Canada’s coal output drops 5pc mom in Nov
Canada’s production of coal for all uses reached 3.33 million tonnes in November last year, down 5 percent on month but up 2.7 percent on year, according to the latest data published on February 24 by Statistics Canada.
Bituminous coal – including coal for steelmaking and power generation – made up the majority of the output. Its volume reached 2.88 million tonnes in November, down 3.9 percent on month but up 1.4 percent on year. The agency doesn’t reveal production of other coal types, Mysteel Global notes.
China and India spending more on local oil and gas production
As the world’s two largest oil importers grapple with geopolitical risks, supply disruptions, and the imperative of energy security, both China and India are pouring billions into boosting domestic oil and gas output. While progress varies sharply between the two Asian giants, the shared strategy underscores a long-term bet on self-reliance — even as new production takes years to materialize and global markets feel the ripple effects.
China has delivered the most tangible results. Under its Seven-Year Action Plan (2019–2025), launched after President Xi Jinping’s 2018 directive to “vigorously increase exploration and development,” the national oil companies (NOCs) — PetroChina, Sinopec, and CNOOC — have dramatically ramped up upstream spending.
Domestic crude output climbed from 3.8 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2020 to an average of 4.3 million b/d in 2025 — a roughly 12–13 percent increase and the strongest modern-era performance for the country. Annual figures hit record highs, with 2025 crude production reaching approximately 215 million tonnes (~4.3 million b/d) and natural gas output exceeding 260 billion cubic meters for the ninth straight year of double-digit gains in some metrics.
Iron ore rises
Iron ore futures rallied on Wednesday on anticipation of pick up in feedstock demand as liquidity returns to the Chinese market post Lunar New Year holidays, though an increase in incoming iron ore shipments may curb price upsides.
The most-traded May iron ore contract on China’s Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) added 1.42 percent to 752.5 yuan ($109.51) a metric ton as of 0332 GMT.
The benchmark March iron ore on the Singapore Exchange rose 1.98 percent to $98.55 a ton.
The demand for iron ore is expected to pick up as Chinese blasts furnaces ramp up production after the Lunar New Year holidays.
A broad-based metals rally also helped lift sentiment.
However, traders remained cautious as steel demand for the first half of the year is projected to fall due to weakening consumption, Chinese broker Galaxy Futures said.
Iron ore prices are facing additional downward pressure from rising shipments from Australia and Brazil, with total port inventories in both countries climbing to their highest levels since the start of the year, per data from consultancy Mysteel.
Falling pulse yields threaten food security
Agricultural experts have raised alarm over te continuous decline in Pakistan’s pulse production, warning that the country is spending nearly $980 million each year on imports to meet domestic demand.
Rana Muhammad Tayyib, President of the Punjab Pulses Importers Association and Chairman of the Grain Market, said that until 1998, Pakistan was a leading exporter of pulses. However, the export ban imposed during the Musharraf era disappointed farmers as pulses became a low-earning crop.
He added that Pakistan’s annual domestic demand stands at 1.62 million tons, but 1.07 million tons are imported, reflecting poor performance by the Federal Seed Corporation, which failed to introduce heat-resilient and durable pulse seed varieties.
As a result, around 80 percent of pulses consumed in the country are imported.
Tayyib highlighted the impact of climate change on production.
“In rain-fed areas like Thal, timely rains can increase yields by 35 percent, but lack of rainfall results in heavy losses and discourages farmers from growing pulses in the future,” he said.
The concerns were discussed during a seminar held at the Pulses Research Institute of the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI) in connection with World Pulses Day.
Experts noted that Pakistan requires approximately 1.5 million tons of pulses annually but produces only a fraction, forcing imports of nearly one million tons each year.
The seminar was chaired by Dr Sajidur Rehman, Chief Scientist and Director General Research Punjab, who emphasised the nutritional and economic importance of pulses.
“Pulses are an affordable, high-quality source of protein and a pillar of national food security. Promoting local cultivation can meet domestic needs and save foreign exchange spent on imports,” he said.
Dr Rehman stressed the need to enhance production through modern research, improved farming practices and high-yielding varieties.
In Islamabad 8,000 litres of fake milk destroyed by food authorities
Authorities have destroyed 8,000 litres of adulterated milk in a joint operation, uncovering a fake milk production setup supplying the twin cities ahead of Ramazan.
The raid, conducted by the Punjab Food Authority and Islamabad Food Authority, targeted a facility in the I-10 Industrial Estate based on intelligence reports.
Officials said the operation also recovered materials used in the production of fake milk, including 336 litres of oil, 240 kilograms of vanaspati ghee, and 350 kilograms of powdered milk. Machinery used to manufacture the adulterated milk was also seized.
The milk was reportedly being prepared using powdered milk and ghee, making it unsafe for consumption. Authorities said the product was intended for distribution across Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
According to officials, this was part of a broader crackdown, with 28 joint operations conducted so far, resulting in the destruction of 22,000 litres of adulterated milk.
Authorities noted that stricter enforcement in Punjab has pushed adulteration networks toward Islamabad, prompting coordinated action between the two agencies.