Manila | Reuters – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday outlined ambitious plans for his six-year term in office that focus on fiscal management, infrastructure upgrades and turning the long-neglected farm sector into an engine of growth. The Philippines is beset with numerous challenges, from soaring prices, food shortages, poverty and inequities in education, but Marcos, the […] Read more

Philippines’ Marcos lays out ambitious policy agenda with farm sector in focus

Health Canada to slap warning labels on sugary, salty and fatty foods
Ottawa | Reuters – Foods high in sugars, sodium and saturated fat will come with clear warning labels in Canada starting in 2026, the federal government said on Thursday, in an effort to promote healthier eating choices and reduce chronic health risks. “We know that it’s not always easy to make healthy choices,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told […] Read more

Deere considers rejected offer its “best and final” as strike continues
Reuters – Deere & Co said on Wednesday its latest offer rejected by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union is the U.S. tractor maker’s “best and final offer”, adding that it will keep all options open as the workers’ strike continues. Workers at the Illinois-based company continued their three-week-old strike a day after they voted […] Read more

U.S., UAE lead $4-bln effort to help farming adapt to climate change
Johannesburg | Reuters – The United States and the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday used COP26 climate talks to launch efforts to channel funding into making agriculture resilient to climate change, as well as to cut its emissions. The farming industry, a major part of the U.S. economy, is already battling the effects of climate change, including […] Read more

Bunge raises 2021 profit outlook on higher food, renewable fuel demand
Bunge Ltd reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter results and raised its full-year profit outlook on Wednesday for a third time this year amid improved demand for food and renewable fuel as pandemic restrictions have eased. Although volumes in the U.S. agricultural commodities trader’s core agribusiness and its refined and specialty oils units were down, robust oilseed processing […] Read more

Slow U.S. corn shipments could pressure supply forecasts
Reuters – The United States has already secured a record corn export campaign for the nearly concluded season, but the shipments are unlikely to match the government’s current forecast because the pace has recently been too slow. Disappointing export inspections last week – a marketing year low – might be an indication that the U.S. […] Read more

Once-in-50-year heat waves now happening every decade: U.N. climate report
Reuters – Extreme heat waves that previously only struck once every 50 years are now expected to happen once per decade because of global warming, while downpours and droughts have also become more frequent, a U.N. climate science report said on Monday. The report www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1 found that we are already experiencing those effects of climate […] Read more

Deere, Bear Flag aim to automate tractors as ‘fast as possible’
Reuters – U.S. tractor maker Deere & Co said on Thursday it would buy tech startup Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million, with the goal of developing over the next year systems Deere can sell to allow farm tractors to operate without a human driver in the cab. “We are effectively in market with real […] Read more

Bayer Q2 misses forecasts as costs, forex effects bite
Frankfurt | Reuters – Bayer shares fell to their lowest levels in more than seven months after the German agricultural and pharmaceuticals group reported lower-than-expected second-quarter core earnings due to higher production costs and currency headwinds. Second-quarter earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) before special items fell 10.6 percent to 2.58 billion euros ($3.05 billion), […] Read more

Millers, bakers fret as drought withers North America’s spring wheat
Reuters – Millers and bakers are draining wheat reserves and paying more for spring wheat used in baking, as drought shrivels crops across the Canadian Prairies and northern U.S. Plains that produce more than half of the world’s supply. U.S. and Canadian farmers are bracing for a sharply smaller spring wheat harvest due to the […] Read more