CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — U.S. farmers will expand their soybean plantings by 6.5 percent in 2017 while scaling back on corn and wheat, according to a survey of growers released March 14 by Illinois-based research and brokerage firm Allendale Inc. Allendale’s survey of farmers in 33 U.S. states found that plantings of soybeans would increase […] Read more
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U.S. soybean acres pegged at 88.8 million; corn 90 million
Argentina’s ag drainage issues similar to Prairies
Flooding caused by intense rainstorms said to be made worse by farmers draining fields without approval
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) — It was not just the heavy rain that left the streets of the Argentine town of Pozo del Molle flooded for three months last year. Nearby farmers built drainage ditches without authorization to drain their fields of surface water, redirecting flows toward urban areas and worsening the impact of flooding, […] Read moreAG Notes
Beef Researcher Mentorship Program The deadline to apply for the BCRC Beef Researcher Mentorship Program is May 1. Applicants must be recent or soon-to-become applied researchers in Canada, with studies deemed of value to the beef industry, such as cattle health and welfare, beef quality, food safety, genetics, feed efficiency or forages. Four researchers were […] Read more
Glyphosate not carcinogenic: EU scientists
HELSINKI, Finland (Reuters) — Glyphosate should not be classified as a substance causing cancer, the European Chemical Agency concluded last week. Contradictory findings on carcinogenic risks have thrust the chemical into the centre of a dispute between EU and U.S. politicians, regulators and researchers. “This conclusion was based both on the human evidence and the […] Read more
Flax acres might rise as price improves
Winnipeg, March 21 – Solid demand for Canadian flax, combined with small production, has driven prices up, which could tempt producers making seeding choices this spring. Last year, Canadian flax seeded acreage was down 43 percent from the previous year,but yields were good. Production fell to 579,000 tonnes, and with the carry in, the total […] Read more
Russia’s crop, exports likely smaller in 2017
MOSCOW, March 23 (Reuters) – Russia, one of the world’s largest wheat exporters, will have less grain to offer the global market in the 2017-18 marketing year due to less favourable weather than in 2016-17, when it enjoyed a record crop, SovEcon agriculture consultancy said. The country’s grain crop would still be the second largest […] Read more
Asia fast-food chains pull meat off menus as Brazil scandal deepens
SEOUL/HONG KONG, March 23 (Reuters) – Major fast-food chains in South Korea and Hong Kong have pulled chicken, beef and pork off their menus as they scramble to reassure customers about food safety as Brazil’s meat scandal crisis intensifies. The drastic steps by Burger King and Mom’s Touch in South Korea, and Hong Kong’s top […] Read more
Supply management support needed in face of opposition
RED DEER — A “recovering dairy farmer” and the former chair of Alberta Milk says supply management must be protected for the good of the dairy industry. Bruce Beattie was a keynote speaker at the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar March 8 and he noted that supply management has been under attack from various quarters since […] Read more
Live cattle surge to 14-month high on cash gains
CHICAGO, March 22 (Reuters) – U.S. live cattle futures surged to the highest levels in 14 months on Wednesday, lifted by investment fund buying and steep gains at a weekly online cash cattle auction, traders and analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle rose by as much as 3 percent while lean hogs were mostly […] Read more
UK royals’ sibling rivalry? Princess Anne says GMO crops have benefits
ONDON, March 22 (Reuters) – Britain’s Princess Anne may have sparked some royal sibling rivalry after saying genetically modified crops had real benefits to offer, putting her at odds with her older brother Charles who says they would be an environmental disaster. In an interview with BBC radio, Anne said she would grow GMO crops […] Read more
