Australia Archives | Alberta Farmer Express

JBS says it paid US$11 million in bitcoin for ransom

Cyberattack disrupted plants in North America, Australia

Reuters — Meatpacker JBS USA paid a ransom equivalent to US$11 million (C$13.3 million) following a cyberattack that disrupted its North American and Australian operations, the company’s CEO said in a statement Wednesday. The subsidiary of Brazilian firm JBS halted cattle slaughtering at all of its U.S. plants and its Alberta beef plant for a […] Read more

Screengrab from a 2018 video showing cold storage at the JBS beef slaughter and packing plant at Brooks, Alta. (JBS video via YouTube)

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

JBS plants reopen as White House blames Russia over hack

By Tom Polansek, Nandita Bose, GFM Network News June 3, 2021

Washington/Chicago | Reuters — JBS SA employees started returning to U.S. meat plants on Wednesday, a day after the company’s beef operations stopped following a ransomware attack, disrupting meat production in North America and Australia. A notorious Russia-linked hacking group is behind the cyberattack against JBS, a source familiar with the matter said. Brazil’s JBS […] Read more

Livestock, Machinery & Shop, Reuters

Ransomware attack on JBS halts Canadian, U.S. slaughter

Cyberattack likely from Russia, White House says

By Tom Polansek, Jeff Mason, GFM Network News June 1, 2021

Chicago/Aboard Air Force One | Reuters — Brazil’s JBS SA told the U.S. government that a ransomware attack on the company that has disrupted meat production in North America and Australia originated from a criminal organization likely based in Russia, the White House said on Tuesday. JBS is the world’s largest meatpacker and the cyberattack […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Livestock, Reuters

JBS Australian, North American servers hacked

By Reuters, GFM Network News June 1, 2021

Melbourne | Reuters –– Australian and North American units of the world’s largest meat works were hit over the weekend by an organized cyber attack on its information systems, Brazil’s JBS said in a statement. The attack caused its Australian operations to shut down on Monday. The company said it was working to resolve the […] Read more

Barley south of Ethelton, Sask. on July 30, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Barley, Crops, Reuters

WTO creates panel in China-Australia barley row

By Reuters, GFM Network News May 31, 2021

Sydney/Geneva | Reuters — The World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed on Friday to establish a dispute settlement panel to resolve a row over anti-dumping and countervailing duties imposed by China on Australian barley, a trade source attending the meeting said. Australia launched a formal appeal to the WTO last year, seeking a review of China’s […] Read more

Crops, Lentils, Markets

Pulse weekly outlook: India likely in need of more lentils

By Phil Franz-Warkentin, GFM Network News May 26, 2021

MarketsFarm — A recent webinar co-hosted by the India Pulses and Grains Association and Pulse Australia focused on lentil production in the two countries, with tighter Indian supplies likely leading to increased import demand going forward. “The share of Australian lentils in India’s import has been 10 to 15 per cent over the last seven-eight […] Read more

CBOT May 2021 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20- and 50-day moving averages and CBOT May 2021 soyoil (black line). (Barchart)

Crops, Markets, Reuters

U.S. grains: Soyoil leads soybean complex higher

Wheat follows corn, soy higher

By Christopher Walljasper, GFM Network News March 23, 2021

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures climbed on Tuesday, led by rising soybean oil as global edible oil supplies tighten. Corn futures also moved higher, as traders weighed Brazil’s late-planted second crop against beneficial rains in Argentina. Wheat followed the markets higher, despite much-needed rainfall across the U.S. Plains production belt. The most-active soybean […] Read more

A barley crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on July 30, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Barley, Crops, Markets, Reuters

China’s appetite for feed barley sucks in new crop from Canada, France

Tariff on Australian barley favours other suppliers

By Gus Trompiz, GFM Network News February 3, 2021

Paris | Reuters — China’s buying spree of French and Canadian barley is spilling into the 2021-22 crop with large forward purchases, due to its major feed grain needs and a prohibitive tariff on Australian barley, traders and analysts said. China has been sweeping up huge volumes of foreign crops to help feed a pig […] Read more

General, Markets, Reuters

U.K. to ask to join Trans-Pacific trading bloc ‘shortly’

Bilateral deals signed or in works with several CPTPP members

By William James, GFM Network News January 21, 2021

London | Reuters — Britain will soon submit its application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade bloc, trade minister Liz Truss said on Wednesday. Since deciding to leave the European Union, a process it completed at the end of 2020, Britain has been seeking out new trading arrangements around […] Read more

Green lentils. (Savany/iStock/Getty Images)

Crops, Markets, Pulses

Pulse weekly outlook: Markets steady heading into holidays

By Phil Franz-Warkentin, GFM Network News December 17, 2020

MarketsFarm — Pea and lentil markets in Western Canada are holding relatively steady heading into the holiday season, with little movement expected one way or the other until the New Year. “That’s normal for this time of year,” said Dale McManus of Johnston’s Grain at Welwyn, Sask. on the lack of activity and stagnant prices. […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle hit two-month high

U.S. ag secretary backs proposed meatpacking investigator

U.S. grains: Soy eases on improved weather view

GFM Network News