Reuters – Agricultural merchant Bunge Ltd warned on Wednesday of a drop in annual profits due to mounting challenges to its grain trading and processing business from the U.S.-China trade war and a fatal pig disease in Asia, sending shares down more than 4 percent. The company reported better-than-expected third-quarter profits, driven by higher margins […] Read more
Bunge shares slide as China trade war, pig disease upset exports
Is the weed seed ‘destructor’ ready for prime time in Alberta?
Invention is now cheaper and easier to use, but it's still ‘a hard sell’ for farmers
Reading Time: 5 minutes In the battle against herbicide-resistant weeds here in Alberta, the Harrington Seed Destructor might just win us the war — if farmers can justify the $100,000 price tag. “If herbicides are still working, it can be hard to convince producers to spend that kind of money to purchase this kind of equipment,” said federal research […] Read more
Future of ag policy remains unclear ahead of election
Ottawa – If polls and pundits are to be believed, Monday’s federal election will result in a minority government — meaning no single party would alone be dictating the immediate future of agricultural policy in Canada. While the true results won’t be known until Monday night, most pollsters are speculating either a Conservative or Liberal-led […] Read more
As ‘Cannabis 2.0’ kicks off, industry strangled by limited retail outlets
Reuters — A year after Canada legalized use of recreational marijuana, cannabis stocks have lost half their market value, and investors betting that the launch of higher-margin pot-infused drinks and other products will quickly lift shares may be in for a bumpy ride. So-called cannabis 2.0 — legalization of marijuana derivatives including edibles, beverages, extracts […] Read more
BHP sets early 2021 for decision on Jansen potash project
Melbourne | Reuters — BHP Group Ltd., the world’s biggest miner, said on Thursday it will make a final investment decision on its long-delayed $17 billion Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan around February 2021. Investors have been awaiting a decision by BHP on whether to go ahead with project, which would be its most significant […] Read more
Trump administration proposes plan to raise biofuels use, EPA says
New York | Reuters — The Trump administration, in an effort to mend fences with the powerful U.S. corn lobby, proposed a new formula on Tuesday to boost biofuels demand — but the proposal instead only provoked more consternation from the industry. Corn and soybean farmers have been angered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s […] Read more
Mexican Senate set to pass bill to legalize marijuana in next few days
Mexico City | Reuters — Mexico’s Senate will vote for a bill to fully legalize marijuana in the next few days, a key lawmaker told Reuters, marking a major step toward changing the country’s approach to the drug by removing it as a source of income for violent drug gangs. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, […] Read more
Pot producer CannTrust to destroy $77M in plants, inventory
Reuters — Canadian cannabis producer CannTrust Holdings said Monday it would destroy about $12 million worth of plants and about $65 million worth of inventory as part of a plan to regain full regulatory compliance. Health Canada canceled CannTrust’s license to produce and sell cannabis in September, months after it found the company was illegally […] Read more
Mosaic to further curb Saskatchewan potash output
Fertilizer firm Mosaic Co. is dialing back production at another of its potash mines in eastern Saskatchewan as its potash inventories rise. Minnesota-based Mosaic Co. said Thursday it will “temporarily curtail” potash production at its Esterhazy mine, bringing the company’s total production curtailments up to 600,000 tonnes. The added curtailment, the company said, is based […] Read more
Wet fall raises risk of Manitoba spring flood
MarketsFarm — Manitoba’s Red River Valley is very wet heading into the winter freeze, but it’s still too early to say if the saturated soils will lead to flooding in the spring, according to provincial forecasters. The Manitoba government on Wednesday took the unprecedented step of opening the Red River Floodway, marking the first time […] Read more
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