Australia’s largest meat processor, JBS Australia, is laying off a couple of hundred people for a period of time, based solely on domestic and international market conditions. It is blaming a dwindling lamb market for the move.

Brazil’s sugar exports will fall in 2015-16, despite a recovery in cane production, as mills divert more of the crop to making ethanol. Ethanol’s appeal is being boosted by an increase to 27% in the mandated level of the biofuel which must be blended into gasoline.

Argentine growers, amid a record soyabean harvest, may be showing signs of stepping up crop sales after years of hoarding harvests as a hedge against a falling peso. Stocks of soyabeans in store were up 25% year-on-year. However, it is forecast that this will reduce due to currency devaluation pressure, farmer indebtedness and a surging industry demand.

CNH Industrial, the company behind Case and New Holland tractors, has halved production of some arable farm equipment as it unveiled a 56% slump in its own profits. This comes as farmers are unwilling to spend due to reduced profits from lower crop prices.