BEIJING/CHICAGO (Reuters) — China and the United States have made progress towards reaching a deal on American beef exports, but agreement on technical issues is still needed before final approval, China’s vice agriculture minister, Niu Dun, said on Friday. China has restricted imports of American beef for 10 years following the first reported U.S. case, […] Read more
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China sees progress on U.S. beef talks, technical issues remain: Updated
Neonicotinoids compared to DDT by environmentalists
Neonicotinoids are the new DDT. Neonicotinoids are the new DDT. Neonicotinoids are the new DDT. If you repeat something often enough, eventually people assume it’s true, says Joe Schwarz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science & Society and a scientist who dispels myths, nonsense and non-science. If Schwarz is right, North Americans may soon […] Read more
Koch Fertilizer to expand nitrogen plant in Brandon
Koch Fertilizer will spend $30 million to expand its nitrogen plant in Brandon, boosting ammonia production by 90,000 tons annually. In a release, Koch said the money would be spent on installation of production equipment and process efficiencies. “This investment in infrastructure and increase capacity supports our continuing efforts to provide value for our customers,” […] Read more
Buckingham reappointed chair of Canadian Agricultural Review Tribunal
Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz is reappointing Lloydminster, Sask., native Donald Buckingham to a second term as chair of the Canadian Agricultural Review Tribunal. The experienced lawyer raised in Ritz’s northwestern Saskatchewan riding was first appointed chair of the tribunal in 2009 by the minister. His new three-year term begins March 31. Buckingham has worked as […] Read more
Feed creates quality in sow body score
There is a genetic component to feed efficiency, but hog producers can do other things to improve weight gain, says Kansas State Animal Nutritionist Steve Dritz. For the full story see the January 2 Western Producer article on page 71. To learn more about sow body scoring click the following link to download a set […] Read more
China rejects 545,000 T U.S. corn in a month over GM strain
BEIJING, Dec 20 (Reuters) – China has rejected a total of 545,000 tonnes of corn from the United States as of Dec. 19, after detecting an unapproved genetically modified strain, the government’s quarantine authority said on Friday. The rejection of U.S. supplies by the world’s No.3 corn importer could drag on Chicago Board of Trade […] Read more
Milk price increases; restaurants see red
The Canadian Dairy Commission has awarded dairy farmers a one percent increase in industrial milk price supports for 2014, triggering a fierce reaction from the restaurant lobby. “Dairy prices in Canada have historically outpaced both the consumer price index and the farmer’s own cost of production,” the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association said in reaction […] Read more
U.S. corn shipments to China continue, but new sales dry up
(Reuters) — U.S. exporters continue to load corn shipments to China despite uncertainty over whether cargoes could be rejected because of an unapproved genetically modified strain, although volumes have declined recently, government data showed on Thursday. Meanwhile, new sales to the world’s second-largest corn consumer have dried up and some grain previously sold to China […] Read more
National Research Council to lay off 57 positions
The National Research Council is in the middle of a nation-wide workforce adjustment process that will result in job losses at NRC locations across the country. NRC officials confirmed Dec. 20 that 57 positions will be eliminated across the country, including six in Halifax, 20 in Quebec, 18 in Ontario, one in Winnipeg and eight […] Read more
Argentina ups 2013-14 wheat crop to 9 mln tonnes
BUENOS AIRES, Dec 19 (Reuters) – Argentina’s 2013-14 wheat crop should come in at nine million tonnes, up from a previous forecast of 8.5 million tonnes, the agriculture ministry said on Thursday in its monthly crop report. The Argentine government also raised its forecast for the area destined for wheat crop planting by 31,000 hectares […] Read more
