Winnipeg/Beijing | Reuters — An expanding list of Canadian farm exports is hitting obstacles at Chinese ports, leaving sellers of soybeans, peas and pork scrambling amid a bitter diplomatic dispute. China has already blocked Canadian canola from Richardson International and Viterra, two of Canada’s biggest farm exporters, saying that shipments had pests. Other China-bound canola […] Read more
Canadian farm exports hit new Chinese obstacles amid diplomatic dispute
Ottawa pressed to consider more options on China’s canola ban
With canola export issues still looming large, some Canadian ag industry groups want the federal government to boost its diplomatic presence on the matter. The Canola Council of Canada on Wednesday said a Canadian technical delegation “has not yet been accepted” to travel to China and address Beijing’s recent suspensions of canola imports from two […] Read more
China eyes U.S. poultry, pork imports in trade talks
Reuters — China would likely lift a ban on U.S. poultry as part of a trade deal and may buy more pork to meet a growing supply deficit, but it is not willing to allow a prohibited growth drug used in roughly half the U.S. hog herd, two sources with knowledge of the negotiations said. […] Read more
USDA lowers Canadian canola export forecast
MarketsFarm — The slowing pace of Canadian canola exports, linked to the country’s trade dispute with China, saw the U.S. Department of Agriculture lower its forecast for Canadian canola exports in the current 2018-19 marketing year. In its latest Oilseeds: World Markets and Trade report, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said actual Canadian exports could end […] Read more
Canada looks at fresh tariffs on U.S. goods
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada is looking at ways to boost the effectiveness of its retaliatory tariffs against the United States, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Tuesday, but did not address remarks by a senior official who revealed what Ottawa might do. Canada imposed tariffs on $16.6 billion worth of U.S. exports in May […] Read more
French rapeseed farmers destroy 18,000 hectares over GMO risk
Paris | Reuters — French farmers destroyed a total of 18,000 hectares of rapeseed, more than double the area initially expected, following the discovery of a non-authorized genetically modified organism (GMO) in seeds, German group Bayer said on Friday. Bayer had announced in February that farmers in France and Germany were turning over thousands of […] Read more
U.S. grains: Trade hopes spur gains in soy futures
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures firmed for the third time in four sessions on Thursday, supported by a better-than-expected export report and hopes for a trade deal with China, traders said. Corn futures also closed in positive territory, with more rain in the U.S. Midwest sparking fresh concerns about planting delays in key […] Read more
China has not escalated canola seed dispute with Canada, Ottawa says
Ottawa | Reuters — China has not escalated a dispute with Canada over the export of canola seeds and comments by the Canadian farm minister on the matter have been misunderstood, an agriculture ministry official said on Wednesday. China — embroiled in a major diplomatic dispute with Ottawa — has blocked imports from two major […] Read more
Canada to set up working group for China canola push
Canola industry stakeholders and provincial officials are to join federal officials in a co-ordinated push to resolve China’s issues with Canadian canola, cabinet ministers said Monday. Speaking Monday in Ottawa, Canada’s Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr said they’ve set up a new working group including representatives from the Canola […] Read more
Malt barley acreage predicted to increase
MarketsFarm — Industry experts expect malt barley acreage in Western Canada to increase by about five per cent this year, supported by strong prices for both feed and malt. “All indications suggest we’ll see an increase in malt barley, as well as feed,” confirmed Peter Watts of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre. In light […] Read more