File photo of a sprayer at work on a field in France. (Debove Sophie/iStock/Getty Images)

France’s glyphosate exit seen 80 per cent complete by 2021

Paris | Reuters — France expects to have cut the use of glyphosate herbicide by 80 per cent by early 2021, its agriculture minister said on Friday, less than previously anticipated due to the number of farmers who will qualify for an exemption. In November 2017, President Emmanuel Macron pledged to ban glyphosate in France […] Read more

(Aphria.ca)

U.S. firm launches second hostile bid for pot producer Aphria

Reuters — U.S. cannabis retailer Green Growth Brands said on Tuesday it would make a second all-stock takeover bid for Aphria, valuing the Canadian pot producer at about $2.35 billion. Several companies are looking to partner with or buy pot firms to explore opportunities in the Canadian cannabis sector after the country legalized recreational use […] Read more


USDA’s main home page on Jan. 11, 2019. (GFM Staff photo)

USDA to reopen all farm agency offices

Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Tuesday it will reopen all Farm Service Agency offices on Thursday to offer services to farmers and ranchers during the partial government shutdown. Some Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices had been providing limited services since Jan. 17, but the move means all of the agency’s […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Bunge names acting CEO, cuts 2018 guidance

Reuters — Global grains trader Bunge appointed one of a slew of new board members as its acting CEO on Tuesday and cut its 2018 earnings forecast as the U.S.-China trade war battered soybean prices and devalued the company’s inventory in Brazil. Gregory Heckman, a founding partner of private investment firm Flatwater Partners and former […] Read more


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Louis Dreyfus to exit dairy by mid-2019

Paris | Reuters –– Louis Dreyfus Co. said on Wednesday it would sell or wind down its small dairy business by the middle of this year as part of an overhaul to revive growth at the agricultural commodity giant. Privately-held Louis Dreyfus had previously earmarked dairy as one of several activities to be sold or […] Read more

(Aphria.ca)

Ontario marijuana producer Aphria’s CEO to step down

Reuters — Canadian pot producer Aphria’s co-founder and CEO Vic Neufeld is stepping down, at a time the company is facing questions about its deals in Latin America and a recent slump in its shares. The Leamington, Ont. company also said its marijuana sales nearly doubled in the second quarter driving overall revenue to $21.7 […] Read more


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Romaine-related E. coli outbreak appears over

Reuters — The multistate outbreak of E. coli infections linked to romaine lettuce from the Central Coastal growing regions in northern and central California appears to be over, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday. Sixty-two people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli were reported from 16 states […] Read more

A Whole Foods store in Omaha. (WholeFoodsMarket.com)

Amazon reported planning to expand Whole Foods chain

Reuters — Amazon.com is planning to expand its Whole Foods Market portfolio by adding more stores to put more customers within its two-hour delivery service range, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing sources. Whole Foods employees have visited regions of western North America for potential retail spaces in parts of Idaho, southern Utah […] Read more


A view of Sanaa, Yemen’s capital. (UGurhan/iStock/Getty Images)

WFP says Yemen food aid being stolen in Houthi-run areas

Geneva | Reuters — Food aid meant for starving Yemenis is being stolen and sold in some areas controlled by the Houthi movement, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) said on Monday. The Houthis control most towns and cities including the capital Sanaa, from where they ousted Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s government in 2014. A Saudi-led […] Read more

(Video screengrab via Aphria.ca)

Aphria says proposed hostile bid undervalues company

Reuters — Canadian cannabis producer Aphria said on Friday Green Growth Brands’ proposed $2.8 billion all-stock hostile bid “significantly” undervalued the company. Ohio-based cannabis retailer Green Growth, which merged with Xanthic Biopharma in November, said on Thursday it would offer 1.5714 shares for each Aphria share. The company said its valuation was based on a […] Read more