A truck bears the logo of the Fortune brand, used by Cofco’s China Agri subsidiary to market rice and flour. (Cofco.com)

China to subsidize grain transportation, storage

Beijing | Reuters — China plans to subsidize grain transportation and storage facilities in the latest push by Beijing to modernize the world’s largest agriculture sector. Beijing will subsidize projects upgrading or building facilities to load and receive grains along main railways and ports for major waterways including the Yangtze and Pearl rivers, a document […] Read more

A illegal marijuana grow operation in the RM of Rockwood, east of Balmoral, Man., in June 2017. (Photo courtesy Stonewall RCMP)

StatsCan to add marijuana economic impact to GDP data

Ottawa | Reuters — As Canada gears up to legalize recreational marijuana, the country’s statistics agency said on Tuesday it will begin measuring the economic impact of the current illegal use and production of the drug and add it to growth data. Statistics Canada said it will begin tallying the production and sale of cannabis […] Read more



Japan’s Imperial Palace and Nijubashi Bridge, in Tokyo. (CIA.gov)

TPP talks without U.S. near final stretch

Urayasu, Japan | Reuters — The 11 remaining nations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) without the United States edged toward sealing a comprehensive free trade pact after New Zealand agreed to amend laws that are not subject to TPP, to enable its ban on foreign home purchases. The pact aims to eliminate tariffs on industrial […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Maple Leaf Q3 profit beats on overall sales growth

Reuters — Maple Leaf Foods, one of Canada’s biggest pork processors, posted a quarterly profit that beat analysts’ estimates, helped by growth across all its businesses. The company, whose brands include Schneiders, Maple Leaf and, since March, Lightlife, said adjusted operating earnings rose to $65.15 million in the third quarter from $61.52 million a year […] Read more

(Bayer.com)

Bayer sees more antitrust asset sales ahead

Frankfurt | Reuters — Bayer said it expected antitrust authorities to make the planned acquisition of Monsanto conditional on more asset sales after agreeing to sell seed and herbicide businesses for 5.9 billion euro (C$8.8 billion) to BASF. “By no means did the deal that was signed with BASF constitute the totality of antitrust divestitures… […] Read more


(MGC.com.au)

Saputo to buy Australian dairy co-op Murray Goulburn

Reuters — Murray Goulburn Co-operative, Australia’s largest milk processor, on Friday said it agreed to a buyout from Canadian dairy company Saputo worth up to A$637.8 million (C$627.5 million). Murray Goulburn (MG) said Saputo would pay between A$1.10-$1.15 per share, compared to its A$2.10 issue price when it listed in 2015. A total buyout value […] Read more

(JBSs.infoinvest.com.br)

Brazil court unfreezes JBS owners’ assets

Brasilia | Reuters –– A Brazilian federal appeals court on Thursday granted an injunction releasing assets belonging to the Batista brothers, owners of the world’s largest meatpacker JBS SA, Ticiano Figueiredo, a lawyer representing the defendants, said. A spokeswoman at the appeals court did not immediately reply to a request for comment. On Oct. 6, […] Read more


(JBSS.infoinvest.com.br)

JBS shuts seven plants in Brazil after asset freeze

Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA shut down seven slaughterhouses in Mato Grosso do Sul after a court-ordered asset freeze affected its operations in Brazil’s second largest cattle-producing state, a press representative said on Wednesday. The world’s largest meatpacking company said in an emailed statement that the plants would stay closed until […] Read more