Paris | Reuters — France expects to have cut the use of glyphosate herbicide by 80 per cent by early 2021, its agriculture minister said on Friday, less than previously anticipated due to the number of farmers who will qualify for an exemption. In November 2017, President Emmanuel Macron pledged to ban glyphosate in France […] Read more
France’s glyphosate exit seen 80 per cent complete by 2021
France delays food price rise for farmers after protests
Paris | Reuters — France, reeling from violent protests over the cost of living, said Wednesday it will delay a planned rise in minimum food prices, incurring the wrath of the main farmers group which urged street action next week. A powerful constituency in French politics, farmers have long complained of being hit by a […] Read more
Fearful of swine fever, France to put up fence on Belgian border
Strasbourg, France | Reuters — France will put up fencing along its border with Belgium to prevent wild boars spreading African swine fever, a virulent livestock disease that could disrupt Europe’s pig industry. France has been on alert for African swine fever since Belgium detected the virus last month among wild boars a few kilometres […] Read more
France to the rescue as drought hits EU barley crop
Hamburg | Reuters — Drought has seriously damaged barley harvests in northern Europe, potentially tightening supplies of animal feed and malt for beer brewing, but a decent crop in France could save the day, experts said on Thursday. “There are painful crop losses in Germany, Poland, Britain and Scandinavia,” one German trader said. “The volume […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans down on trade war worry
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures closed at their lowest level in more than two years on Monday while corn fell to fresh contract lows on strong U.S. crop prospects and worries about trade fights with China and other main export partners. Wheat also retreated as rising supplies from the U.S. winter crop harvest […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat sets two-week high
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures touched a two-week high above US$5 a bushel on Friday on reduced expectations for France’s harvest while corn prices rose on concerns over unfavourably hot U.S. crop weather. Soybean futures touched a one-week low after a bout of selling late in the trading session erased earlier gains. An […] Read more
World wine output falls to 60-year low
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
France says will not ban glyphosate when no alternative
Saint-Genes-Champanelle, France | Reuters — France will not force farmers to stop using glyphosate after a ban planned within three years, in cases where an alternative has not been found, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday. He added that this would likely concern 10 per cent of farms while solutions could be found for the […] Read more
Limagrain says GMO protests could force R+D relocation
Paris | Reuters — Limagrain, the world’s fourth-largest seed maker, will consider moving its research activities out of France if field trials in its home market continue to be sabotaged by opponents of genetically modified crops. The French co-operative group was targeted last month by protestors who invaded test fields southeast of Paris and scattered […] 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
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
