Paris | Reuters –– France’s health and safety agency is poised to ban herbicides that combine chemicals glyphosate and tallowamine, citing concerns over possible health risks, it said Friday. The ANSES agency sent a letter this week to manufacturers informing them that it intends to withdraw the authorization for such products, Francoise Weber, the ANSES […] Read more
France to ban some glyphosates over surfactant
Vale, Yara deny talks over fertilizer unit stake
Brasilia | Reuters — Vale SA denied a report on Wednesday that it was negotiating a sale of fertilizer assets to Norway’s Yara International as the Brazilian miner seeks to raise cash following its biggest quarterly loss in decades. Valor Economico, a Brazilian business newspaper, reported Vale could sell a minority stake in its fertilizer […] Read more
Wal-Mart plans for cage-free U.S. egg supply by 2025
Reuters — Wal-Mart Stores said it was aiming to switch to a cage-free egg supply chain in the U.S. by 2025, joining a host of companies that have committed to stop using eggs laid by caged hens. The biggest food retailer in the U.S. said Tuesday it would mandate its egg suppliers to be certified […] Read more
CPP reported in talks for stake in Glencore agribusiness
Reuters — Commodity trading and mining firm Glencore is in advanced talks to sell a stake in its agricultural business to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The CPPIB would take a stake of up to 40 per cent, valuing the business at […] Read more
Zimbabwe mulls treasury bills to compensate evicted farmers
Harare | Reuters — Zimbabwe’s government may issue treasury bills, along with imposing a land levy, to raise money to compensate evicted white farmers but the process will take a long time to settle, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said Thursday. President Robert Mugabe early this month agreed to major reforms, including compensation for white farmers, […] Read more
Deere buys stake in U.S. sprayer maker Hagie
CORRECTED, March 30, 2016 — Reuters — Deere and Co. said on Tuesday it has acquired a majority stake in Hagie Manufacturing, allowing the farm equipment manufacturer to take a greater position the high-clearance sprayer market. High-clearance sprayers, which allow farmers to spray fertilizers and pesticides in-crop later in the growing season, are “a new market for […] Read more
U.S. senators call for review of Syngenta takeover
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. government panel that reviews foreign acquisitions should assess the impact on domestic food security from state-owned China National Chemical Corp’s planned US$43.1 billion acquisition of Swiss seeds and pesticide maker Syngenta AG, four U.S. senators said in a letter Thursday. The letter, sent to Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, also […] Read more
France confirms new BSE case
Paris | Reuters –– France’s agriculture ministry confirmed Thursday a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) had been discovered in the northeastern region of Ardennes. The suspected case, found in a five-year-old cow, was identified last week during a test carried out on cattle older than 48 months after slaughter. The farm ministry said there […] Read more
USDA clears Monsanto, Syngenta corn traits
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will no longer regulate a genetically-modified corn developed by Monsanto to resist dicamba herbicide, the agency said on Wednesday. The move by the agency’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), means it can now be planted without permits or any additional regulatory oversight from […] Read more
ConAgra, Kellogg, Mars to label for GMOs in U.S.
Reuters — ConAgra Foods has joined other food giants in plans to use labels that disclose the presence of genetically modified organisms or GMOs in its food throughout the U.S. ConAgra and other food companies such as Campbell Soup and General Mills have decided to use such labels nationwide, finding it to be the easiest way […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
