Brasilia | Reuters — Two U.S. senators called on the U.S. Treasury on Tuesday to open an investigation into the world’s largest meat processing company, Brazil’s JBS S.A. , due to alleged ties with the Venezuelan government of leftist President Nicolas Maduro. President Donald Trump’s government has imposed sanctions on dozens of top Venezuelan officials […] Read more

U.S. senators seek probe of JBS

Japan trade deal aims to put U.S. farmers on par with TPP
Washington | Reuters — The new U.S.-Japan trade deal will provide staged reduction of Japanese tariffs for more than US$2 billion worth of U.S. beef and pork, matching access now granted to the 11 Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact countries, a text of the agreement shows. U.S. President Donald Trump presided over a White House signing […] Read more

Iraq replaces state grain agency’s chief
Baghdad/Dubai | Reuters — Iraq, a major Middle East wheat and rice importer, has replaced the head of its state grain buying agency, government sources and a document showed on Tuesday. Naeem al-Maksousi was replaced by Hassanein Mahdi Elwan, a document reviewed by Reuters showed. The reason for the replacement, which comes after a week […] Read more

Crown pension fund bids for Australian ag firm Webster
Reuters — Australian agribusiness company Webster Ltd. said on Thursday it has signed a deal for a A$854 million (C$763.65 million) takeover by shareholder PSP Investments, one of Canada’s biggest pension funds. The walnut, cotton and livestock producer said the A$2 per share offer — a 57.5 per cent premium to Wednesday’s ordinary shares closing […] Read more

South Korea confirms new cases of African swine fever
Seoul | Reuters — South Korea has confirmed new cases of African swine fever at hog farms in cities near the capital Seoul after the country’s first outbreak of the deadly virus last week, the agriculture ministry said on Monday. The new case occurred at a pig farm with about 1,800 pigs in the city […] Read more

Pot producer CannTrust’s federal license suspended
Reuters — Troubled Canadian pot grower CannTrust Holdings said Tuesday its license to produce and sell cannabis has been suspended by Health Canada. CannTrust had delayed its second-quarter results last month awaiting a decision from Canada’s health regulator on a large amount of inventory put on hold after discovery of illegal cultivation by the company. […] Read more

Worst-case no-deal Brexit plan warns of food shortages
London | Reuters — The British government’s plans for a no-deal Brexit warn of severe disruption to cross-Channel routes, affecting the supply of medicines and certain types of fresh foods, and say that protests and counter-protests will take place across the country, accompanied by a possible rise in public disorder. The “Operation Yellowhammer” worst-case assumptions […] Read more

Ukraine president plans farmland reform, large privatizations
Kiev | Reuters — Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ordered his new government to submit a draft law for land market reform by the start of October and to prepare large-scale privatizations of state companies starting in April next year. Zelenskiy has pledged to lift a longstanding ban on the sale of farmland, a move that […] Read more

KFC to test plant-based nuggets, wings
Reuters –– Yum Brands said on Monday it will be testing plant-based nuggets and boneless wings at an Atlanta KFC restaurant, the latest fast-food chain trying new options to attract vegan diners. The quick-service fried chicken restaurant will nationally roll out the vegan menu items, produced by U.S. processor Beyond Meat, based on the customer […] Read more

Mexico and U.S. reach deal to end tomato tariff spat
Mexico City | Reuters — Mexican tomato producers have reached a deal with the U.S. government to avoid an anti-dumping investigation, Mexican Economy Minister Graciela Marquez said on Wednesday, ending a testy tariff dispute that had rumbled on for months. Under the deal, the vast majority of Mexican tomato exports will be subject to border […] Read more