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
Syngenta said talking to Monsanto, ChemChina, others
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
Wild bees seen dwindling in main U.S. crop regions
Washington | Reuters — Wild bees, crucial pollinators for many crops, are on the decline in some of the main agricultural regions of the U.S., according to scientists who produced the first national map of bee populations and identified numerous trouble spots. The researchers on Monday cited 139 counties as especially worrisome, with wild bee […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans, grains slip on big supplies, choppy trade
Reuters — Prices for U.S. grains and soybeans dipped on Monday, giving up slight early advances in thin, choppy trade that focused on plentiful global supplies. The markets declined despite favourable weakness in the U.S. dollar and concerns about insufficient rains curbing Brazil’s soybean production. Price movements and volumes were limited as the market wound […] Read more
WTO backs agricultural reforms, split on Doha
Nairobi | Reuters — The World Trade Organization reached deals on agricultural export subsidies, food aid and other issues on Saturday, capping a ministerial conference in the Kenyan capital where rich and poor countries had been split over the path of trade reform. Members said the Nairobi deal had drawn a line under years of […] Read more
Philippines to challenge court-ordered GMO import ban
Manila | Reuters — The Philippine government said it will challenge a ban on GMO imports ordered by the country’s top court, after the ruling rattled global markets this week over the threat of disruption to millions of tonnes of soybean meal shipments. Last week, the Supreme Court struck down a 2002 government regulation that […] Read more
ChemChina to sweeten bid for Syngenta to $44B
Reuters — State-owned China National Chemical Corp. has raised its offer to buy Syngenta by about $2 billion, to US$44 billion, proposing a two-stage takeover of the agrochemical company, Bloomberg reported, citing sources. ChemChina has offered 470 Swiss francs (C$661) per share to buy 70 per cent of Syngenta with an option to acquire the […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans rally on Brazil dryness, short-covering
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures climbed to a near two-week high on Friday on technical buying and short-covering as well as concerns that dry weather in parts of Brazil may drag down yields in the world’s top exporter of the oilseed. Wheat and corn pared steep early gains and closed modestly higher. Both […] Read more
Devalued Argentine peso seen spurring grain exports
Buenos Aires | Reuters — The currency devaluation set to kick off in Argentina on Thursday is expected to pump millions of tonnes of pent-up grains supply into the international market at a time when the world is already seeing record stockpiles. For the first time since 2011, Argentines have full access to U.S. dollars […] Read more
U.S. grains: Brazil dryness sparks soy short-covering
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rebounded from a 3-1/2-week low on Thursday and closed higher for the first time in three sessions on short-covering sparked by concerns that dry weather in Brazil may clip soy production. Corn and wheat also clawed back earlier losses tied to Argentina’s export-friendly move to let the peso […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
