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
Walmart patents hint at future where its drones tend the farms
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
Steel shock drives wedge into sluggish NAFTA talks
Mexico City | Reuters — Negotiators trying to rework the NAFTA trade deal on Thursday were hit by the prospect of a battle over U.S. steel tariffs that could make it more complicated to build autos in North America, one of the most sensitive issues at the talks. U.S. President Donald Trump said he would […] Read more
Trump pushes Big Corn, Big Oil to break biofuels deadlock
New York | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump urged representatives from the rival oil and corn industries on Thursday to break a deadlock in talks over the future of the nation’s biofuels policy by accepting a deal involving reforms sought by both sides. Trump has arranged a series of talks between Big Corn and […] Read more
Farmers seek ‘urgent’ action from Senate on rail service
Groups representing Canadian grain growers touched down in Ottawa Thursday to urge quick passage of legislation to avoid a sequel to the grain handling logjam of 2013-14. Representatives from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Grain Growers of Canada, Keystone Agricultural Producers, Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, Alberta Federation of Agriculture and B.C. Agriculture Council went […] Read more
Tepid rail service cripples farmer deliveries on Prairies
CNS Canada — Prairie farmers are struggling to generate cash flow for their operations due to the lack of rail cars that are available to pick up their grain. “Spring is coming up, farmers need cash flow and we don’t get cash flow if your grain is sitting in a bin waiting for a train […] Read more
Trump pushes for more talks after ‘no deal’ on biofuels
Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump has asked for more talks between representatives of the oil and corn industries after a meeting on Tuesday failed to yield an agreement on how to help refiners cope with the country’s biofuels policy. Trump has called the talks between Big Corn and Big Oil amid rising concern in […] Read more
Cruz urges U.S. biofuel policy revamp at rally for bankrupt refiner
Philadelphia | Reuters — Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas on Wednesday urged President Donald Trump’s administration to push for an overhaul of the nation’s biofuels policy, during a rally at a Pennsylvania oil refinery that blames its bankruptcy on the controversial regulation. “We need a federal government that stands up for workers, not against […] Read more
