Frankfurt | Reuters — German drugs and pesticide maker Bayer on Wednesday reaffirmed it would hold on to its crop chemicals business as talk of consolidation in the industry continued. Asked for a comment on remarks by Monsanto executives that the U.S. seeds giant was in internal discussions about tie-ups in the industry, a Bayer […] Read more

Ag chem division not for sale, Bayer says

Bayer expects to compensate grape growers over crop damage
Zurich | Reuters — Bayer expects to pay wine growers compensation starting early next year after vineyards in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Switzerland reported 2015 crop damage possibly linked to one of the company’s fungicides. European grape growers reported deformed leaves and lower yields after using Bayer CropScience’s Moon Privilege, also known as […] Read more

Youth Ag-Summit: Mentoring future farmers
Grainews’ Lisa Guenther spoke to organizers at this week’s Youth Ag-Summit in Canberra, Australia about why mentoring future farmers is important — and what they expect the summit’s youth delegates to take away from the event.

Youth Ag-Summit: Two to represent at UN meeting
Two delegates from the 2015 Youth Ag-Summit will be jetting to Rome in October to take part in a meeting of the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security. Australia’s Laura Grubb and Kenya’s Samba Ouma were selected from 80 nominees. Ouma and Grubb are now charged with presenting the Canberra Youth Ag Declaration — […] Read more

YOUTH AG-SUMMIT: Food challenges in focus
Feeding the nine billion-plus people expected to be living on our planet by 2050, from a land base that’s not expected to get any bigger, is the question posed to young “thought leaders” at this year’s Youth Ag-Summit. Grainews and Country Guide field editor Lisa Guenther is in Canberra this week for the event, hosted […] Read more

Ag groups launch bee initiative
Bees Matter is offering free seeds for pollinator-friendly gardens — and information on bees
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new program called Buzzing Gardens is offering Canadians free seeds to plant pollinator-friendly gardens. The program is an initiative of Bees Matter, a group consisting of chemical and agricultural groups including CropLife Canada, Bayer CropScience, Syngenta, the Canola Council of Canada, the Canadian Seed Trade Association, and the Canadian Honey Council. “The agricultural community […] Read more

Alberta beekeepers oppose Ontario neonic lawsuit
Beekeepers here are speaking out against lawsuit, saying it’s better to work with chemical companies
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta beekeepers are taking a stand and speaking out against a lawsuit filed by their Ontario counterparts against the makers of the controversial neonic pesticide. “We’re not being impacted by neonics. If we are, it’s very subtly,” said Grant Hicks, president of the Alberta Beekeepers Commission. “We’re not seeing any damage to our hives.” While […] Read more