Indonesia’s president says country intends to join TPP

Washington | Reuters –– Indonesian President Joko Widodo, speaking after a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday, said his country intends to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal the U.S. has forged with Canada and 10 other countries. “We are the largest economy in Southeast Asia,” Widodo said through a translator. “And Indonesia […] Read more


(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

China to resume imports from U.S. pork plants

Chicago | Reuters — China, the world’s largest pork consumer, will soon resume imports from 14 U.S. pork plants and warehouses, after halting some shipments last year over the use of a feed additive, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday. USDA did not provide a date on which China will resume the imports. China’s […] Read more

Mosaic’s potash facility at Esterhazy, Sask. (Greg Berg photo)

Mosaic lays off staff at Sask. potash mine

Reuters — U.S. fertilizer company Mosaic Co. has laid off 46 unionized workers, or eight per cent of the workforce, at its Colonsay, Sask. potash mine, the company said Friday, as producers struggle with weak demand. Potash prices have fallen in the past year due to excessive mining capacity and reduced demand in key markets. […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Meat industry braces for WHO cancer risk verdict

Paris | Reuters — As international health experts prepare to publish a report on potential cancer risks linked to red and processed meat, industry groups are bracing for a damaging blow to consumer confidence. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) gathered health experts in France this month to discuss available […] Read more




U.S. winter weather to see El Nino’s influence

U.S. winter weather to see El Nino’s influence

Tampa | Reuters — Much of the U.S. South can expect a cooler and wetter winter, while warmer-than-usual temperatures are likely across many northern and western states, as a strong El Nino weather pattern shaped a government weather outlook issued Thursday. More rain and snow are likely across the nation’s southern regions, extending from central […] Read more



(SterlingVineyards.com)

Treasury Wine to buy Diageo U.K., U.S. wine assets

Sydney | Reuters –– Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates, the world’s biggest standalone wine maker, said Wednesday it had agreed to buy most of Diageo Plc’s U.S. and British wine operations for US$552 million (C$716 million). Treasury also announced a fully underwritten rights issue to raise around A$486 million (C$460 million) to fund the acquisition. The […] Read more