Washington | Reuters — A third U.S. rail union voted on Monday to reject a tentative national contract reached in September, but expects to continue negotiating to reach a deal. The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB), which represents about 300 U.S. rail employees, rejected the agreement, said the union and the National Carriers’ Conference Committee […] Read more
Third U.S. union rejects national rail contract deal
Two major unions' decisions due next week
U.S. corn farmers wary of vomitoxin, latest stress on global grain supplies
Chicago | Reuters – A fungus that causes “vomitoxin” has been found in some U.S. corn harvested this fall, causing headaches for growers and livestock producers and forcing ethanol plants and grain elevators to scrutinize grain deliveries. The situation is another hit to global grain supplies that have sunk to the lowest in a decade since Russia […] Read more
U.N.’s Black Sea grain deal continues without Russia
London | Reuters – Grain was flowing out of Ukraine at a record pace on Monday under an initiative led by the United Nations aimed at easing global food shortages despite Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the scheme. Russia said on Saturday it was pulling out of the deal, which ensured safe passage […] Read more
Russia halts Ukraine Black Sea grain exports, Biden outraged
Reuters – Russia on Saturday suspended participation in a U.N.-brokered Black Sea grain deal after what it said was a major Ukrainian drone attack on its fleet in Crimea, dealing a blow to attempts to ease the global food crisis. U.S. President Joe Biden denounced the move as “purely outrageous” and said it would increase […] Read more
U.S. winter wheat growers seed into dust as Plains drought persists
Chicago | Reuters — With seeding roughly halfway complete, the 2023 U.S. hard red winter wheat crop is already being hobbled by drought in the heart of the southern Plains, wheat experts said. Seeding plans may be scaled back in the U.S. breadbasket despite historically high prices for this time of year, reflecting rising global […] Read more
Biden overhauling U.S. marijuana policy
Prior federal offenses to be pardoned; moves could ease U.S. business for cannabis firms
Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden took steps to overhaul U.S. policy on marijuana on Thursday by pardoning thousands of people with federal offenses for simple marijuana possession — and initiating a review of how the drug is classified. Biden said thousands of people with prior federal convictions could be denied employment, housing […] Read more
Smithfield Foods to pay US$75 million in pork price-fixing settlement
Follows similar settlement by JBS
Reuters — Smithfield Foods has agreed to pay US$75 million to settle a lawsuit by consumers who accused the meat producer and several competitors of conspiring to inflate prices in the $20 billion-a-year U.S. pork market by limiting supply. A preliminary settlement in the antitrust case was filed on Tuesday night with the federal court […] Read more
U.S. railroad strike averted
Biden calls deal a 'win for America;' strike's impact would have reached up into Canada
Updated | Washington | Reuters — Major U.S. railroads and unions secured a tentative deal on Thursday after 20 hours of intense talks brokered by President Joe Biden’s administration to avert a rail shutdown that could have hit food and fuel supplies across the country and beyond. Biden called the deal a “big win for […] Read more
Larger U.S. barley crop expected in 2022
MarketsFarm — Barley production in the U.S. is forecast to be up substantially in 2022, with early indications pointing to the largest crop in seven years. In its latest production estimates, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast the country’s 2022 barley crop at 3.8 million tonnes, which would be up from the 2.6 million tonnes […] Read more
CUSMA leaders to discuss agreement during Mexico visit
Mexico City | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will discuss terms of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) agreement, which was ratified in 2018, during a visit to Mexico, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Monday. “We’ll have a summit to discuss terms of the trade agreement treaty… in Mexico,” […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
