grain industry that effective  immediately, all gulf differentials used to price interior corn  would be widened on a sliding scale basis of four to eight cts,  depending on what the differential is.  USDA's action was taken to lower excessively high posted  county prices for corn caused by high gulf prices.  "We've been following this Louisiana gulf situation for a  month, and we don't think it's going to get back in line in any  nearby time," Burgess said.  Burgess said USDA will probably narrow back the gulf  differentials when and if Gulf prices recede. "If we're off the  mark now because we're too high, wouldn't we be as much off the  mark if we're too low?" he said.  While forecasting more adjustments if Gulf prices fall,  Burgess said no other changes in USDA's price system are being  planned right now.  "We don't tinker. We don't make changes lightly, and we  don't make changes often," he said.  Reuter 
-1	 NORANDA IN TALKS WITH BRUNSWICK LEAD-ZINC MINERS	 TORONTO, June 15 -	 Noranda Inc said contract talks resumed  with about 1,600 unionized workers at its 63 pct-owned  Brunswick Mining and Smelter Corp lead-zinc mine and lead  smelter at Bathurst, New Brunswick.  A Noranda official said talks involved both the mine and  smelter union locals, which are part of the United Steelworkers  of America.  The mineworkers' contract expires July 1. They will vote on  June 22 either to authorize a strike or ratify a possible  contract offer. The smelter workers' pact expires July 21.  The Brunswick mine produced 413,800 tonnes of zinc and  206,000 tonnes of lead last year at a recovery rate of 70.5 pct  zinc and 55.6 pct lead. Concentrates produced were 238,000  tonnes of zinc and 81,000 tonnes of lead.  Reuter 
+1	 U.S. CREDITS FOR ECUADOR SWITCHED TO VEG OIL	 WASHINGTON, March 31 -	 The Commodity Credit Corporation  (CCC) switched five mln dlrs in credit guarantees to Ecuador to  provide for more sales of U.S. vegetable oil, the U.S.  Agriculture Department said.  The credit guarantees were previously earmarked for sales  of U.S. cotton, feedgrains and wheat.  The action reduces the guarantee lines previously  authorized for sales of cotton from 1.5 mln dlrs to 500,000  dlrs, for feedgrains from four mln to two mln and for wheat  from 45 mln dlrs to 43 mln dlrs and increases coverage for  vegetable oil sales from two mln to seven mln dlrs, the  department said.  Reuter 
+1	 FAILURE OF EC FARM PRICE TALKS DISRUPTS TENDERS	 LONDON, June 19 -	 There will be no serious bids at European  Community open market tenders for wheat and barley until EC  farm ministers agree to the 1987/88 farm price package, trade  sources said.  The failure of farm ministers this week to come to an  agreement resulted in no bids at this week's tender for export  subsidies and traders said bids are unlikely as long as the  uncertainty remains.  One trader said permanent damage to export prospects can be  avoided if an agreemend can be reached soon, but the situation  will become more serious as time passes.  However, traders said there seem to be few buyers around,  lessening the disruptive impact of the delay.  Poland and South Korea, who are in the market for feed  wheat, will be offered intervention grain through special  tenders, traders said.  Reuter 
+1	 U.S. TRADE PANEL RULES AGAINST BRAZILIAN  ORANGE JUICE IMPORTS, WILL IMPOSE DUTUES	(NO DATE)	(NO TEXT)
-1	 GORDEX MINERALS LOCATES CANADA GOLD DEPOSITS	 SAINT JOHN, New Brunswick, April 9 -	 Gordex Mineral Ltd  said geologists located more than one mln short tons of  gold-bearing deposits, 0.057 ounces per ton, at Cape Spencer.  The company said it plans to invest 2.5 mln Canadian dlrs  to expand on-site treatment facilities to process 100,000 tons  of gold-bearing deposits this year and 200,000 tons in 1988.  Prior to the completion of the recent exploration program,  Gordex estimated the Cape Spencer deposit had 200,000 tons.  Gordex said the expansion of the Cape Spencer facilities is  intended to enable operation 24 hours a day throughout the  year.  Reuter 
+1	 Cocoa Council agrees new buffer stock  rules - delegates	(NO DATE)	(NO TEXT)
-1	 BHP TO FLOAT GOLD UNIT WITH ONE-FOR-THREE ISSUE	 MELBOURNE, March 5 -	 The Broken Hill Pty Co Ltd & lt;BRKN.S >   (BHP) said it plans a renounceable one-for-three issue of  rights to float a new company, & lt;BHP Gold Mines Ltd > (BHPGM),  which will hold most of BHP's gold interests.  In a statement BHP said the 25-cent par rights would be  priced at 50 cents for 430 mln of the BHPGM shares on offer.  BHP will subscribe for the remaining 540 mln shares, or 56 pct  of issued capital, on the same terms.  BHPGM will pay 440 mln dlrs for BHP's gold interests,  excluding its stake in Papua New Guinea's & lt;Ok Tedi Mining Ltd >   and those interests held by BHP's & lt;Utah International Inc > .  The BHP statement said the issue will be made to  shareholders registered on March 27. It opens April 4 and  closes April 29, and is underwritten by & lt;J.B. Were and Son > .  Rights will be traded on Australian stock exchanges from March  23 to April 22, and the new shares will be quoted from June 4.  BHP said the new company will be one of Australia's larger  gold producers, with annual output exceeding 170,000 ounces. It  said there are plans to boost production to 300,000 ounces by  the early 1990s. BHPGM's portfolio will include several  Australian mines -- 30 pct of Telfer, 100 pct of Ora Banda and  Browns Creek and 20 pct of the new Boddington development.  The statement said BHPGM would also hold BHP's 45 pct stake  in the Coronation Hill Property in the Northern Territory, and  its 55 pct stake in a new venture near Gympie, Queensland.  BHPGM chairman-designate John Gough said it was a quality  gold stock.  "The diversity and depth of BHP Gold's portfolio ... Give  the company a sound foundation in current gold production and  an exciting potential for growth," he said.  REUTER 
-1	 SPHINX MINING & lt;SPNXF.O > FINDS GOLD	 FORT SMITH, Ark., Oct 20 -	 Sphinx Mining Inc said leased  mining claims in Alaska could produce revenues between 322 mln  dlrs and 966 mln dlrs from gold reserves.  The range of the value of the reserves is attributed to the  wide range of grade estimates of the ore, the company said.  A 1984 feasibility study put the grade at 0.008 ounces per  cubic yard, while subsequent exploration work proved that areas  of higher-grade gravel of up to 0.027 ounces/yard do exist,  Sphinx said.  The claims are located 80 miles northwest of Fairbanks.  Reuter 
+1	 FRENCH WINTER CEREAL SOWING SEEN LITTLE CHANGED	 PARIS, April 21 -	 The Ministry of Agriculture left its  estimates of French winter cereal sowings for the 1986/87  campaign barely changed at 6.606 mln hectares compared with its  previous forecast of 6.601 mln.  This compared with the 6.41 mln ha of winter cereals  harvested in the 1985/86 campaign.  Winter soft wheat sowings were put at 4.647 mln ha compared  with its previous estimate of 4.651 mln and 4.57 mln ha  harvested last campaign. Winter barley plantings were forecast  at 1.46 mln ha, unchanged from its previous estimate and  compared with 1.41 mln harvested last season.  The ministry put hard winter wheat sowings at 246,000 ha  versus a February 1 estimate of 236,000 and actual area  harvested last campaign of 217,000.  Winter rape plantings were forecast at 627,000 ha against a  previous estimate of 621,000 and 375,000 rpt 375,000 harvested  in 1985/86.  Reuter 
+1	 ICO COFFEE PRODUCERS TO DISCUSS MARKET SITUATION	 LONDON, April 1 -	 International Coffee Organization, ICO,  producers will meet at 1500 GMT (0900 est) for a general  discussion of the market situation, producer spokesman  Lindenberg Sette said.  The Brazilian delegate said several producers requested the  meeting but Brazil was not among them. The ICO executive  board's regular session this week has so far been confined to  routine matters, with no attempt by producers or consumers to  revive export quota negotiations, delegates said.  Talks to restore quotas collapsed early last month when  producers and consumers failed to resolve differences on how  quotas should be allocated.  Producer delegates said there was no sense of urgency among  producers to reopen quota talks with consumers, with most  countries now prepared to wait for the ICO's annual September  council session to restart negotiations.  Members of the Inter-African Coffee Organization called for  today's producer meeting to exchange views on the market  situation, the producer delegates said.  The lack of a new debate on export quotas here this week  was cited as the reason for renewed weakness in coffee prices  in London and New York futures, traders said.  Near May in London hit a five-year low this morning at  1,220 stg, about 50 stg below last night's close, they said.  The executive board session looks set to end today,  following a final session at 1600 GMT (1000 est) when a  consultancy report of the operation of the ICO will be  presented to producers and consumers, delegates added.  Reuter 
+1	 ASCS BUYS PROCESSED PRODUCTS FOR DOMESTIC USE	 KANSAS CITY, March 9 -	 The Agricultural Stabilization and  Conservation Service (ASCS) bought 25.7 mln pounds of wheat  flour at a cost of 2.8 mln dlrs for domestic shipment April  1-15 and April 16-30, an ASCS spokesman said.  ASCS also bought 11.1 mln pounds of bakers flour for 1.1  mln dlrs, 1.9 mln pounds of pasta for 408,258 dlrs, 1.4 mln  pounds of processed cereal products for 304,043 dlrs, 4.8 mln  pounds of corn products for 474,944 dlrs, and 16.3 mln pounds  of milled rice for 2.0 mln dlrs.  Reuter 
+1	 MORE EEP WHEAT FOR WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES-USDA	 WASHINGTON, June 15 -	 U.S. exporters will have the  opportunity to sell 170,000 tonnes of wheat to West African  countries under the Export Enhancement Program, the U.S.  Agriculture Department said.  It said in addition to Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana  and Togo, four more countries -- Burkina Faso, Gabon, Liberia  and Niger -- have been declared eligible under the initiative.  The export sales will be subsidized with commodities from  the inventory of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), it  s aid.  West African countries have already purchased 129,500  tonnes of wheat under previously announced export bonus  programs, it noted.  Reuter 
-1	 PROPOSED JAPAN TAX MAY DAMPEN TOKYO GOLD TRADING	 TOKYO, April 1 -	 A proposed sales tax on gold transactions  could put a damper on the Tokyo market and encourage a shift of  trading to Hong Kong and Singapore, senior vice president and  Tokyo branch manager of Credit Suisse Paul Hofer told a press  conference.  "If you impose five pct on both buy and sell transactions,  Tokyo participants in the gold market could be out of business,"  he said. The tax would create such a spread that Japanese would  be unable to compete in the international market, he added.  "How can the government really raise taxes if the system  they impose is prohibitive of generating business?" he said.  The government now imposes a 15 pct tax on physical trades  exceeding 37,500 yen for gold jewellery and coins and a 2.5 yen  tax per 10,000 yen on futures transactions, gold dealers said.  The new five pct tax would be imposed on companies trading  more than 100 mln yen a year and apply to paper gold trades,  gold deposits with banks and trading of gold bars as well as  that of jewellery and coins, dealers said.  However, the tax would lower the rate on jewellery and  coins to only five pct from the current 15 pct, they said.  Hofer said in 1982 Switzerland had imposed a 5.6 pct gold  turnover tax on Jan 1, 1980, but abolished it on Oct 1, 1986.  A study by one of the Swiss banks showed that in early  1980, the first year of the tax, the volume for all Swiss banks  fell by up to 25 pct compared with 1978 and 1979, Hofer said.  Transactions of paper gold also fell up to 75 pct of the  volume prior to imposition of the tax, he said.  While gold transactions in Switzerland decreased, the  volume of trades outside the country, particularly in London  and Luxembourg, increased between 10-25 pct, Hofer said.  Japan is a major importer of gold, buying a yearly average  just under 200 tonnes, gold dealers said.  Last year Japan imported about 600 tonnes of gold, but the  government had bought about 300 tonnes for minting coins to  commemorate the 60th year of Emperor Hirohito's reign, dealers  said.  Gold trading in Tokyo is dominated mainly by Japanese  trading companies, while Credit Suisse is the major foreign  participant.  Daily turnover in the Tokyo spot market ranges between one  and 10 tonnes with the average around three tonnes, while  futures turnover amounts to about four tonnes, gold dealers  said.  "All of us are concerned daily with the fact that the Tokyo  market is growing, that Japan is becoming one of the three  major financial markets in the world ... And in my personal  opinion I think it would be a very big mistake to put a damper  on this positive growth or developments by imposing such a tax,"  Hofer said.  "I don't think it fits the philosophy of an  internationalising market," he added.  Officials of several major Japanese trading houses,  attending the press conference, said they supported Credit  Suisse's call for the government not to impose the gold tax.  REUTER 
+1	 COARSE GRAIN SUPPLY/DEMAND BY COUNTRY -- USDA	 WASHINGTON, April 9 -	 The U.S. Agriculture Department  detailed world supply/demand data for major importers and  exporters of coarse grains, by country, as follows in mln  tonnes --  USSR COARSE GRAIN  1986/87           1985/86  04/09/87 03/09/87  04/09/87 03/09/87  Start Stcks  N.A.    N.A.      N.A.    N.A.  Production 103.30  103.30     99.99   99.99  Imports     12.00   10.00     13.70   13.70  Domes Use  112.30  112.30    111.99  111.99  Exports       NIL     NIL       NIL     NIL  End Stocks   N.A.    N.A.      N.A.    N.A.  N.A. - Not Available.  EC-12 COARSE GRAIN, in mln tonnes --  1986/87            1985/86  04/09/87 03/09/87  04/09/87 03/09/87  Start Stcks 14.91   14.93    10.53   10.53  Production  81.22   81.19    88.21   88.28  Imports     16.58   17.26    18.29   18.24  Dom Use     79.64   81.27    82.38   82.55  Exports     19.90   19.96    19.73   19.56  End Stocks  13.18   12.15    14.91   14.93  EASTERN EUROPE COARSE GRAIN, mln tonnes --  1986/87            1985/86  04/09/87 03/09/87  04/09/87 03/09/87  Start Stcks  4.07    3.72     5.14    5.14  Production  73.95   74.50    68.28   68.38  Imports      4.90    4.47     5.58    5.26  Dom Use     73.04   73.23    72.65   72.77  Exports      3.55    3.55     2.28    2.28  End Stocks   6.34    5.46     4.07    3.72  JAPAN COARSE GRAIN, in mln tonnes --  1986/87           1985/86  04/09/87 03/09/87  04/09/87 03/09/87  Start Stcks 2.32    2.23     1.91    1.91  Production  0.35    0.35     0.39    0.39  Imports    21.56   21.50    21.51   21.51  Dom Use    21.79   21.73    21.49   21.49  Exports      NIL     NIL      NIL     NIL  End Stocks  2.44    2.44     2.32    2.32  ARGENTINA COARSE GRAIN, in mln tonnes --  1986/87            1985/86  04/09/87 03/09/87  04/09/87 03/09/87  Start Stcks  0.78    0.53     0.83    0.83  Production  13.99   15.44    17.06   17.14  Imports      0.02     NIL      NIL     NIL  Domes Use    7.73    7.75     7.76    7.87  Exports      6.60    7.73     9.43    9.58  End Stocks   0.46    0.49     0.78    0.53  CANADA COARSE GRAIN, in mln tonnes --  1986/87            1985/86  04/09/87 03/09/87  04/09/87 03/09/87  Start Stcks 6.19    6.19     4.66 4.61  Production 27.62   27.62    24.95   24.95  Imports     0.30    0.30     0.31    0.31  Dom Use    19.80   19.80    18.99   18.96  Exports     7.41    7.21     4.74    4.72  End Stocks  6.90    7.10     6.19    6.19  THAILAND COARSE GRAINS, in mln tonnes --  1986/87            1985/86  04/09/87 03/09/87  04/09/87 03/09/87  Start Stcks  0.49    0.38     0.16   0.16  Production   4.40    4.40     5.67   5.47  Imports       NIL     NIL      NIL    NIL  Domes Use    1.57    1.37     1.40   1.30  Exports      3.10    3.30     3.94   3.95  End Stocks   0.22    0.11     0.49   0.38  Reuter 
+1	 ADM GRAIN ELEVATOR EXPLODES IN BURLINGTON, IOWA	 CHICAGO, April 3 -	 A grain elevator in Burlington, Iowa,  exploded today, leaving five injured.  The elevator, operated by Archer Daniels Midland Co. of  Decatur, Ill., is a terminal elevator on the Mississippi River,  Doug Snyder, assistant to the vice president said.  The cause of the explosion and the extent of damage to the  elevator was not immediatley known.  Reuter 
-1	 GUNNAR GOLD (GGG.TO) IN VENTURE AGREEMENT	 CALGARY, June 29 -	 Gunnar Gold Inc said it and Mill City  Gold Inc signed an option and joint venture agreement with  Tyranex Gold Inc on the Tyranite gold property in Ontario.  Gunnar said it and Mill City can earn a 50 pct intere st in  Tyranex's option to buy the Tyranite gold mine by spending up  to five mln dlrs on exploration, development, and feasibility  studies by 1990.  It said the companies may form a joint venture partnership  to bring the mine to full commercial production.  Reuter 
-1	 CAMPBELL'S & lt;CCH > MESTON LAKE SETS GOLD TARGETS	 MONTREAL, April 3 -	 & lt;Meston Lake Resources Inc > , 65.3 pct  owned by Campbell Resources Inc, said it will begin commercial  output at its Joe Mann mine in the Chibougamu area of Quebec at  an initial daily rate of 500 short tons of ore grading 0.15  ounce of gold per ton.  It said it will improve throughput to 700 tons a day at  0.221 ounce of gold per ton.  Meston said current ore reserves at the property total  910,000 tons grading 0.211 ounces of gold per ton and 0.3 pct  copper, but it may be able to develop "substantially greater  tonnage."    Meston said underground drilling below current developed  reserves has intersected the main zone 200 feet below the  bottom level, with the average grade assayed at 0.530 ounce of  gold per ton over true width of 17 feet.  A recent drillhole, east of the current shaft and 600 feet  from the reserve boundary, intersected three zones grading,  respectively, 0.708 ounce per ton over 5.4 feet at depth of 650  feet, 0.706 ounce over seven feet at depth of 765 feet and  0.418 ounce over one foot at depth of 1,000 feet. A second  surface hole, 500 feet farther east, intersected 1.068 ounce  per ton over 5.3 feet.  Reuter 
-1	 MAGMA RAISES COPPER PRICE 0.25 CT TO 65.75 CTS	 NEW YORK, April 9 -	 Magma Copper Co, a subsidiary of  Newmont Mining Corp, said it is raising its copper cathode  price by 0.25 cent to 65.75 cents a lb, effective immediately.  Reuter 
+1	 MIDWEST CASH GRAIN - SLOW COUNTRY MOVEMENT	 CHICAGO, April 1 -	 Cash grain dealers reported slow country  movement of corn and soybeans across the Midwest, with even  corn sales from PIK-and-roll activity seen earlier this week  drying up.  Some dealers said the USDA may further adjust the posted  county price at the Gulf to take into account high barge  freight rates as a way to keep corn sales flowing, but added  the current plan probably will be given a few weeks to see if  it will work as hoped.  Corn and soybean basis values continued to drop on the  Illinois and MidMississippi River due to the strong barge  freight rates. Toledo and Chicago elevators were finishing  loading the first corn boats of the new shipping season,  supporting spot basis values at those terminal points.    CORN             SOYBEANS  TOLEDO         5 UND MAY UNC   1 UND MAY UNC  CINCINNATI     1 UND MAY UNC   1 OVR MAY UP 2  NEW HAVEN     12 UND MAY UNC   2 UND MAY DN 1  N.E. INDIANA  10 UND MAY UNC   2 OVR MAY DN 1  CHICAGO      1/2 OVR MAY UNC   5 UND MAY UNC  SENECA       51/2 UND MAY DN 1 7 UND MAY UNC  DAVENPORT 61/2UND MAY DN61/2 61/2UND MAY DN11/2  CLINTON        5 UND MAY DN 3       UA  CEDAR RAPIDS  11 UND MAY DN 3 13 UND MAY DN 2  HRW WHEAT  TOLEDO  58 LB 35 OVR MAY UP 1  CHICAGO 57 LB 25 OVR MAY UNC  CINCINNATI DP 10 OVR MAY UNC  NE INDIANA DP  8 OVR MAY UNC  PIK CERTIFICATES - 103/104 PCT - UNC/ DN 2  NC - NO COMPARISON  UA - UNAVAILABLE  UNC - UNCHANGED DP - DELAYED PRICING    Reuter 
-1	 ENERGEX MINERALS & lt;EGX > MAY RUN UP TO THREE PITS	 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 21 -	 Energex Minerals  Ltd said economic evaluation of reserves indicates high-grade  operation from three open pits may be feasable based on  five-year operation at 100 tons a day, a payback of less than  1-1/2 years.  An increase in the project's life, profitability and scale  is anticipated as additional reserves are developed in 1987,  the company said.  Current reserves are one mln long tons at 0.20 ounce gold  per ton, all categories; proven-probable 262,242 long tons at  0.25 ounce gold per ton, the company said.  Reuter 
+1	 LYNG WARNS U.S. TRADE SITUATION IS EXPLOSIVE (RPT)	 TOKYO, April 21 -	 U.S. Agriculture Secretary Richard Lyng  said Japanese government officials do not seem to understand  that protectionist sentiment in the U.S. Could lead to an  explosive situation and protectionist legislation.  Speaking to the National Press Club of Japan, Lyng said  protectionist sentiment in the U.S. Has increased alarmingly  during the last six months.  "It is a radically changed situation and is very explosive.  We are on the verge of some very harsh mandatory retaliatory  laws which would have very serious consequences for other  countries, especially Japan," Lyng told reporters.  Lyng's comments about protectionist trade legislation  appeared to be a reference to the so-called Gephardt provision,  requiring retaliation against countries which have trade  surpluses with the U.S., Trade analysts said.  U.S. House majority leader Thomas Foley, a Washington  Democrat, yesterday predicted during a visit here that the  Gephardt provision will be approved by the House when trade  legislation is taken up later this month.  Senior Japanese officials do not seem to perceive the  volatility of the situation in the U.S., Where Congress is  increasingly unpredictable, he said.  "The purpose of this trip is to emphasise the fact that  patience is beginning to be very much frayed in Washington. I  cannot emphasise that enough," Lyng said.  In talks with Japanese Agriculture Minister Mutsuki Kato  yesterday, Lyng and Trade representative Clayton Yeutter asked  Japan to begin negotiations on its rice policy and end import  quotas on beef and citrus.  Lyng said he was disappointed Kato rejected the U.S.  Request but hoped it would not lead to a protectionist response  in Congress, where legislation on rice retaliation has been  introduced in both the House and Senate.  Lyng said the U.S. Is dependent on Japan as a market for  exports because Japan has been the largest buyer of U.S. Farm  products since 1964, especially grains.  He said the U.S. Understands Japan, with a limited land  area, is concerned about maintaining some level of  self-sufficiency in food for national security reasons.  But he argued the freeing of farm product imports would not  necessarily weaken Japanese agriculture.  Lyng pledged the U.S. Will never again embargo shipments of  farm products as it did in 1973.  REUTER 
+1	 CCC ACCEPTS EXPORT BONUS BARLEY MALT TO NIGERIA	 WASHINGTON, March 9 -	 The Commodity Credit Corporation,  CCC, has accepted one bonus offer from an exporter on the sale  of 4,400 tonnes of barley malt to Nigeria, the U.S. Agriculture  Department said.  The department said the bonus awarded was 100.00 dlrs per  tonne and was made to Rahr Malting Co and will be paid in the  form of commodities from the inventory stocks of the CCC.  The barley malt is scheduled for shipment during April,  1987.  An additional 76,300 tonnes of barley malt are still  available to Nigeria under the Export Enhancement Program  initiative announced December 10, 1986, it said.  Reuter 
-1	 COMINCO & lt;CLT > SETS TENTATIVE TALKS ON STRIKE	 TRAIL, British Columbia, June 2 -	 Cominco Ltd said it set  tentative talks with three striking union locals that rejected  on Saturday a three-year contract offer at Cominco's Trail and  Kimberley, British Columbia lead-zinc operations.  The locals, part of United Steelworkers of America,  represent 2,600 production and maintenance workers. No date has  been set for the talks, the spokesman replied to a query.  The spokesman said talks were still ongoing with the two  other striking locals, representing 600 office and technical  workers. Production at Trail and Kimberley has been shut down  since the strike started May 9.  Each of the five locals has a separate contract that  expired April 30, but the main issues are similar.  The Trail smelter produced 240,000 long tons of zinc and  110,000 long tons of lead last year, while the Sullivan mine at  Kimberley produced 2.2 mln long tons of ore last year, most for  processing at Trail.  Revenues from Trail's smelter totaled 356 mln Canadian dlrs  in 1986.  Reuter 
+1	 JAPAN MAY INCREASE ITS BRAZILIAN SOYBEAN PURCHASES	 TOKYO, March 11 -	 Japanese crushers are likely to buy at  least 200,000 tonnes of Brazilian soybeans this year and  another 100,000 to 200,000 if quality and shipping conditions  are good against 128,089 tonnes in 1986, trade sources said.  A Japanese trading house recently bought about 31,000  tonnes of soybeans for April 10/May 10 shipment, they said.  "Because Brazilian soybean prices are now some 10 cents a  bushel cheaper than U.S. Origin due to the bumper harvest, it  is highly likely that Japanese crushers will increase their  buying volume," one source said. Brazilian beans are available  to Japan for shipment from May to July.  REUTER 
+1	 SUGAR MARKET SEES GOOD RECENT OFFTAKE	 LONDON, March 27 -	 Reports the Soviet Union has lately  extended its recent buying programme by taking five to eight  raws cargoes from the free market at around 30/40 points under  New York May futures highlight recent worldwide demand for  sugar for a variety of destinations, traders said.  The Soviet buying follows recent whites buying by India,  Turkey and Libya, as well as possible raws offtake by China.  Some 300,000 to 400,000 tonnes could have changed hands in  current activity, which is encouraging for a sugar trade which  previously saw little worthwhile end-buyer enquiry, they added.  Dealers said a large proportion of the sales to the Soviet  Union in the past few days involved Japanese operators selling  Thai origin sugar.  Prices for nearby shipment Thai sugars have tightened  considerably recently due to good Far Eastern demand, possibly  for sales to the Soviet Union or to pre-empt any large block  enquiries by China, they said.  Thai prices for March/May 15 shipments have hardened to  around 13/14 points under May New York from larger discounts  previously, they added.  Traders said the Soviet Union might be looking to buy more  sugar in the near term, possibly towards an overall requirement  this year of around two mln tonnes. It is probable that some  1.8 mln tonnes have already been taken up, they said.  Turkey was reported this week to have bought around 100,000  tonnes of whites while India had further whites purchases of  two to three cargoes for Mar/Apr at near 227 dlrs a tonne cost  and freight and could be seeking more. Libya was also a buyer  this week, taking two cargoes of whites which, for an  undisclosed shipment period, were reported priced around  229/230 dlrs a tonne cost and freight, they added.  Futures prices reacted upwards to the news of end-buyer  physicals offtake, although much of the enquiry emerged  recently when prices took an interim technical dip, traders  said.  Pakistan is lined up shortly to buy 100,000 tonnes of  whites although traders said the tender, originally scheduled  for tomorrow, might not take place until a week later.  Egypt will be seeking 20,000 tonnes of May arrival white  sugar next week, while Greece has called an internal EC tender  for 40,000 tonnes of whites to be held in early April, for  arrival in four equal parts in May, June, July and August.  REUTER 
+1	 PRICES GENERALLY LOWER AT NAIROBI COFFEE AUCTION	 NAIROBI, April 9 -	 Prices were lower at this week's coffee  auction for all grades and qualities except better quality AB  grades, which held steady, the Coffee Board of Kenya said.  The board said it offered 35,000 bags and sold 32,876.  So far this coffee year, Kenya has sold 918,707 bags to all  markets, of which 326,182 are for the 1986/7 pool, with an  overall average price of 41,500 shillings a tonne, it added.  The board will offer 35,000 bags at its next auction on  April 14.  BAGS                PRICE PER 50 KG  OFFERED SOLD        AVERAGE  PB      430   430   2304.78 (2267.21)  AA     7289  6834   2292.92 (2358.96)  AB    12664 11895   2289.99 (2291.13)  C      3198  2867   2073.15 (2107.64)  T       876   876   1508.79 (1510.67)  TT     1375  1375   2053.25 (2095.64)  E       159   159   2250.19 (2252.18)  MISC   9009  8440   1409.50 (1398.60)  TOTAL 35000 32876     AVERAGE FOR SALE      2014.93 (1994.94)  Reuter 
-1	 LITTLE REACTION TO COMEX PRICE LIMIT REMOVAL	 New York, June 1 -	 The elimination of price limits on  precious metals contracts trading at the Commodity Exchange in  New York appears to be having little effect on the market,  analysts said.  "There is nothing apparent from the change," said William  O'Neill, director of futures research at Elders Futures Inc.  "The market has not approached the old price limits and trading  is relative quiet, in narrow ranges," he added.  Gold futures, which previously had a limit of 25 dlrs on  market moves in most back months, were about 7.00 dlrs weaker  in the nearby contracts amid thin conditions, traders said.  On May 5, COMEX did away with price limits on the two  contracts following spot after a volatile market in silver  futures at the end of April caused severe disruptions.  During the last week of April, silver futures traded up and  down the price limit in the back months, causing traders to  rush into the spot contract to offset those moves, analysts  said.  As a result, Elders' O'Neill said, there was much  confusion, many unmatched trades, and large losses.  The COMEX fined Elders Futures and three other large firms  a total of 100,000 dlrs for failure to resolve unmatched trades  in a timely manner.  Silver futures were trading about 30-40 cts weaker in the  nearby contracts amid quiet trading today.  O'Neill said the elimination of price limits on all COMEX  metals futures would add caution to trading since all contracts  could move any distance.  "This is amore realistic approach because the metals market  is a 24 hours market and prices can move without limit,"  O'Neill said.  Paul Cain, a vice president at Shearson Lehman Brothers,  said the elimination of price limits will cut back on panic  buying or selling  and contribute to more orderly markets.    Reuter 
-1	 MAGMA LOWERS COPPER PRICE 0.50 CT TO 65.50 CTS	 NEW YORK, April 7 -	 Magma Copper Co, a subsidiary of  Newmont Mining Corp, said it is lowering its copper cathode  price by 0.50 cent to 65.50 cents a lb, effective immediately.  Reuter 
-1	 ST. JOE GOLD & lt;SJG > TO DEVELOP MINE	 CLAYTON, Mo., March 11 -	 St. Joe Gold Corp said it plans to  proceed with development of its Golden Patricia gold property  in northwestern Ontario.  It said about five mln dlrs will be spent to continue  underground development and obtain operating permits and  another 10.2 mln dlrs is expected to be required to complete  underground development, construct a mill and provide the  infrastructure needed to put the mine into commercial  production.  St. Joe Gold said if the necessary operating permits were  granted in time, it would start gold production in the second  half of the year ending October 31, 1988 at an annual rate of  about 40,000 troy ounces.  The company said the property is estimated to contain over  500,000 troy ounces of gold, and the initial mining project  covers only seven of 192 claims, with drill-indicated reserves  of 293,000 short tons grading 0.88 troy ounce of gold per ton.  It said initial mine output is expected to be about 150  tons of ore daily.  St. Joe Gold said the Golden Patricia vein has not been  tested at depth or along strike to the east and west and  exploration is continuing on the Golden Patricia property and  the adjacent wholly-owned Muskeg Lake property.  The company also said its Richmond Hill gold and silver  deposit in the Carbonate district of western South Dakota has  been shown by drilling to contain about 3,900,000 tons grading  0.055 troy ounce of gold and 0.23 troy ounce of silver per ton.  It said preliminary results are encouraging and a feasibility  study is nearing completion.  Reuter 
+1	 LYNG DISAPPOINTED BY CANADA CORN INJURY DECISION	 WASHINGTON, March 6 -	 U.S. Agriculture Secretary Richard  Lyng said he is "very disappointed" by a Canadian government  finding that U.S. corn has injured Ontario Corn growers.  "This action is not helpful in the context of the ongoing  U.S.-Canada free trade talks or in the new round of  multilateral trade negotiations," Lyng said in a statement.  The Canadian government today said Ottawa would continue to  apply a duty of 84.9 cents per bushel on U.S. corn imports.  Lyng said the U.S. made a case that U.S. corn imports are  not the cause of any problem of Canadian corn producers, adding  that U.S. corn exports to Canada are declining.  "Apparently they (Canada) have ignored the fact that  Canadian corn and other coarse grain production is rising  faster than consumption," Lyng said.  Reuter 
-1	 SIGMA MINES DETAILS GOLD ORE RESERVES	 TORONTO, March 11 -	 & lt;Sigma Mines (Quebec) Ltd > , 65 pct  owned by Dome Mines Ltd, said its Sigma Mine had proven and  probable reserves at the end of 1986 of 4,902,940 tons, with an  average grade of 0.139 ounces of gold a ton.  Sigma said the reserves are equivalent to 10 years future  production at current milling rates.  The reserves comprise 1,640,779 tons proven reserves  grading an average of 0.163 ounces of gold a ton and 3,262,161  tons probable reserves grading an average of 0.127 ounces of  gold a ton.  Sigma said it changed its 1986 reserve reporting method  following Dome Mines' previously reported move to adopt general  industry practice of reporting proven and probable ore  reserves.  Prior to 1986, Sigma conservatively reported only proven  reserves that could be mined without future development costs.  Proven reserves as of December 31, 1985 were 978,000 tons  grading an average of 0.194 ounces of gold a ton, equivalent to  about two years future production.  Reuter 
-1	 PLATINUM DEMAND ESTIMATED 17 PCT HIGHER BY 1991	 LONDON, June 19 -	 Demand for platinum could reach 3.4 mln  ounces by 1991, compared with an estimated offtake of 2.88 mln  in 1986, Chris Clark, platinum marketing director for Johnson  Matthey Plc said.  Clark told a meeting of the Minerals Research Organisation  in Milton Keynes he foresaw a 250,000 ounce increase in  consumption for use in autocatalysts, currently the largest  single application for platinum.  Jewellery consumption is set to rise by 70,000 ounces,  Clark predicted in his speech, the text of which was released  in London today.  Clark said his forecast allowed for only a modest further  increase in investment buying and may well be cautious.  He said South Africa was the most likely source of  additional supplies and will need to increase output by about  500,000 ounces to meet increased demand.  The capital investment required to produce the additional  output would be around one billion U.S. Dlrs and the political  climate may make it difficult to raise the money, he said.  The Soviet Union, whose exports have declined since the  1970s, might increase sales to the West by about 50,000 ounces,  Clark said.  "The very probability of a growth in demand set against the  massive investment required for expansion - and that expansion  only being viable in South Africa or Russia - leads me to  conclude that the price of platinum will be substantially  underpinned in the medium to long-term," Clark said.  REUTER 
-1	 SWEDEN'S BOLIDEN TO OPEN SAUDI ARABIAN GOLD MINE	 STOCKHOLM, Oct 19 -	 Mining group Boliden AB said it had  agreed with Saudi state agency General Petroleum and Mineral  Organisation (Petromin) to open a gold mine in Saudi Arabia to  exploit one of the world's richest deposits of the metal.  Boliden spokesman Goran Paulson told Reuters the Swedish  group would  be responsible for the technical side of the  operation and would have no control over the product itself.  He said one option under discussion for refining the gold  ore would be to ship it to Boliden's Ronnskar copper smelter in  northern Sweden.  Paulson declined to give a figure for the deal but said it  was strategically important since it increased Boliden's  presence in Saudi Arabia.  "Representatives from Petromin have visited Ronnskar  already...We see Saudi Arabia as the expansion area of the  future," he said.  The new mine, which is being developed at Mahd adh Dhahab  in the west of the country and should open in the first half of  1988, would have an annual output of about 3,000 kilos of gold  smelted from around 120,000 tons of ore, he said.  Boliden already owns 50 pct of a gold ore deposit in Saudi  Arabia, but the new venture will be the first Saudi mine to  open in modern times.  "This is a breakthrough for Boliden's sales of mining  technology and knowhow," said the group's chief executive, Kjell  Nilsson.  Reuter 
+1	 CHINA'S WHEAT CROP THREATENED BY PESTS, DISEASE	 PEKING, April 9 -	 Pests and disease, which destroyed 1.1  mln tonnes of wheat in China in 1986, are threatening crops on  11.64 mln hectares this year, the China Daily said.  About 14.54 mln hectares of wheat were affected in 1986.  The paper said abnormal weather conditions had encouraged  the spread of wheat midges in 2.47 mln hectares in Shanxi,  Henan, Sichuan, Anhui, Hebei and Jiangsu.  In Henan, Shandong and Hebei wheat aphids are affecting  4.67 mln hectares, wheat red mite 2.8 mln hectares and wheat  powdery mildew 1.7 mln hectares.  REUTER 
+1	 FRENCH EXPORTERS SEE HIGHER WHEAT SALES TO CHINA	 PARIS, March 3 -	 French exporters estimated that around  600,000 tonnes of French soft wheat has been sold to China for  delivery in the 1986/87 (July/June) year.  Around 300,000 tonnes were exported to China between July  1986 and February this year.  Another 100,000 to 150,000 tonnes will be shipped during  this month and around the same amount in April, they said.  France sold around 250,000 tonnes of soft wheat to China in  1985/86, according to customs figures.  However, certain exporters fear China may renounce part of  its contract with France after being offered one mln tonnes of  U.S. soft wheat under the Export Enhancement Program in January  and making some purchases under the initiative.  Reuter 
-1	 CHILE, CHINA TO ESTABLISH PEKING COPPER PLANT	 LONDON, April 3 -	 The Chilean state copper corporation,  Codelco, the privately-owned Chilean copper fabricator Madeco  and Chinese interests are to establish a copper tube plant in  Peking, Codelco's U.K. Subsidiary Chile Copper Ltd said.  The plant is designed to produce 5,000 tonnes in the first  five years and 8,000 tonnes as from year six. Total investment  is estimated at 10 mln dlrs, of which the Chileans will  contribute two mln.  Codelco and Madeco have formed the Chilean Wrought Copper  Company to take a 50 pct stake in a new company called Peking  Santiago Tube Company with the Chinese holding the other half.  Reuter 
+1	 COCOA BUFFER STOCK MAY FACE UPHILL BATTLE - TRADE	 LONDON, April 7 -	 The International Cocoa Organization  (ICCO) buffer stock could face an uphill battle to halt the  downtrend in world cocoa prices when it begins buying  operations in the next few weeks, cocoa traders said.  Traders said they believed buffer stock purchases could  reach 75,000 tonnes in a matter of weeks without lifting prices  significantly, given the amount of surplus cocoa overhanging  the market. The buffer stock may begin buying shortly as the  ICCO 10 day average indicator price is now at 1,578.03 Special  Drawing Rights (SDR) per tonne, below the 1,600 "must buy" level.  Rules governing buffer stock operations were agreed last  month by the ICCO council. Buying will begin once the buffer  stock manager has completed preparations, traders said.  Some traders said the buffer stock manager may delay buffer  stock buying until mid or end-April when changes in months used  to calculate the ICCO indicator may lift the 10 day average  above the 1,600 SDR "must buy" level.  The ICCO indicator price is calculated from the average of  the second, third and fourth positions on the London and New  York futures markets. The daily price was 1,577.61 SDR per  tonne yesterday.  Months used currently for the indicator are May, July and  September, but these are set to change to July, September and  December on April 15, prior to May becoming the New York spot  month, traders noted.  The introduction of December into the calculations may lift  the daily SDR price as December is currently quoted about 75  stg above May on the London terminal market.  But the buffer stock manager would have to wait for the  higher daily price to feed through into the 10-day average, the  indicator which governs his activities, traders said.  "The buffer stock manager is obviously looking at the  implications of delaying until forward prices lift the  indicator since it might mean he has to buy less cocoa," an  analyst from a leading cocoa trade house said.  Traders said the buffer stock purchases could reach 75,000  tonnes fairly quickly once buying starts. If purchases reach  this level within six months, buying is suspended pending an  ICCO council review of price ranges. But some cocoa market  watchers said the buffer stock may benefit from recent  forecasts for a poor Brazilian Bahia temporao crop at 1.5 mln  to two mln 60 kilo bags against initial expectations of up to  three mln.  A lower than expected Brazilian crop may cut the 1986/87  world surplus to between 50,000 and 70,000 tonnes, compared  with a recent forecast by the ICCO statistics committee of  94,000 tonnes, traders said.  In these circumstances, the buffer stock may only need to  buy between 20,000 and 30,000 tonnes to lift prices above the  "must buy" level.  But some dealers said the ICCO buffer stock rules may put  constraints on how quickly and effectively the buffer stock  manager can remove cocoa from the market.  The buffer stock system of price differentials set  according to quality and a 15 pct limit on purchases from  non-members could limit the buffer stock's scope for action,  dealers said.  Most of the cocoa readily available to the buffer stock is  nearby in-store material of Malaysian and Ivory Coast origin.  But the buffer stock can only buy 15 pct Malaysian cocoa as  Malaysia is not an ICCO member, while purchases of nearby cocoa  can only reach 40 pct in any one day, which forces the buffer  stock to buy some intermediate and forward shipment material.  Limits on buffer stock purchases of nearby and non-member  cocoa will reduce the impact on terminal prices which are  pressured by the overhang of Malaysian material, traders said.  Buffer stock purchases of forward shipment cocoa from  quality producers such as Ghana will have only a limited impact  on futures, but is likely to widen physical market premiums for  this cocoa over futures.  Ghana's premium to the terminal has risen to about 50 stg  from 25 to 30 stg a month ago partly in anticipation of buffer  stock buying, dealers said.  "The buffer stock may not help the terminal market, but will  provide a backstop for quality cocoas," one trader said.  Traders cautioned that views on the impact of the buffer  stock were "all prognostication" and that no one could hope to  predict accurately what the result would be. Psychologically  buffer stock buying should help prices, but since the buffer  stock already holds a carryover of 100,000 tonnes from the  previous cocoa agreement and the market is in surplus, dealers  expressed doubts purchases can counter bearish pressure.  In June the ICCO is due to discuss rules for a withholding  scheme as an additional market support mechanism.  REUTER 
+1	 ECONOMIC SPOTLIGHT - CHINA MUST PRESERVE FARMLAND	 FENGBANG COUNTY, China, April 1 -	 "If we go on using up  farmland as we have done since 1980, there will be none left in  20 years to grow grain on."  Xu Jinfeng, a middle-aged official in Fengbang village on  the edge of Shanghai, sums up the dilemma China faces as it  tries to feed its more than one billion people and at the same  time let them get richer by building factories and new homes.  China has to feed one quarter of the world's population,  but only one seventh of its land is arable.  Sharp increases in farm output since 1979 turned China into  a net grain exporter for the first time in 1985, and again in  1986.  But the rapid industrialisation of the countryside which  has occurred at the same time, has gobbled up arable land for  factories and homes for peasants who can now afford them.  Official figures show that China lost just under one pct of  its arable land to other uses in 1985 and a slightly smaller  amount last year. It gained 26 mln new mouths to feed during  the two years.  "We lost very little land prior to 1980 when the  industrialisation began," official Xu said. "Since then, nearly  all the families in the county have built new homes and many  factories have gone up."  "Last year we lost land to a new railway line," Xu said. But  land losses in future should fall because nearly all families  already have new houses, she added.  The issue of land loss is a matter of major concern to the  Peking leadership, which announced earlier this month that  China will issue nationwide quotas for conversion of grain land  for the first time this year.  "The present situation of abusing, occupying unlawfully,  wasting and destroying land and land resources is serious," said  an article in the official press explaining the new measures.  "It has resulted in great losses of cultivated farmland," it  said. "China has a large population and its land resources are  badly deficient."  An official of the Shanghai city government said county  authorities could approve conversion of only 0.3 hectares of  arable land to other uses, while anything more than that must  be approved by the city government.  The Peking government faces another major obstacle in its  efforts to ensure China's people get enough grain to eat. The  prices the state pays to farmers for grain are too low, making  it more profitable for them to grow other crops.  To offset this, the state offers farmers cheap fertiliser  and diesel oil and payment in advance for grain it contracts to  buy. The state then sells the grain at subsidised prices to  China's 200 mln city residents. Rural factories also subsidise  grain output, paying farmers bonuses to grow it.  Some officials argue that the simplest solution to the  problem would be for the state to raise city grain prices.  Chen Zuyuan, Communist Party secretary of a village in the  eastern province of Zhejiang, said the government listened too  much to the demands of "selfish city people" and could raise city  grain prices without any problem.  But the government has ruled out a price rise. "Raising the  price of grain would directly conflict with the goal of social  stability," said a China Daily editorial this month.  The Shanghai official said prices must be reformed over the  long term. "We must be very careful. We have a very large  population which is used to price stability and will object to  price rises," he said. "The problem is how to do it."  The Shanghai official said a rise in grain prices might  also affect the prices of hundreds of food products made with  grain and consumed by city residents.  In addition, the state faces the problem of inadequate  investment by farmers in land and in grain in particular.  The official press has reported that farmers fear farm  policy may change and they are putting their new wealth into  building graves, memorial halls for ancestors and homes.  Under reforms introduced in the late 1970s, farmers sign  contracts with the state requiring them to grow certain crops,  but they have considerable freedom in how to use their land.  "As the expiration date of the 15-year contract is almost at  the halfway mark, farmers are beginning to worry about the  future," the China Daily said in an editorial last month.  Their anxieties stem from the fact that they are allowed to  use the land but not own it. For most of the period of  Communist rule, the land was organised into collectives where  there was little room for individual initiative.  "New measures are needed to reassure them of the consistency  of government policies and make them interested in long-term  investment," the newspaper said.  REUTER 
+1	 ARGENTINE GRAIN SHIPMENTS IN THE WEEK TO APRIL 1	 BUENOS AIRES, April 3 -	 The Argentine Grain Board issued  the following figures covering shipments of major export grains  in the week to April 1, in tonnes, with comparisons for the  previous week and the same week in 1986.  Bread wheat        235,800    205,700    115,500  Maize              158,400    189,000    272,700  Sorghum             26,500     18,700     39,900  Soybean                nil        nil        nil  Sunflowerseed        1,800     18,800        nil  Cumulative figures for April 1 and this calendar year, with  the previous year's figures in brackets, are as follows, in  thousands of tonnes:  Bread wheat        64.3   (44.5),    3,074.4   (2,851.4)  Maize              48.3  (107.7),      486.1     (922.4)  Sorghum             5.1   (22.2),      108.1     (188.8)  Soybean nil    (nil),        nil       (nil)  Sunflowerseed       0.9    (nil),       43.2       (nil)  REUTER 
+1	 U.S. SAID PROMISED BULK OF MAIZE EXPORT TO SPAIN	 BRUSSELS, April 1 -	 The U.S. Has been promised a near  monopoly of maize exports to Spain from third countries  guaranteed under an agreement with the European Community, an  EC official said.  The official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters that  the guarantee was given in an unpublished clause of the  agreement.  Under the accord, which began in January, third countries  were guaranteed access for the next four years for two mln  tonnes a year of maize to the Spanish market, as well as  300,000 tonnes of sorghum.  However, the official said the U.S. Had been assured that  almost all the exports would be reserved for its traders.  The EC Commission is to ask member states to agree either a  tender system to fix reduced import levies for the maize or to  authorise direct imports by the Spanish intervention board.  EC sources noted that under a tender system maize from  outside the U.S. Would sometimes be offered on more favourable  terms than that from the U.S.  No Commission spokesman was immediately available for  comment.  Reuter 
-1	 COMINCO & lt;CLT.TO > SEES MEETING WITH STRIKING UNION LOCALS	 TRAIL, British Columbia, June 1 -	 Cominco Ltd said it  expects to meet today with two of five United Steelworkers of  America locals on strike at its Trail smelter and Kimberley,  B.C. lead-zinc mine, a Cominco spokesman said.  It had no meeting scheduled with the other three striking  locals, which rejected a tentative three-year contract  Saturday, Cominco spokesman Richard Fish said.  Fish said the pact that was rejected contained a cost of  living increase tied to the Canadian consumer price index, but  no wage increase. With 81 pct of the membership voting, 54.5  pct voted no and 45.5 pct voted yes, the union said.  The three locals represent about 2,600 production and  maintenance workers, while the remaining two locals cover about  600 office and technical workers.  The office and technical workers last negotiated May 21.  Production at Trail and Kimberley has been shut down since the  strike began May 9 and Cominco has had to declare force  majeure, which means the company may be unable to honor  contracts for products from the smelter and mine.  Each of the five locals have separate contracts, all of  which expired April 30, but the main issues are similar.  The Trail smelter, about 400 miles east of Vancouver,  produced 240,000 long tons of zinc and 110,000 long tons of  lead last year. The Sullivan mine at Kimberley, about 450 miles  east of Vancouver, produced 2.2 mln long tons of ore last year,  most for processing at the Trail smelter.  The smelter also produced cadmium, bismuth and indium.  Trail smelter revenue was 356 mln Canadian dlrs in 1986.  Reuter 
+1	 IBC CLOSES EXPORT REGISTRATIONS - EXPORTERS	 RIO DE JANEIRO, April 3 -	 The Brazilian Coffee Institute  (IBC) tonight closed export registrations, exporters said.  They said they heard of the closure from IBC officials but  no officials could be reached immediately for confirmation.  Earlier an IBC statement said registrations for May, the  only month which was open, today totalled 1.4 mln bags of 60  kilos to bring the total registered for the month to 2.05 mln.  Reuter 
+1	 CHINA DAILY SAYS VERMIN EAT 7-12 PCT GRAIN STOCKS	 PEKING, April 8 -	 A survey of 19 provinces and seven cities  showed vermin consume between seven and 12 pct of China's grain  stocks, the China Daily said.  It also said that each year 1.575 mln tonnes, or 25 pct, of  China's fruit output are left to rot, and 2.1 mln tonnes, or up  to 30 pct, of its vegetables. The paper blamed the waste on  inadequate storage and bad preservation methods.  It said the government had launched a national programme to  reduce waste, calling for improved technology in storage and  preservation, and greater production of additives. The paper  gave no further details.  REUTER 
+1	 CANADA-EGYPT WHEAT NEGOTIATIONS TO CONTINUE	 CAIRO, March 2 -	 Canadian and Egyptian wheat negotiators  failed to conclude an agreement on Canadian wheat exports to  Egypt during talks last week, but the Canadian team will return  to Cairo for further negotiations, Canadian embassy officials  said.  An embassy official declined to identify which issues  remained to be resolved and when the talks would resume.  In a five-year protocol signed in 1985, Cairo agreed to  purchase 500,000 tonnes of Canadian wheat a year.  REUTER 
-1	 JAPAN TO PAY FIVE PCT LESS FOR INDIAN IRON ORE	 NEW DELHI, March 31 -	 Japan will pay five pct less for the  Indian iron ore it imports in fiscal 1987/88 starting April 1  than the average 18 dlrs a tonne it paid in 1986/87, a  government trade official told Reuters.  He said India had agreed to export to Japan about 23 mln  tonnes of iron ore in 1987/88, about the same as in the current  year.  The official described the agreement as satisfactory  overall. He said it was signed by an official Indian trade  delegation and Japanese businessmen in Tokyo last week.  The official said it was encouraging that Japan had agreed  not to reduce ore imports from India although Japan's total  iron ore imports would be lower in the coming year because of  the recession in the Japanese steel industry.  He said Japanese ore imports in calendar 1987 would total  96 mln tonnes, compared with 103.5 mln in 1986.  Government officials said India's total ore exports are  likely to rise to between 33 and 34 mln tonnes in 1987/88,  against a provisionally estimated 31 mln in 1986/87.  REUTER 
-1	 CITY RESOURCES UNIT ACQUIRES PHILIPPINE MINE OPTION	 HONG KONG, April 21 -	 & lt;City Resources (Asia) Ltd > , a  locally listed unit of Australian based & lt;City Resources Ltd > ,  said it acquired an 80-day option to buy exploration,  development and operating rights for mining property on the  island of Luzon in the Philippines.  It said in a statement that average assay results of random  samples of the Brescia ore bearing body on the 459-hectare site  showed 2.4 grammes of gold, 64 grammes of silver and 1.9  grammes of copper per tonne.  It said it will exercise the option if tests confirm the  site's potential. Further details were not available.  REUTER 
+1	 TAIWAN TO TENDER FOR 27,000 TONNES U.S. SOYBEANS	 TAIPEI, March 11 -	 The joint committee of Taiwan's soybean  importers will tender March 12 for a 27,000 tonne cargo of U.S.  Soybeans for March 20 to April 5 delivery, a committee  spokesman told Reuters.  Taiwan's soybean imports in calendar 1987 are provisionally  set at 1.81 mln tonnes compared with a revised 1.74 mln tonnes  imported last year.  The 1.74 mln tonne figure was revised from 1.76 mln tonnes.  Taiwan imports all its soybeans from the United States.  REUTER 
-1	 CAROLIN MINES & lt;CRLNF > HAS NEW ASSAY RESULTS	 Vancouver, British Columbia, March 9 -	 Carolin Mines Ltd  said recent assays of tailings at its Hope, British Columbia  mine indicated that ounces of gold per ton ranged from 0.64 to  0.50.  There were only trace amounts of platinum and palladium,  the company said.  Carolin said the results sharply disagreed with an earlier  assay performed by Intergold U.S.A. Inc which showed one ounce  of gold per ton and 1/2 ounce of platinum per ton.  Carolin also said it expects to receive results of further  tests and assays of the tailings within two to three weeks.  Reuter 
-1	 TWO JAPANESE STEELMAKERS' CAPITAL SPENDING FALLS	 TOKYO, March 27 -	 Kawasaki Steel Corp & lt;KAWS.T > said its  parent company's capital spending in the year from April 1 will  fall to 75 billion yen from 110 billion in the current year,  and Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd & lt;SMIT.T > said its capital  spending will drop to 70 billion yen from 85 billion.  Both companies said they do not plan to start new large  construction projects linked to production increases in the  coming year, because of the yen's appreciation and slow world  steel demand.  REUTER 
+1	 SUGAR OFFERED TO DUTCH INTERVENTION REFUSED	 ROTTERDAM, April 2 -	 The 2,500 tonnes of sugar offered to  intervention in the Netherlands has been refused by the  intervention board because of wrong packaging, a spokeswoman  for the Ministry of Agriculture said.  She said the sugar could be offered again to intervention.  EC producers have threatened to sell over 800,000 tonnes of  sugar to intervention stocks as a protest against EC export  licensing policies.  Last month Dutch traders said the sugar on offer in the  Netherlands was Belgian, but the ministry could not confirm  this.  REUTER