Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures fell on Friday on disappointment that trade talks did not move Washington and Beijing closer to a deal to resolve the mounting dispute that has crimped U.S. crop sales to China. Prices retreated after a one per cent rise on Thursday that was fueled by “unfounded rumours” the […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans stumble as U.S.-China trade talks disappoint
U.S. ethanol makers snap up cheap sorghum after China tariffs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. ethanol makers have joined global livestock producers to snap up discounted American sorghum supplies after buyers in China backed out of deals due to stiff anti-dumping tariffs on the grain imposed by Beijing in a mounting trade dispute. Sorghum is used to feed animals and represents a fraction of the […] Read more
Monsanto product to deactivate dicamba residue in sprayer tanks
Chicago | Reuters — Monsanto is launching the first product that deactivates a controversial herbicide inside spraying equipment after it is used, the company said on Tuesday, its latest attempt to prevent unintended crop damage associated with dicamba. The new product aims to stop farmers from accidentally applying traces of dicamba on crops that cannot […] Read more
Steel tariff shrapnel hits U.S. farmers
Kane County, Ill. | Reuters — Lucas Strom, who runs a century-old family farm in rural Illinois, canceled an order to buy a new US$71,000 grain bin last month — after the seller raised the price five per cent in a day. The reason: steel prices jumped right after U.S. President Donald Trump announced tariffs. […] Read more
U.S. lawmakers skeptical of promises to shield farmers from trade dispute
Overland Park, Kan. | Reuters — U.S. lawmakers and the farm industry were skeptical of the Trump administration’s promise to shield farmers from the rapidly escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and China, concerned about the lack of details in protecting the agricultural export sector now embroiled in the back-and-forth. Major farming states supported U.S. […] Read more
Arkansas judge rules six farmers can spray dicamba
Chicago | Reuters — An Arkansas judge has ruled that six farmers in the state this summer can spray a weed killer made by Monsanto and BASF that was blamed for hurting millions of acres of U.S. crops last year. The decision is the latest twist in the saga surrounding dicamba-based herbicides and immediately sparked […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans hit one-week high as trade fears ease
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain and soybean futures touched one-week highs on Monday as fears eased that a trade war with China will take a bite out of crop exports. The markets ultimately closed lower on technical selling and profit-taking, analysts said. However, traders were breathing easier after China’s commerce ministry on Friday did […] Read more
U.S. pork to feel further chill from China tariff threat
Beijing/Chicago | Reuters — China’s threat of steep tariffs on U.S. pork imports knocked down U.S. hog futures prices and shares of producers on Friday, while increasing fears of hard times for farmers already facing weaker demand from the world’s top buyer of the meat. U.S. farmers have worried for months that rising trade tensions […] Read more
Walmart patents hint at future where its drones tend the farms
New York/Chicago | Reuters — Walmart’s patent filings hint that it may see a future where farmers use its drones to not only spot crop problems but selectively apply chemicals or even disperse pollen to bring shoppers the freshest and cheapest food possible. The world’s largest retailer applied for six patents last year on drones […] Read more
USDA pulls plan to stiffen rules for organic egg farms
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture scrapped proposed rules on Monday that for the first time would have mandated specific space requirements for hens laying organic eggs and spelled out what it means for the birds to have access to the outdoors. USDA determined it did not have the authority to impose […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
