The world’s top beef exporter, Brazil, will give countries that curbed imports of its beef after a case of BSE until March to drop the measures, or it will file a complaint at the World Trade Organization, farm ministry officials said. Five countries have implemented full or partial bans on Brazilian beef imports since confirmation […] Read more
Brazil threatens WTO action over BSE restrictions
French seed company backs away from plan to field test GM corn
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters / French seed company Vilmorin & Cie SA has dropped plans to conduct field tests of genetically modified crops next year because debate over the technology remains too highly charged. “The political climate led us to put the question on hold for now,” said Daniel Jacquemond, the company’s finance director. “We don’t want to […] Read more
France calls emergency G20 ag meeting for mid-October
France has called an emergency meeting of G20 farm ministers for mid-October to discuss curbing price swings on grain markets, the French president’s office said, after a year of drought and record prices renewed fears of a crisis in food supplies. France currently presides over a grains body created last year under the Group of […] Read more
World powers eye emergency food meeting; action doubted
Leading members of the Group of 20 nations are prepared to trigger an emergency meeting to address soaring grain prices caused by the worst U.S. drought in more than half a century and poor crops from the Black Sea bread basket. France, the United States and G20 president Mexico will hold a conference call at […] Read more
Commodity storm leaves food concerns intact
This week’s commodities plunge has done little to dent concerns of continuing food price inflation, as grain prices held up better than most and fundamentals for the highly weather-sensitive sector are unchanged. Grain traders have had their eyes glued to weather forecasts rather than economic data, as heavy rainfall slows planting in the U.S. Corn […] Read more
Sarkozy Blasts Speculators, Woos Farmers At Show
Reading Time: 3 minutes French President Nicolas Sarkozy took another swipe at speculation in food commodities on Feb. 19 as he pushed his G20 agenda and sought to court the farming world a year ahead of France’s next presidential vote. Opening the Paris farm show, one of the biggest events in France’s political calendar, Sarkozy focused on reassuring disgruntled […] Read more
Struggling EU Cattle And Pig Farmers Cutting Herd Numbers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cattle and pig farmers in the European Union, squeezed by rising feed costs and low prices, face real prospects of herd cuts and more restructuring. Soaring grain prices, fuelled by a drought in Russia that has led to a grain export ban, have triggered hikes in animal-feed prices that mean many producers are operating at […] Read more
Paris Champs-Elysees Turned Into A Green Field
Reading Time: 2 minutes French farmers transformed the most famous avenue of Paris, the Champs-Elysees, into a giant strip of farmland on Sunday, May 23 in a bid to generate public enthusiasm about a sector they say faces an uncertain future. The two-day event, timed to coincide with a holiday weekend, attracted huge crowds for its first day amid […] Read more
Sarkozy Vows To Fight Unwinding Of EU Farm Policy
Reading Time: 2 minutes “I will not let our agricultural sector die.” Nicolas Sarkozy French President French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he was ready to provoke a crisis in the European Union to prevent a dismantling of farm policy, as he sought to reassure disgruntled farmers in the EU’s top agricultural producer. France is the biggest beneficiary of subsidies […] Read more
French Farmer Is New Sun King
Reading Time: 4 minutes Bright winter sun dissolves a blanket of snow on barn roofs to reveal a bold new sideline for Jean-Luc Westphal. Besides producing eggs and grains, he is to generate solar power for thousands of homes. Economic crisis has cast doubt on funding hopes for many big renewable energy projects, but the giant panels built into […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
