Gorodok | Reuters — Ukraine’s Association Agreement with the European Union was meant to lure the bread basket of the former Soviet Union away from its longstanding ties with Russia by offering better access to the EU market. But debate about it was the spark that lit the Maidan street protests in 2013 and a […] Read more
EU deal yet to bear fruit for Ukrainian exporters
Chinese citizens protest ChemChina-Syngenta deal
Beijing | Reuters — Around 400 Chinese citizens have signed a letter to protest the purchase of Swiss-based seeds and pesticides company Syngenta by state-owned ChemChina, saying the deal would eventually lead to genetically modified crops being sown across swathes of the country. Critics of genetically modified organisms argue the technology poses risks to public […] Read more
France to ban some glyphosates over surfactant
Paris | Reuters –– France’s health and safety agency is poised to ban herbicides that combine chemicals glyphosate and tallowamine, citing concerns over possible health risks, it said Friday. The ANSES agency sent a letter this week to manufacturers informing them that it intends to withdraw the authorization for such products, Francoise Weber, the ANSES […] Read more
Russian cheese lovers find way around import ban
Moscow | Reuters — An entrepreneur has found a way to supply Italian parmesan, Dutch Gouda and British Cheddar to cheese connoisseurs in Russia, sidestepping a ban on importing European food that the Kremlin imposed in the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine. Russia’s government banned wholesale imports of fresh food products from the European […] Read more
Cargill books higher profits, warns of tough markets
Reuters — U.S. agricultural commodities trader Cargill on Thursday reported a rise in third-quarter profit on stronger results in food ingredients and grain handling, but warned about headwinds from oversupplied grain markets and low commodity prices. The privately-held company is exiting lower-margin operations, including its U.S. pork business, and expanding deeper into food ingredients and […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat dips again on weak sales, improving crop
Reuters — Chicago wheat dropped on Thursday for the fourth straight session on lacklustre weekly export sales and the improving condition of the U.S. winter crop. Soybeans slid in a correction from Monday’s highest price since Aug. 17 and corn rose on speculation U.S. farmers may switch some acres to soy. The most-active May wheat […] Read more
Wine, foreign content now covered in organic pact with EU
The deal that clears Canadian-certified organic food for sale as organic in the European Union is now expanded to cover Canadian-processed products with some imported ingredients — and to include organic wine. Canada’s Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan on Thursday confirmed the expansion of scope for the EU-Canada Organic Equivalence […] Read more
Monsanto cools on large-scale M+A outlook
Chicago | Reuters –– Monsanto on Wednesday effectively pulled itself out of the mergers-and-acquisitions flurry in the seeds and agrochemicals industry, nearly a year after making a bid for rival Syngenta. The St. Louis-based company, which also reported a drop in second-quarter earnings, now sees its best dealmaking opportunities in smaller acquisitions, licensing deals and […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Soybeans moving lower, corn up
CNS Canada — Soybeans and corn at the Chicago Board of Trade are both stuck in a trading range, one U.S. analyst says. Neither market is expected to see any dramatic swings on the week, but soybeans have downside potential, while corn could advance. Soybeans were able to break through a 200-day moving average, but […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat drops to near one-week low as crop progresses
Reuters — Chicago wheat fell on Wednesday to a nearly one-week low, pressured by a U.S. Department of Agriculture report that revealed U.S. wheat was progressing faster than expected. Corn rose to its highest in almost a week, following technical indicators. Soybeans gained on bargain-buying. The Chicago Board of Trade’s most-active May wheat contract fell […] Read more
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