24/07/2013 World Business Report

headlines from BBC World News. Now for the latest financial news in

Making plastic fantastic - the EU plan to make it cheaper to pay by

credit and debit cards. And three months on from the worst

industrial disaster in Bangladesh's history - are garment workers any

I'm Sally Bundock. In a minute, we'll find out why US farmers are

announced proposals to cap credit and debit card processing fees. The

plan clamps down on a multi-billion-euro revenue stream

for banks but will it actually be good news for consumers? Philip

Hampsheir has been finding out. When you are out on the high-street

looking to use your credit debit cards, you do not think of the fees

retailers pay for it except in them. The EU is purport -- proposing a. It

will affect cross-border transactions. After two years, all

payments with plastic will be subject to the. There are over 300

different charging levels. The consumer or the retailer does not

have this ability over what that charge will be. Until after you have

already paid for the goods and they have processed the transaction.

British retail Consortium says one of the main beneficiaries will be

smaller high-street -- will be fought the small high-street

retailers. Consumers may be left and little worse off by this new deal.

This man is head of policy at the UK card Association. He says if the

retailers are not paying the fee, consumers may find they will pay for

it in other ways. Consumers are used to not having to pay for

transactions, free banking. They are in the position where the revenue

streams are altered. It reduces the compute -- contribution. It means

consumers will experience the new fees for having cards and using

them. The retailers think it will be compensated for by lower prices in

shops. I believe it will result in cheaper prices in shops. The

retailers will have greater visibility over their own costs.

When they have a certainty, that means they can be as competitive as

possible in placing. commission's plan is only a proposal

so far. Whatever happens, customers with cards will I might do find

themselves turned away. Those plans will be outlined by the EU today.

How they will go about that? We will fill you in them get the

information. This scene was all over our TV screens and newspapers in

April. It was one of the worst industrial disasters in history.

More than 1,100 people died. Three months on from the collapse of the

Rana Plaza factory complex the debate on how to protect

Bangladesh's remaining four million garment workers continues. Their

employers and international retailers, such as Walmart and H&M,

have promised to improve workers rights and safety. Mahfuz Sadique

reports from Dhaka on their progress These workers depend on their jobs

but the collapse of a nearby building in April has made many

consider their safety. As a result, they have received Thomases and

pledges from brand and government -- and the government. One of the key

demand has been new legislation to protect the workers. Last week, the

government responded. A new labour law was passed by various groups

have said while it makes some improvements, the new law falls

short. It is one law so far. It can be improved. It will take more

time. In this moment, we are unable to allow more than this. We are

unable to introduce outsider trading. Also making promises is the

international labour organisation. Rana Plaza was not the first tragedy

in Bangladesh. That have been dozens of incidents that have led to deaths

and injuries. After the disaster, an initial assessment of a buildings

have found most construction problems. Some 3500 factories that

market we have been in touch with the departments. -- factories... In

the aftermath of the worst industrial disaster in Bangladesh,

there is concern as workers are finding out, we'll change on the

ground takes time. What are the workers doing? This woman is a

labour rights activist. She says a lot has been committed, many still

remain at the policy level. But they are taking things into their own

hands. They are saying, my factory not say. Until it is safe, I will

not come back. Three months on, the after-shocks from the collapse of

the Plaza can be felt at board rooms of governments. But workers at the

clothing factories are yet to find out if the death of so many of their

own will amount to real change. We are right in the thick of the

earnings season. We have heard from a lot of companies. Apple profits

fell by more than a fifth over the last three months. It made $6.9

billion, down from the same period last year. But Apple shares jumped

by 5% on the news that sales of its smartphones soared by 51%, that's

much more than Wall Street estimates and eased concerns competition is

hurting demand for its top selling product. Still customers opted for

older models instead of its new iPhone five which meant Apple made

less money on each phone sold. We will have to see what that means for

the company in the future. Hummus is a familiar and traditional

food throughout Europe and the Middle East, and now it's catching

on in the US. In fact, the country's biggest hummus producer says it

needs more chickpeas to keep pace with growing demand. That could be a

lifeline for tobacco farmers in Virginia.

They're struggling to make ends meet as government handouts shrink and

more Americans stop smoking. James Brown has grown tobacco on his

family farm for more than seven decades. In this part of Virginia,

it is a way of life. Fewer people are smoking in the US. Chickpeas are

now poised to be the new cash crop. Tobacco is a little expensive. You

have to buy the gas, you have to buy a lot of things. You have to pay for

the Labour. I think chickpeas are a little bit more cheap. They make

more money. Farmer Brown is one of the first experiment with a new

variety of chickpeas develop by researchers at Virginia State

University to withstand the region's humid climate. That taste

really good. I have never eaten a fresh chip people for. It is my

first time ever. -- chip P -- chickpea before. Sales are expected

to top $650 million a year. The company needs a local source of chip

peace. You need to make sure you have enough. We want to make sure

that market we want to reduce risk. We want to spread it. This is a tip

-- typical Tobacco Ban. It is all on the wayside. William grew up on a

tobacco farm. Like many others, he left the region to find work.

Chickpea can be the catalyst to start a new cycle of people coming

back to the land and growing chickpeas. One alike about it is

that you do not have too put a lot on a. With so much riding on the

success, he has become some ring of a leader. He spends a lot of his

time encouraging other small farmers to give it a go. Definitely

different. Does not appeal to me that much. But I will grow anything.

This tobacco crop has been one of the best. Farmer Brown is not giving

up on it just yet, but there may come a day when these Greenlees will

be replaced by chip his. -- chickpeas.

You heard it here. Let's have a look at the markets. They are digestive

the latest news from China, about activities in factories. Shares in

Shanghai are falling for the first time in three days. News show

manufacturing weaken further in July for the 11th month in a row. It is