Reuters — Quebec-based La Coop Federee, one of Canada’s biggest farmer co-operatives, is offering for sale up to 49 per cent of pork processor Olymel, to help fund expansion in Western Canada, CEO Gaetan Desroches said in an interview. La Co-op would retain control of Olymel, which along with Maple Leaf Foods is one of […] Read more
Coop Federee to offer Olymel stake
Transport review urges scrapping railway grain revenue cap
Winnipeg | Reuters — Ottawa should phase out over seven years its cap on the amount of revenue railways can earn transporting grain, a study for the Canadian government recommended Thursday, a move long urged by railways and opposed by farmers and grain handlers. A review of Canadian transportation laws, aimed at modernizing the system, […] Read more
Mosaic looks for bargain buys as fertilizer sector slumps
Reuters — U.S. fertilizer company Mosaic Co., grappling with falling prices and profits, is looking for acquisitions that could be bargain-priced in a weak commodity sector. The world’s largest producer of finished phosphate products on Thursday forecast lower selling prices for potash and phosphate in the current quarter. The Plymouth, Minn.-based company also reported fourth-quarter […] Read more
Agropur eyes further U.S. acquisitions
Reuters — Canada’s second-biggest dairy, Agropur Co-operative, said it is looking to grow in the U.S., possibly through acquisitions, in the face of an expected erosion of its market share at home due to recent international trade deals. Agropur, whose brands include Iogo yogurt and Oka cheese, and larger rival Saputo have already built U.S. […] Read more
Egg farmers to phase out cage housing over 20 years
Winnipeg | Reuters — Canada’s egg farmers plan to replace conventional hen cages with more humane conditions over the next 20 years, amid growing pressure from consumers, restaurants and food companies. The plan — announced Friday by Egg Farmers of Canada, an industry group that manages nearly all of the country’s egg supply — comes […] Read more
PotashCorp forecasts bleak year ahead
Reuters — PotashCorp has forecast its bleakest year in a decade and slashed its dividend, due to tanking fertilizer prices. Shares of PotashCorp, which also reported lower-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, bounced off earlier losses, climbing 1.9 per cent in New York by afternoon. On Monday they tumbled to a nine-year low. Potash prices have […] Read more
PotashCorp mine closure may see Canpotex port shelved
Reuters — PotashCorp’s decision this week to suspend production at its last New Brunswick mine may lead it to shelve plans to build a new West Coast shipping terminal with partners Mosaic Co. and Agrium, CEO Jochen Tilk said on Thursday. Canpotex Ltd., owned by the three companies, has been considering construction of the terminal at […] Read more
U.S. blocks Hamilton crush plant’s canola meal
Winnipeg | Reuters –– The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) halted a shipment of canola meal on Dec. 1 from a Bunge plant in Hamilton, Ont. because it appeared to contain salmonella bacteria, FDA records show. Salmonella can cause food-borne illness in humans. However, canola meal is mainly shipped to the U.S. for use […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, wheat tumble ahead of year’s end
Reuters — Chicago corn and wheat slipped on Wednesday, as concerns about potential damage to winter wheat crops moved to the background in light year-end trading. Soybeans rose on technical buying, despite forecasts for much-needed rains in parts of Brazil next week. With a lack of fresh bullish news for the grains, traders sold futures, […] Read more
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
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
