Reuters News Service

MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russia, one of the world’s main wheat producers, faces years of modest grain crop growth as farmers are struggling to boost low yields and get more land in regions with easy access to ports, SovEcon, Russia’s leading agricultural consultancy, said. The country, which exports grain to North Africa and the Middle East […] Read more

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — U.S. food prices are expected to rise more rapidly this year after a very tame 2013, led by gains in beef, poultry and egg prices, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Tuesday. The food price inflation outlook assumes normal weather, the USDA said, adding that the California drought poses a risk […] Read more

WINNIPEG (Reuters) — U.S.-based fertilizer company Mosaic Co. said on Tuesday that it has laid off 51 workers at its Canadian potash operations, as the industry struggles to recover from low prices and weak demand. Spokesman Rob Litt said the layoffs are spread out among Mosaic’s operations in Saskatchewan, which include three potash mines and […] Read more

WELLINGTON (Reuters) — New Zealand’s Fonterra , the world’s largest dairy exporter, should be flying high on the back of record prices and a “white gold” rush as Chinese demand for milk powder soars. But the nation’s biggest company is expected to reveal a sharp decline in first-half profit on Wednesday, as higher costs, too […] Read more

GENEVA (Reuters) — There has been no reverse in the trend of global warming and there is still consistent evidence for man-made climate change, the head of the U.N. World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Monday. A slow-down in the average pace of warming at the planet’s surface this century has been cited by “climate […] Read more

SAO PAULO (Reuters) — JBS SA, the world’s largest meat packer, expects China’s demand for food imports to remain strong despite slower economic growth and believes its sales to the Asian country will increase by 20 percent in 2014, an executive said. In 2013, the company’s sales to China totalled nearly $2 billion, Joesley Batista, […] Read more

CHICAGO (Reuters) — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures fell for the first time in eight sessions, pressured by profit-taking in anticipation of prices for market-ready or cash hogs topping out soon, traders said on Monday. For more than a month, packers maintained steady or higher cash hog bids due to harsh wintry weather and the […] Read more

TORONTO (Reuters) — The Teamsters union representing conductors, yard workers, and traffic coordinators agreed to meet with Canadian National Railway Co. one last time in hopes of reaching a new a settlement, Canada’s biggest rail operator said late on Saturday. CN Rail’s labour negotiation offer, made on Friday, was on the condition that the Teamsters […] Read more

WINNIPEG (Reuters) — CWB has started building its first grain elevator as the company formerly known as the Canadian Wheat Board attempts to re-position itself as an independent grain handler. CWB said in a release on Monday that it will build a grain elevator at Bloom, Manitoba, that will be ready to receive grain for […] Read more

CHICAGO (Reuters) — The amount of pork in U.S. cold storage warehouses in February reached a record high for a third straight month, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly cold storage report issued on Friday. Friday’s USDA report showed February total pork inventories at 653.8 million lbs, topping February 2013’s record of 633.4 […] Read more