Rooftop garden plots could help produce food in India’s large urban areas, where real estate comes at a premium
LONDON, U.K. (Thomson Reuters Foundation) — On a cold and rainy Friday afternoon, Steven Dring is tending his baby carrots in a somewhat unusual setting. The green shoots are in a tray of volcanic glass crystals under LED lights, and the tray is in a tunnel 33 metres underneath a busy London street. Dring is […] Read moreNews
World’s giant cities embrace urban farming
Warmer world boosting nordic wine industry
A Swedish winery that has won international awards is on the same latitude as Siberia, Alaska and Greenland
GVARV, Norway/BLAXSTA, Sweden — Farmers on one of the world’s northernmost frontiers are starting to talk about terroir and aroma as global warming and new technology push the boundaries of wine growing. “Maybe a touch of raspberry?” opined Wenche Hvattum, one of two farmers at the Lerkekasa vineyard west of Oslo as they debate aromas […] Read moreU.S. ethanol slumps to 9-year low on record supply spike
CHICAGO, Jan 14 (Reuters) – U.S. ethanol futures fell to the lowest levels in nearly a decade on Wednesday after government data showed the largest supplies of the grain-based fuel additive in about two years, traders said. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said ethanol stockpiles surged 1.38 million barrels to 20.23 million barrels in the […] Read more
Canola futures rise with help from soy oil, funds
Soy oil strength and a weak Canadian dollar helped lift canola futures on Wednesday. Funds bought canola and that too supported the oilseed. Soybeans bounced back a little after losses earlier this week but corn and wheat continued to fall. News of additional soybean exports helped lift soybeans late in the trading day to close […] Read more
Active fund selloff extends CME live cattle losses
By Theopolis Waters CHICAGO, Jan 14 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle fell for a seventh straight session on Wednesday as funds liquidated positions in association with their yearly rebalancing of commodities, traders said. Funds involved in CME’s livestock markets that follow the Standard & Poor’s Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (S&P GSCI) sold, or […] Read more
Chipotle suspends pork sales at a third of its U.S. restaurants
(Reuters) — Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. said it would suspend pork sales at about a third of its U.S. restaurants, following a routine audit that revealed one of its suppliers was not complying with its animal-welfare standards. The inspection of the undisclosed supplier exposed some inconsistencies in protocol, communications director Chris Arnold said. Suppliers must […] Read more
Russia’s winter grains in worse condition than last year
MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russia’s winter grains are in a worse condition than last year after a dry autumn, the head of Russian weather forecaster Hydrometcentre said on Wednesday, adding to risks for this year’s harvest. The grain crop in Russia, expected to be the world’s fourth-largest wheat exporter this year, depends heavily on weather patterns. […] Read more
CME live cattle contract tumbles on fund liquidation
By Theopolis Waters CHICAGO, Jan 13 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle posted heavy losses on Tuesday after funds kept selling February long contracts while simultaneously rolling them into back months, traders said. Funds involved in CME’s livestock markets that follow the Standard & Poor’s Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (S&P GSCI) shifted their February […] Read more
Canola bucks trend as other crop futures fall
Canola futures bucked the trend Tuesday, rising while all other crop commodities ended the day lower. Canola rose on fund buying and a weak loonie. There are also ideas that it is underpriced relative to soybeans. The farmer is not seeing a lot of the gains in the futures so far this new year because […] Read more
Chance of full-blown El Nino event fading: weather watcher
WINNIPEG — Despite frequent predictions that an El Nino weather event would unfold in early 2015, a weather-expert from Kansas City says it’s growing more and more unlikely we will see one anytime soon. “The latest data suggests a weakening trend, and even though we have some of the symptoms of El Nino, we’re not […] Read more
