WINTERSET, IOWA, April 5 (Reuters) – Contaminated grass and wildflower seed for conservation and wildlife land has triggered the spread of a fast-growing weed that threatens to strangle crops in America’s rural heartland. The weed, Palmer amaranth, is hard to kill and, if left unchecked, destroys as much as 91 percent of corn on infested […] Read more
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Contaminated seed spreads destructive weed in U.S.
Canola creeps higher for third day, market watches Argentina rain
Canola futures rose Wednesday with support from a stronger soy complex and a rebound in palm futures. Generally it was an up day in the crop markets, except for Minneapolis spring wheat. WATCH THIS WEEK’S CROP MARKET VIDEO UPDATE The market was mostly trading weather. Forecasts for rain in Argentina’s soybean area supported the oilseed. […] Read more
CFIA extends flour recall across Canada
A recall on specific 10-kilogram bags of Robin Hood All-Purpose Flour has been extended nation-wide by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. One person has become ill and more than 20 other cases of illness are being investigated to see if flour potentially contaminated with E. coli 0121 is the cause. Initially the recall, announced March […] Read more
Monsanto Q2 profit jumps on strong demand for seeds
CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — U.S. seeds and agrochemicals company Monsanto Co., which is in the process of being bought by Germany’s Bayer AG for $66 billion, reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit today, helped by strong demand for its soybean and corn seeds. Monsanto’s shares were up 1.6 percent at $115.84 after earlier hitting a 22-month […] Read more
Processor bankruptcy costs Man. vegetable growers a customer
A Manitoba company with world beating technology to turn vegetables and pulses into purees is now bankrupt. Canadian Prairie Garden Puree Products of Portage la Prairie filed for bankruptcy protection in late March. Receivership records show that the company owes $9 million: $6 million to secured creditors and $3 million to unsecured creditors. The secured […] Read more
Sask. ag worker course discontinued due to lack of interest
A program designed to train agricultural workers and help alleviate a shortage of skilled labour on Saskatchewan farms did not continue beyond a pilot project stage. The Agricultural Operator Program was announced in 2014 as part of the provincial government’s growth plan. It was delivered by Parkland Regional College in Yorkton and, if successful, was […] Read more
ChemChina, Syngenta win U.S. antitrust approval for deal
By Diane Bartz WASHINGTON, April 4 (Reuters) – The China National Chemical Corp, or ChemChina, has won U.S. antitrust approval to buy Switzerland’s Syngenta AG on condition that it divest three products, the Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday. The US$43 billion deal, which was announced in February 2016, was prompted by China’s desire to […] Read more
Canola edges higher, basis narrows
For a second day, canola futures eked out the tiniest of gains, supported by a weaker loonie. There was little in the way of new market moving news. The market is still adjusting following last week’s USDA planting intentions and stocks reports, as well as rising forecasts for Brazil’s record large soybean crop. Soybean futures […] Read more
Glyphosate-free label unveiled in U.S.
Food label claims have become about as rare as air molecules. Seemingly, every food item in the grocery store is either free range, free run, humanely raised, organic, GMO-free and of course, gluten-free. But a label officially launched in March and now on the market might generate more controversy than any of the previous claims. […] Read more
Sask. Water Security Agency warns of possible ice jams, flooding
The Water Security Agency (WSA) is advising the public of the potential for ice jams and flooding in a couple areas of the province as spring runoff progresses. With spring runoff underway flows are picking up in most systems which is lifting and moving ice in places. There have been several reports of ice […] Read more
