Granadero Baigorria, Argentina | Reuters — U.S. tractor maker Deere and Co. is bracing for a negative financial impact from U.S. tariffs on steel imports and worries that retaliatory tariffs on American agricultural exports could follow, CEO Samuel Allen told Reuters in an interview Wednesday. The 25 per cent tariffs, which U.S. President Donald Trump […] Read more
Deere fears hit from Trump tariffs, retaliation
Trudeau optimistic on NAFTA as deal on autos seen possible
Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday for the first time that a deal to renegotiate NAFTA was likely, amid signs negotiators may be closer to settling one of the regional trade pact’s most contentious issues. “We remain very confident that a win-win-win deal is not only possible, but likely,” Trudeau […] Read more
Brazil cracking down on unmonitored agriculture planes
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazilian federal prosecutors have demanded civil aviation authorities change regulations to increase oversight of agriculture airplanes such as crop dusters, which they claim can be used to smuggle drugs and agro-chemicals. Prosecutors are calling for the mandatory introduction of a transponder equipment to monitor such planes, and have suggested new […] Read more
U.S. rail regulator tackles railroads over customer complaints
Reuters — The top U.S. rail regulator has asked major railroads for information on service levels before meeting disgruntled shippers and other customers over complaints about service delays and higher costs. In letters to the CEOs of the railroads, dated Friday and posted Monday on the U.S. Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) website, the regulator requested […] Read more
Get grain moving again, KAP says
Move western grain, ASAP. That’s the blunt and urgent message Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) president Dan Mazier told an emergency meeting of the House of Commons’ agriculture committee Monday in Ottawa. The 2013-14 grain shipping backlog cost Western farmers around $6.5 billion and the current one will cost billions again, Mazier said. The first step […] Read more
Industry still looking for new NH3 tank rule break
Fertilizer Canada and the Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers (CAAR) say there will be enough anhydrous ammonia nurse tanks available to supply the fertilizer to farmers during this growing season. New Transport Canada regulations came into force Jan. 12, which affect the frequency of hydrostatic testing and visual inspection of ammonia nurse and applicator tanks and […] 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
Enjoy stable diesel market while you can, analyst says
CNS Canada — The short-term outlook for the diesel market in North America calls for current prices to remain largely untouched through spring planting — but it could change drastically after that. According to Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service in New Jersey, prices for diesel could even get higher than crude oil. […] Read more
CN apologizes as farm groups, Ottawa press on rail service
Canada’s largest railway has taken the unusual step of apologizing for its pace of grain delivery in recent weeks and pledging “immediate steps” to improve its grain handle. After parting ways with its CEO Luc Jobin on Monday, Canadian National Railway (CN), through interim CEO Jean-Jacques Ruest, said Wednesday it “apologize(s) for not meeting the […] Read more
CN CEO Luc Jobin steps down abruptly
Reuters — Canadian National Railway (CN) CEO Luc Jobin stepped down abruptly on Monday, as the board looks to “energize” the railroad’s leadership amid a major supply crunch that has hurt profits and angered customers. “The board believes the company needs a leader who will energize the team, realize CN’s corporate vision and take the […] Read more
