Reuters — Employees of Monsanto ghostwrote scientific reports that U.S. regulators relied on to determine that a chemical in its Roundup herbicide does not cause cancer, farmers and others suing the company claimed in court filings. The documents, made public Tuesday, are part of a mass litigation in federal court in San Francisco claiming Monsanto […] Read more
Monsanto ghostwrote Roundup studies, plaintiffs in U.S. suit say
Bayer, Monsanto start asset sale toward merger clearance
Frankfurt | Reuters — German drug and crop chemical maker Bayer and U.S. seeds company Monsanto are launching asset sales worth roughly US$2.5 billion as they seek regulatory clearance for their US$66 billion merger, people close to the matter said. To kick off an auction process, Bayer’s advisors will send out information packages next week […] Read more
Bayer sees pesticide profits stagnating before Monsanto takeover
Leverkusen, Germany | Reuters — German drugs and pesticides maker Bayer forecast a year without earnings growth for its agricultural products business on Wednesday, as it seeks to complete its US$66 billion deal to take over U.S. seeds giant Monsanto. Bayer has said the deal, which would put the size of its agricultural business on […] Read more
Nominate a local charity for a $2,500 grant
Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications are now open for the Farmers Grow Communities program, which allows farmers to nominate their favourite local charity for a $2,500 grant. Over the last five years, the Monsanto Fund has given out nearly $1 million to more than 300 rural charities. Almost any non-profit organization based in rural Canada is eligible. Past winners […] Read more
Bayer, Monsanto confirm spending plans after meeting Trump
Frankfurt | Reuters –– Bayer and Monsanto said Tuesday they would spend at least half of their agriculture research and development budget in the U.S. over the next six years, following a meeting with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump last week. The two companies, which are awaiting approval of their agreed US$66 billion deal from Trump’s […] Read more
Monsanto swings to profit on South American demand
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. seeds and agrochemicals company Monsanto, in the process of being bought by Germany’s Bayer for US$66 billion, swung to a quarterly profit, helped by higher demand from South America. Sales of soybe2an seeds and traits jumped 37 per cent as more farmers in South America sowed the company’s genetically modified […] Read more
Climate Corp. crop data system in beta for Western Canada
A major farm data analysis package, already being offered for sale in Eastern Canada for use this spring, is in beta testing toward a rollout later this year in Western Canada. Management from Monsanto and its farm data systems arm, The Climate Corp., speaking on a conference call Thursday, said they see a launch for […] Read more
This is not good — triple-resistant kochia has entered Alberta
Glyphosate-resistant kochia was bad but there’s a new strain that’s much worse
Reading Time: 3 minutes Kochia, one of Western Canada’s most abundant and economically devastating weed species, has won another major battle in overcoming herbicide. This summer, the first known Group 4 herbicide-resistant kochia was identified in a durum wheat field in southwestern Saskatchewan. And samples currently being tested from a farm in southern Alberta are also suspected to be […] Read more
Monsanto shareholders back Bayer deal
Chicago | Reuters –– Shareholders of U.S. seeds and agrochemicals company Monsanto approved the company’s US$66 billion acquisition by Bayer on Tuesday, a deal that still requires regulatory approval to close as expected in late 2017. Increased research and development spending by the combined companies and plans to develop a global seeds and biotechnology hub […] Read more
Farmers help 18 Alberta groups win $2,500 grant
Reading Time: 2 minutes Eighteen Alberta charities and non-profits will receive $2,500 grants from the Monsanto Fund as part of the 2016 Canada’s Farmers Grow Communities program. Each non-profit was nominated by a local farmer who applied on behalf of their favourite cause. The program received more than 500 entries this year and 66 groups were chosen by a […] Read more