Stories by Nigel Hunt | Canadian Cattlemen

Farmer Anil Salunkhe feeds strawberries to a cow during a 21-day nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the Satara district in India’s Maharashtra state on April 1, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Rajendra Jadhav)

How COVID-19 is upending global food supply chains

Cows fed strawberries in India, watermelons rot in U.S., okra not reaching Canada

By Nigel Hunt, Naveen Thukral, rajendra-jadhav, GFM Network News April 4, 2020

Satara/Singapore/London | Reuters — In the fertile Satara district in western India, farmers are putting their cattle on an unorthodox diet: Some feed iceberg lettuce to buffalo. Others feed strawberries to cows. It’s not a treat. They can either feed their crops to animals or let them spoil. And other farmers are doing just that […] Read more

Hogs, Reuters

China reshapes global meat markets as swine fever rages

By Nigel Hunt November 8, 2019

London | Beijing | Reuters – China is scouring the world for meat to replace the millions of pigs killed by African swine fever (ASF), boosting prices, business and profits for European and South American meatpackers as it re-shapes global markets for pork, beef and chicken. The European Union, the world’s second largest pork producer […] Read more

Australia is suffering from a third year of drought, resulting in a deep reduction in agriculture output. Photo: Thinkstock

Crops, Reuters

Australia drought cuts IGC global wheat crop outlook

By Nigel Hunt October 25, 2019

London | Reuters – The International Grains Council (IGC) on Thursday trimmed its forecast for global wheat production in the 2019/20 season as the outlook for Australia’s crop dimmed. In its monthly update, the inter-governmental body cut its global wheat production projection by 2 million tonnes to 762 million tonnes. The wheat crop in Australia […] Read more

Cereals, Crops

Drought slashes EU wheat, export surplus to be cut

By Gus Trompiz, Michael Hogan, Nigel Hunt August 10, 2018

Hamburg | Reuters – Drought and a heatwave that scorched fields in northern Europe may cut the European Union’s wheat export surplus and the bloc will need to consume more of its own grains, experts said on Friday. French analysts Strategie Grains forecast a 10 percent smaller EU soft wheat harvest this year, with northern […] Read more

Some farmers forced to use up winter fodder supplies. Photo: dageldog/Getty Images

Hay, Livestock

Straw prices soar, piling pressure on N.Europe livestock farmers

In some areas straw now more expensive than grains

By Michael Hogan, Nigel Hunt August 9, 2018

Hamburg | London | Reuters – Livestock and dairy farmers across northern Europe are paying soaring prices for straw used in food and bedding for cattle, as hot, dry weather across the region reduces crops. The higher bills put further pressure on farmers already facing one of their toughest summers ever; many have had to […] Read more

Swaledale, a dale (valley) in Yorkshire. (CIA.gov)

Livestock, Reuters

U.K. farming minister seeks big changes to farm policy post-Brexit

By Nigel Hunt February 21, 2017

Birmingham | Reuters –– Britain’s farm policy is set for a major shake-up when the country leaves the European Union because the current system is poor value for money, has too much red tape and provides few incentives to use the latest technologies, farming and environment minister Andrea Leadsom said Tuesday. Leadsom said she was […] Read more

Crops, Reuters

Record crops to send grain stocks to all-time peak, IGC says

By Nigel Hunt November 24, 2016

London | Reuters –– Global grain stocks are expected to surpass 500 million tonnes for the first time at the end of the 2016-17 season, the International Grains Council said on Thursday, raising its forecasts for both corn and wheat production. The intergovernmental body, in a monthly update, put total grain carryover stocks at the […] Read more

Fruit/Vegetables, Livestock, Markets, Reuters

EU to give 500M euros to farmers hit by Russia sanctions

By Nigel Hunt September 7, 2015

Brussels | Reuters — The European Commission announced a 500 million-euro (C$743 million) package of measures on Monday to provide relief for farmers stung by slumping prices, triggered partly by the loss of exports to Russia due to EU sanctions against the country. The crisis has triggered a wave of protests which culminated on Monday […] Read more

(Giuseppe Carotenuto photo courtesy FAO)

Crops, Markets, Reuters, Weather

Threat of food crisis seen fading as grain stocks climb

By Nigel Hunt June 8, 2015

London | Reuters — A sudden change in the weather no longer raises the spectre of a food price crisis, with grain stocks rebuilt and governments now paying much closer attention to agriculture, a senior United Nations economist said in an interview Monday. “The buffer is big and unexpected shortfalls can be met by (grain) […] Read more

Canola, Crops, Reuters

Rapeseed crop may not be as big as first thought in W.Europe

By Nigel Hunt July 23, 2014

London/Reuters — Rapeseed production in Western Europe looks set to increase this season but early promise may not be fully realized, crop analysts said on Wednesday. Crops were sown in favourable conditions, enjoyed a safe passage through winter and had healthy growth in the spring but yields have failed to meet expectations in both north-east […] Read more

Ex-Viterra chief Schmidt named Nutrien’s new CEO

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures extend slide

U.S. grains: Corn up on weather outlook, weaker dollar

GFM Network News