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
World powers eye emergency food meeting; action doubted
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
French Farming Reworks Image To Lure Recruits
Reading Time: 2 minutes French agriculture is trying to boost its public image to entice more recruits to a sector hit by demographic and technological change, farm representatives said on Feb. 25. While the number of young farmers setting up in Europe’s largest food producer has risen five per cent over three years, according to farm ministry figures, this […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
