San Francisco | Reuters — Ford Motor Co. plans to suspend or cut production at eight of its factories in the U.S., Canada and Mexico throughout next week because of chip supply constraints, a spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday. The changes come a day after the Detroit automaker warned a chip shortage would lead to […] Read more

Ford to suspend or cut plants’ output on chip shortage

Coronavirus kills 15,000 U.S. mink
Affected states aren't planning to cull
Chicago | Reuters — More than 15,000 mink in the United States have died of the coronavirus since August, and authorities are keeping about a dozen farms under quarantine while they investigate the cases, state agriculture officials said. Global health officials are eying the animals as a potential risk for people after Denmark last week […] Read more

Scoular to sell edible bean business
MarketsFarm — The Scoular Company has made a deal to sell its edible beans business in Manitoba and the northern U.S. to a Michigan edible bean processing and exporting co-op. Cooperative Elevator Co., which is owned by over 1,100 U.S. farmers and operates mainly in Michigan’s “thumb” northeast of Flint, announced Friday it will buy […] Read more

Ontario hog farmers to get new options with Michigan plant
A combination of hog prices remaining high despite good supplies and a new processing plant in nearby Michigan have Ontario hog farmers optimistic about the near future. “It’s unambiguously good news to have more processing capacity close to Ontario,” said Patrick O’Neil, Ontario Pork’s marketing division manager, at the Ontario Pork Congress. The Clemens Food […] Read more

Worst U.S. avian flu outbreak ever expands to Michigan
Chicago | Reuters — Michigan on Monday said Canada geese in the state tested positive for a lethal strain of bird flu, bringing the worst outbreak of the disease in U.S. history to a 21st state. Three young geese collected at Sterling Heights, Mich., about 35 km north of Windsor, Ont., were infected with the […] Read more