By Carey Gillam Feb 13 (Reuters) – The growth of biotech crops in the United States appears to have hit a plateau, but farmers are accelerating plantings in Asia, although it still remains a much smaller market, according to an industry report issued Thursday. Farmers around the world grew a record 175.2 million hectares (433 […] Read more
Stories by Reuters News Service
Oilseed futures rise as dry weather trims Brazil soy yields
By Karl Plume CHICAGO, Feb 18 (Reuters) – Oilseed futures are rising Tuesday as adverse weather in South America fuelled concerns about smaller crops in key exporters Brazil and Argentina. Light rain was expected in many parts of Brazil over the next few days to reduce the stress on crops but damage has already been […] Read more
German poultry sector ends avoidance of GMO soy in feed
HAMBURG, Feb 18 (Reuters) – German poultry producers have given up a promise to consumers to avoid feeding birds with soy containing genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) because of lower supplies of non-GMO soybeans, poultry producers association BBH said on Tuesday. Brazil, the main bulk supplier of GMO-free soybeans, was likely to cut its supplies of GMO-free […] Read more
White House pledges $1 billion to prepare for climate change
WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama on Friday unveiled a $1 billion fund in his 2015 budget to help communities across the United States prepare for the impact of climate change. The fund, announced in Fresno, California, is part of Obama’s pledge to speed federal assistance to the most populous U.S. state. California […] Read more
Profit taking undercuts CME live cattle futures
By Theopolis Waters CHICAGO, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures turned lower on Friday, pressured by profit taking ahead of the three-day holiday weekend, traders said. The CME will be closed on Monday in observance of the U.S. Presidents Day holiday. February live cattle closed 0.550 cent per pound lower at […] Read more
Food importers shift from dry bulk cargo ships to containers
LONDON (Reuters) — Food importers in Asia are switching from dry bulk cargo ships to container vessels, which normally carry goods such as toys and TVs, as they offer a way to import smaller amounts and can be cheaper per tonne. The global transport of agricultural commodities traditionally has taken place on carriers brimming with […] Read more
CF industries inks long-term deals to supply ammonium nitrate
(Reuters) — CF Industries Holdings Inc., the world’s second-largest nitrogen fertilizer producer, said on Thursday that it has agreed to long-term deals to supply ammonium nitrate to customers. The deals come as Deerfield, Illinois-based CF focuses on nitrogen production after agreeing last year to sell its phosphate business to Mosaic Co. for $1.4 billion. CF […] Read more
Higher cash prices rally CME live cattle futures
By Theopolis Waters CHICAGO, Feb 13 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures turned upward on Thursday, driven by short-covering in response to higher preliminary cash prices, traders said. Cash cattle traded in Kansas at $142 per hundredweight (cwt), up $1 from last week, feedlot sources said. They said sellers elsewhere in the U.S. […] Read more
U.S. farmers likely to plant less corn, more soy In 2014-15: USDA
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The Department of Agriculture on Thursday said U.S. farmers were likely to plant less corn in the upcoming season, switching land to soybeans and wheat instead, but that normal weather would still result in bumper crops all around. USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist delivered an outlook for much lower corn, wheat […] Read more
AgFunder, crowd funding for agriculture, launches first deal
(Reuters) — Crowd funding has found the farm. AgFunder, an online platform for agriculture-related companies to seek capital through a form of crowd-sourced fundraising, said Wednesday it was launching its first campaign by focusing on a California agricultural data company. Through the online platform, Fresno, California-based OnFarm is looking to raise $400,000 in capital to […] Read more
