Paris | Reuters — Global wine output fell to its lowest level in 60 years in 2017 due to poor weather conditions in the European Union that slashed production in the bloc, international wine organization OIV said. Wine production totalled 250 million hectolitres last year, down 8.6 per cent from 2016, data from the Paris-based […] Read more
World wine output falls to 60-year low
Bayer wins EU approval for Monsanto buy
Brussels | Reuters — German conglomerate Bayer won EU antitrust approval on Wednesday for its US$62.5 billion buy of U.S. peer Monsanto, the latest in a trio of mega-mergers that will reshape the agrochemicals industry. The tie-up is set to create a company with control of more than a quarter of the world’s seed and […] Read more
Bayer offers asset sales for EU approval of Monsanto deal
Brussels/Frankfurt | Reuters — Bayer has offered to sell seeds and pesticides businesses to try to address EU competition concerns over its US$63.5 billion bid for U.S. rival Monsanto. The proposed remedies “are very significant and we are confident they fully address the European Commission’s concerns,” the German company said in a statement on Monday. […] Read more
EU review of Bayer’s Monsanto bid postponed further
Frankfurt/Brussels | Reuters — Bayer’s quest to win regulatory approval for its planned takeover of Monsanto ran into further delays on Monday as European Union antitrust investigators extended their investigation by five working days until March 12. The ongoing proceedings would have given the German drugs and pesticides maker until midnight on Monday to offer […] Read more
EU regulators reported as set to warn Bayer on Monsanto bid
Brussels | Reuters — EU antitrust regulators are set to warn Bayer its planned purchase of U.S. seed maker Monsanto may hurt competition, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday, a move that would force Bayer to offer concessions to address the concerns. The US$66 billion deal would make Bayer the world’s largest […] Read more
Germany’s Merkel scolds ally in glyphosate row
Berlin | Reuters — German Chancellor Angela Merkel scolded a minister on Tuesday in a bid to shield talks on forming a coalition government from a dispute between cabinet colleagues over an EU herbicide licence. Conservative Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt angered the centre-left SPD on Monday by breaking protocol to back a European Union proposal […] Read more
Germany swings EU vote in favour of glyphosate
Brussels | Reuters — Germany defeated its key EU ally France in a very tight vote on Monday to clear the use of glyphosate herbicide for the next five years after a heated debate over whether it causes cancer. After months of indecisive votes among the 28 member states in Brussels, Germany, whose Chancellor Angela […] Read more
Canada untangles pork label rule for EU export
A domestic technical obstacle has been cleared out of Canadian pork’s export path to the European Union, the Canadian Pork Council said Friday. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency last week made changes to its Manual of Procedures, which will allow pork packers to apply health mark labels after pork has been frozen, the council said. […] Read more
EU delays decision on glyphosate
Brussels | Reuters — EU countries failed on Wednesday to vote on a licence extension for glyphosate, delaying again a decision on the widely used herbicide that critics say could cause cancer. The European Commission said in a statement the relevant committee did not hold a vote at a meeting and that it would announce […] Read more
Britain reported looking to NAFTA if Brexit deal fails
London | Reuters — Britain could join a formal trade alliance with the United States, Canada and Mexico if the European Union refuses to clinch a post-Brexit trade deal, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Tuesday. The newspaper said British ministers were looking at joining the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as part of […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
