June Fletcher on this season’s new reads, covering everything from organic gardening to getting the job done with less work.

Agricultural commodity prices should ease from their recent record peaks but over the next 10 years they are expected to average well above the mean of the past decade, according to the latest Agricultural Outlook 2008-2017 from OECD and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

The CSO said today that in March 2008, the number of trips taken to Ireland by residents of Great Britain increased by 26.4% to 365,700 compared to the corresponding month in 2007.

The latest Bloomberg Eurozone Retail Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) indicates that European retail sales for May rose the most since April of last year and showed the first increase for three months.

After a drop in April, the Business Climate Indicator (BCI) for the Eurozone picked up slightly in May. The Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI)  remained unchanged in the Eurozone at 97.1.

Eurozone money supply growth, a leading indicator of inflation, accelerated by more than expected in April, figures from the European Central Bank showed on Thursday.

Markets news on stocks, currencies and commodities.

Bank of Ireland said today that interest rates could still fall this year in the Eurozone despite high inflation and fall further in the UK. However, it acknowledges that inflation as prompted a market rethink on rate movements.

Providence Resources P.l.c., the AIM and IEX listed exploration and production company, announced that its UK subsidiary, Providence Resources (GB) Limited, and its partner, NP Weald Limited, a subsidiary of Northern Petroleum Plc, has been offered Block SU91 under the UK ‘s 13th Landward Licensing Round, which was announced on May 28th, 2008.

Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance 2008 reveals that Premier League clubs’ revenues have increased substantially across all areas of their business.  The Premier League now generates more revenue than any other league across each of the three primary revenue categories; match day, broadcast and commercial.  This has enabled them to recruit and retain the best players which attracts fans and fills stadia resulting in on pitch success at home and abroad.