Syngenta’s Interaction Centre at Stein, Switzerland. (Syngenta.com)

China seeks food security with friendly bid for Syngenta

Basel | Reuters — China made its boldest overseas takeover move when state-owned ChemChina agreed a US$43 billion bid for Swiss seeds and pesticides group Syngenta on Wednesday, aiming to improve domestic food production. The largest ever foreign purchase by a Chinese firm, announced by both companies, will accelerate a shake-up in global agrochemicals and […] Read more

(Cia.gov)

China to let market decide its corn prices

Beijing | Reuters — China will let the market decide its domestic state corn prices to help cap the country’s rising imports and record-high level of state reserves, a senior official was cited by state media as saying on Monday. “The direction of corn reform is… to let the market decide prices, and (state support) […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

China says must change corn supports to clear stockpile

Beijing | Reuters — China must lower corn prices to reduce its massive corn stockpile and curb imports of corn substitutes including barley, sorghum and distillers’ grain, state media quoted a senior agricultural official as saying. Chen Xiwen, deputy director of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, said China needed to modify its reserve-based crop […] Read more



Skim milk powder. (PelchGroup.com)

Global dairy prices unexpectedly fall in overnight auction

Wellington | Reuters — Global dairy prices unexpectedly eased in the overnight GlobalDairyTrade auction, a platform established by New Zealand’s Fonterra Co-operative Group, the world’s biggest dairy exporter. Fonterra’s GDT Price Index dipped 1.6 per cent, with an average selling price of $2,458 per tonne, in the auction held Tuesday (all figures US$). Whole milk […] Read more

(Cia.gov)

Russia, China sign accords on grain quality control

Reuters — Moscow and Beijing have signed agreements on the control of grain quality, which technically open the Chinese market to Russian grain. Russian food safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor and the Chinese government body in charge of quality control signed two food safety documents on Russian wheat, corn (maize), rapeseed, soybean and rice supplies at a […] Read more