SAUDI Arabia’s pavilion at the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka will offer visitors a window into how the kingdom is evolving beyond oil dependency while preserving its cultural heritage, the country’s ambassador to Japan said. 

“What’s exciting for Saudi Arabia is to have a comprehensive transformation that involves not just the economy, but culture, life, and the environment,” Saudi Ambassador Ghazi Binzagr, who also serves as commissioner general of his country’s Osaka expo exhibitions, said in a recent interview. 

Designed by British architecture company Foster and Partners, the pavilion will highlight Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscape from green mountains to coral reefs, he added. 

“What the visitor will experience is a taste of what it’s like to have a country in the middle of a transformation,” the ambassador said. 

Saudi Arabia is one of around a dozen countries set ting up a so-called “Type A” self built pavilion, considered the highlight of the expo. 

The pavilion’s structure embodies the country’s trans formation, featuring sustainable elements like solar panels along with cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality experiences, according to Saudi officials. 

It draws on the architecture in the country’s traditional villages, designed to lead visitors through a forecourt planted with Saudi Arabian flora and narrow streets to the courtyard where performances and events will be held, according to Foster and Partners. 

The structure’s cladding is made from lightweight Saudi stone and can be deconstructed and reassembled, or reconfigured, for use in a future location. — Kyodo

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

A severe egg shortage is gripping California and the western United States as a deadly avian flu outbreak continues to decimate poultry flocks, driving egg prices to record highs and forcing food businesses to adapt their operations.

 The price for cage-free large white eggs reached US$8.65 per dozen in California when delivered wholesale, while organic brown eggs were sold at US$9.39 per dozen, said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Daily National Shell Egg Index Report on Friday.

 The report shows that egg prices in California have more than doubled since 2024. 

Beth, a Bay Area resident who gave only her first name, shared her recent struggles with egg shopping. “I checked several grocery stores in my neighborhood, but eggs were either sold out or too expensive,” she told Xinhua on Friday. 

A trip to a Costco store proved fruitless, with empty shelves greeting her as well. Store staff advised her to return early in the morning to improve her chances. — Xinhua

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

TOMATO price has fallen and its trade has mounted, according to traders. 

“It has been about three days that tomato price has declined and the trade has increased after the price dropped. The majority of orders come from Yangon and are followed by Nay Pyi Taw, Toungoo, Kanyutkwin, Pyay and Mawlamyine,” said Ko Than Win Hlaing from Padamya tomato wholesale trading centre in Aungban Township. 

Before the price dropped, the trade was slow as a kind of tomato called tomato species of Chinese Taipei was produced. The price is likely to continue falling until the end of February. 

“When a tomato variety, we called tomatoe species of Chinese Taipei were produced, the market was slightly slowdown. It seems the price will con tinue falling until the end of the month,” he said. — Thit Taw/ZS

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

The currency swap arrangement will enhance financial cooperation, promote trade, investment, and stabilize financial markets. THE People’s Bank of Chi na (PBOC), the country’s central bank, has renewed a bilateral currency swap agreement with the Bank Indonesia. 

The total value of the agreement is 400 billion yuan (about US$ 55.79 billion), or 878 trillion Indonesian rupiah, the PBOC said in a statement on its website.

The agreement is valid for five years and can be renewed upon mutual consent, according to the statement. The currency swap arrangement will strengthen financial cooperation between China and Indonesia, promote and facilitate bilateral trade and investment, and safeguard the stability of the financial markets, the statement added. — Xinhua

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

AT the MSME Expo in commem oration of the 78th Union Day, Shwebo Win Cake which is a famous food product of Sagaing Region’s Shwebo Township will be featured. Shwebo Win Cake has been famous for about 60 years in Shwebo and the majority of orders have been placed from Yangon. “Shwebo Win Cake is the best-seller among local products. It has nationwide orders and Yan gon is the biggest customer. Its flavour is pretty good so it is pop ular. It is one of the famous foods made in Shwebo,” said an official from Swelay Shwebo local products trading in Shwebo Township. The union-level MSME expo will take place from 10 to 14 February in Nay Pyi Taw and at Sagaing Region’s local foods booth, Kho Taung Mont Ti (rice noodle salad), YeU sausage, ingredients for tea leaf salad, dried mutton meat, crispy tofu chips, Katha ferment ed fish, Shwebo Win Cake and aloe vera jam will be displayed. – Thit Taw/ZS

MELON and muskmelon are being exported to China and with good prices, the market potential has been fine. “At present, there is export of melon and muskmelon and prices are good. We can fetch a good price and at the same time, transport costs are getting higher.
Currently, we are exporting fruits from Mongla and it is a distant journey. It is the nature that we can make profits or face loss sometimes,” said an official from Khwanyo Fruits wholesale trading centre.
The price of melon is now about 3000 yuan per tonne while muskmelon price is 5,000-6,000 yuan per tonne, he said. Since last October, melon and muskmelon export has been done through Mongla, and despite the trade has been promising, the longer journey made some delays, he added.
If melon and muskmelon are fresh, they are favourable and can fetch good prices, he said, that is why the fruit exports require quality, he added.
Similarly, the melon trade has been also fine in the domestic market. — MT/ZS

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

OTTAWA will file a World Trade Organization claim against US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and also seek redress under a regional free trade deal, a Canadian official said Sunday.
“The Canadian government clearly considers these tariffs to be a violation of trade commitments that the United States has taken,” the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told a briefing.
After weeks of threats, Trump on Saturday signed off on 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports except energy resources, which will be hit with a 10 per cent levy.
“We will obviously pursue the legal recourse that we believe we have through the agreements that we share with the United States,” the official said, citing the WTO and US-Mexico-Canada agreement (CUSMA) that Trump himself signed in 2018.
A review of the pact, which a Canadian official called a “gold standard agreement”, was due to be held next year.
Ottawa also unveiled on Sunday a list of 1,256 American goods it plans to target in a first round of counter tariffs worth Can$30 billion starting on Tuesday.
The list includes cosmetics, appliances, tires, tools, plastics, furniture, coffee, wines and spirits, dairy and fruits. Officials said the Canadian tariffs do not target specifically Republican states, but aim to put pressure on lawmakers with influence over Trump, who are more likely to be Republicans.
A second round of counter tariffs could be announced in the coming weeks, when total amount of the products targeted would rise to Can$155 billion (US$106 billion).
“Our hope is that the actions we have taken already will be sufficient to persuade the United States that it has gone down the wrong path and that they will reach out to work with us on how to get back to a more normal state,” an official said. — AFP

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Kawlin   January 30
A total of 13,186 acres of peanuts were planted during the winter crops planting season in Kawlin District, Sagaing Region, according to the statistics of the Department of Agriculture for Kawlin District.
In the 2024-2025 winter crops planting season, 9,088 acres of peanuts were planned to be planted in Kawlin District, and 13,186 acres have been planted to date since October 2024.
“It is in a successful position as an oilseed crop. Peanut cultivation has increased year by year,” said U Win Thein, head of the Department of Agriculture for Kawlin District.
In Kawlin District, peanut cultivation by townships was as per following: 6,138 acres in Kawlin Township, 2,378 acres in Wuntho Township, and 4,670 acres in Pinlebu Township, totaling 13,186 acres.
In Kawlin District, one acre of peanuts is planted with one and a half basket of seeds, and it is reported that it cost more than 200,000 kyats including the cost of seeds, labor costs, fertilizer and pesticide costs, and if one acre is planted, it yields more than 50 baskets.

Source: Yadanarbon Newspaper

Phaungpyin   January 30
A total of 5,411 acres of seed corn and millets were planted during the winter crops planting season in Phaungpyin Township, Mawlaik District, Sagaing Region, according to the statistics of the Department of Agriculture for Mawlaik District.
In the 2024-2025 winter crops planting season, 820 acres of seed corn and 4,635 acres of millets were planned to be planted in Phaungpyin Township. So far, 800 acres of seed corn and 4,611 acres of millets have been planted since October 2024.
“We are providing education to ensure the success of corns and to prevent the spread of pests and diseases,” said Daw Kywe Kywe Hlaing, head of the Department of Agriculture for Mawlaik District.
In Phaungpyin Township, in the cultivation of seed corn and millets, more than 50 baskets of seed corn are produced per acre, and the cost of planting one acre of seed corn is 500,000 kyats. A total of 15,000 corn ears of millets are produced per acre, and the cost of planting one acre is over 500,000 kyats.

Source: Yadanarbon Newspaper

THE day temperature helps strawberry production stronger, leading the price to fall continuously.
“Price is falling continuously. Strawberries grow more when the temperature gets high. So the production is large. But the production is low when it rains,” said Ma Sandi Taya, a fruit trader from Taunggyi Township.
Many people like strawberry which is one of the most-consumed fruits. Strawberry trade has been fine since the beginning of the harvest season and orders have mounted since December, said traders and added that, the production has been larger in this month.
“Strawberry will be available throughout the dry season. Some of the plantations were destroyed in the storm, and that is why this year’s harvest season was quite late. Its harvest season begins around October and November but this year, commercial production started available in December. The trade is fine. We transport loads of tonnes daily. Yangon and Tachilek are major destinations,” she said. — Thit Taw/ZS

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar