New York | Reuters — A U.S. government weather forecaster on Thursday raised the likelihood that El Nino conditions would last into the Northern Hemisphere’s early spring to 85 per cent, boosting the probability that drought-stricken California could see increased rains. The Climate Prediction Center, a U.S. National Weather Service agency, last month forecast an […] Read more
El Nino now seen more likely to last into spring
CHS locks in fertilizer supply, scraps plan for N.D. plant
Reuters — U.S.-based agribusiness CHS Inc. said it would invest US$2.8 billion in a unit of fertilizer producer CF Industries to secure nitrogen fertilizer supplies. This is the third deal in a week in the highly fragmented global fertilizer industry, which is trying to cope with weak prices caused by excess supply. CHS will have […] Read more
Kraft Heinz to cut 2,500 jobs in Canada, U.S.
Reuters — Kraft Heinz Co. said it will eliminate 2,500 jobs in the U.S. and Canada, including about 700 at its Chicago-area headquarters. Heinz, backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital — known as an aggressive cost-cutter — combined with Kraft in March in a $46 billion deal that […] Read more
Japan anxious at lull in Trans-Pacific trade talks
Tokyo | Reuters — Japan has expressed concern about a loss of momentum in talks on a pan-Pacific trade pact, after participants failed to agree to meet again this month to try to clinch a deal that would cover 40 per cent of the global economy. Ministers from the 12 nations negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership […] Read more
Russia to add more countries to food import ban list
Moscow | Reuters — Russia said on Tuesday it planned to add new countries to the list of those from which it has banned food imports in retaliation for western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis. Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich did not name the countries to be added to the list. “I […] Read more
K+S says retail shareholders back rejecting PotashCorp
Frankfurt | Reuters –– German salt and fertilizer company K+S AG says a survey of its retail investors shows they strongly support its rejection of a 7.9 billion euros (C$11.4 billion) takeover offer from Canada’s PotashCorp. K+S said on Monday it had surveyed retail, or non-institutional, shareholders, who hold about 30 per cent of its […] Read more
France promises “emergency” plan to help livestock farmers
Paris / Reuters – French President Francois Hollande is promising measures to help livestock and dairy farmers, who have been protesting for weeks over what they say is a squeeze on their profits by retailers and food processors. Since the weekend tractors have blocked roads in Normandy, including the route to Mont Saint-Michel, a famous tourist […] Read more
France says livestock crisis putting thousands of farms at risk
Paris | Reuters –– A downturn in France’s livestock sector has put thousands of farms close to bankruptcy, the government said Friday, as it seeks to contain a crisis that has undermined a flagship pledge to improve the livelihood of livestock producers. Farmers say a deteriorating international market, marked by a Russian food embargo, slowing […] Read more
Malteurop parent to buy barley trader Interbrau
Paris | Reuters — French co-operative group Vivescia has entered into an agreement to buy German malting barley trader Interbrau GmbH from Swiss grain trading group Ameropa, the companies said Thursday. Founded in 1961, Interbrau specializes in international malting barley trading and logistics, and operates in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia and Canada. The acquisition […] Read more
ConAgra names activist investor nominees to board
Reuters — ConAgra Foods said it would add two directors, including a former Nestle executive nominated by Jana Partners, three weeks after the activist investor took a stake in the food processing company and called for changes. ConAgra will appoint former Nestle USA CEO Bradley Alford and former Walgreens Boots Alliance CFO Timothy McLevish to […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
