(NSCorp.com)

CP to weigh options after another Norfolk rejection

U.S. railway Norfolk Southern has rejected another new marriage proposal from Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), leaving the Calgary-based rail firm to “review its strategic alternatives.” Norfolk Southern said Wednesday its board of directors has “unanimously” rejected CP’s revised Dec. 16 proposal, which offered US$32.86 per share in cash, a fixed exchange ratio of 0.451 shares […] Read more

Yellow mustard. (Photo courtesy Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission)

Low acres, high prices expected to continue for mustard

CNS Canada –– Canadian mustard production will likely see an upward bump in 2016, according to one buyer, but seeded acres won’t increase exponentially, despite strong prices. “It’s not going to be a big bounce-back year like we’ve had in the past whenever spot prices have increased like they have,” said Walter Dyck of Olds […] Read more



(Cia.gov)

India to launch new crop insurance scheme

New Delhi | Reuters — India will launch a new farm crop insurance scheme early next year and use drones and other technologies to assess crop damage, the agriculture minister said Wednesday, in what could be Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first major move to address rural hardship. The impact of unseasonal rains and two straight […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. grains: Wheat drops to three-week low on supplies

Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. wheat futures closed at their lowest level in three weeks on Wednesday as grain markets came under renewed pressure from large global supplies and lackluster export demand. Egypt, the world’s top wheat importer, bought 120,000 tonnes of Argentine wheat in a tender that highlighted the intense competition U.S. sellers face […] Read more

Green peas. (PulseCanada.com)

Trends for 2016: Pulses expected to steal acres from cereals

CNS Canada — Canadian farmers are expected to seed more pulse crops at the expense of cereals in 2016, according to early projections from industry experts looking at current market trends. “Definitely we’ll see an increase in pulse crop acreage,” said Bruce Burnett, weather and crop specialist at G3 Canada. Lentils and peas are seeing […] Read more


Noble Group, whose ag assets include this sugar mill in Brazil, is set to become a fully-owned arm of China’s COFCO. (ThisIsNoble.com)

Noble exits ag markets with unit sale to China’s COFCO

New York | Reuters –– Noble Group said Tuesday it has agreed to sell its remaining 49 per cent stake in its agribusiness to China’s state-owned COFCO International, exiting agricultural markets as the Asian commodity merchant seeks to slash debt and shore up cash. The $750 million cash deal will hand COFCO full ownership of […] Read more

(Syngenta.com)

Syngenta said talking to Monsanto, ChemChina, others

Zurich | Reuters — Swiss agrichemicals group Syngenta is in talks with Monsanto, ChemChina and other rivals but has not received a concrete takeover offer and is keeping all options open, chairman Michel Demare told a Swiss newspaper. “Given what shareholders expect for the next 12 months, going it alone is hardly possible,” he told […] Read more


(Jack Dykinga photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Minogue: Wanna start a cereal seed company?

It’s clear from where the Prairies’ cereal growers’ groups sit that it’s time for farmers to get more involved in wheat and barley breeding — and they have a new report in hand suggesting ways to do so. Options in the report, from the newly-formed Wheat and Barley Variety Working Group, range from improving the […] Read more

(Lisa Guenther photo)

U.S. grains: Prices fall on technical selling, abundant supplies

Reuters — U.S. grain and soybean prices fell on Tuesday, weighed by technical selling and abundant global supplies. Soybeans and wheat gave up earlier gains that were based on weather concerns for developing crops, while corn led the way down in choppy trading ahead of Friday’s Christmas holiday. “There’s no real bullish news, so there’s […] Read more