Brussels | Reuters — European politicians advised on Wednesday that the herbicide glyphosate should only be approved for another seven years, rather than the 15 proposed by the EU executive, and should not be used by the general public. Environmental campaigners have demanded a ban on glyphosate, which is used in products such as Monsanto’s […] Read more
European Parliament backs glyphosate, with conditions
Global GMO area dips in 2015 in first-ever decline
Reuters — The world scaled back biotech crop planting for the first time ever in 2015, led by a decline in the U.S., which has fuelled rapid expansion of genetically modified crops since their commercial launch two decades ago, according to an annual report released Wednesday. The decline was blamed largely on lower crop plantings […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Soy, corn may be nearing highs
CNS Canada — Soybean and corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade moved higher during the week ended Wednesday, with soybeans leading to the upside on the back of fund buying. The May soybean contract moved above $9.53 Wednesday, which marks the midpoint between the highs and lows of the past year (all figures […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn jumps three per cent, most in seven months
Chicago | Reuters –– Front-month U.S. corn futures rose three per cent on Wednesday, their biggest single-day advance since September, on short-covering and concerns about planting prospects in the Midwest, analysts said. Concerns about South American weather lent support. Soybean futures also charged higher, buoyed by chart-based buying and data showing strong demand from China, […] Read more
Germany backs EU plan to approve glyphosate
Berlin | Reuters –– Germany plans to back an European Union proposal that would allow the continued use of glyphosate in herbicides, according to a letter from the agriculture ministry. Glyphosate is used in many herbicides including Monsanto’s Roundup, but has provoked a dispute between EU and U.N. agencies over whether it might cause cancers. […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans set eight-month highs in comeback rally
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain futures jumped on short-covering and technical buying on Tuesday, with soybeans closing at eight-month highs after a see-saw session. Heavy buying by commodity investors helped drive the gains, with funds snapping up an estimated 15,000 soybean contracts and 20,000 corn contracts at the Chicago Board of Trade, traders said. […] Read more
Prairie farmers look to increase tech use, but face obstacles
CNS Canada — As spring approaches, some producers are searching for new technology to integrate into their operations — while others have opted out of the ag tech sector, whether by choice or through a lack of accessibility. “Even two years ago, it was way worse out there in terms of apps, in terms of […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat to five-week low on forecasts for rains
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures fell three per cent to a five-week low on Monday as weekend rains in the U.S. Plains, and forecasts for more next weekend, eased worries about yield prospects, traders said. Corn followed wheat down, but soybeans rose to an eight-month high on technically driven trade. At the Chicago […] Read more
Farmland fundamentals potentially bearish: FCC
Having tracked more double-digit percentage increases in Canadian farmland prices through 2015, Canada’s federal farm lender sees factors lining up for those values to retreat. Farm Credit Canada’s latest Farmland Values Report, released Monday, logged a 10.1 per cent increase in average farmland values in Canada in 2015, down from a 14.3 per cent rise in […] Read more
Corn, wheat prices seen hitting 10-year lows in 2016
Geneva | Reuters — Hefty supplies, large expected crops and poor U.S. exports will weigh on grain prices later this year with corn and wheat set to drop to 10-year lows as harvest nears, consultancy AgResource said Friday. In its first 2016 price forecast, the U.S.-based consultancy forecast Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) December corn […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
