Ontario farmers buying production insurance for forage crops this year can use data from up to three rainfall reporting stations in their coverage. Agricorp, which manages Ontario’s provincial farm programs and production insurance, said Thursday its move will allow forage growers enrolled in the forage rainfall plan to choose stations closer to the spots where […] Read more
Ont. expands rain gauge options for forage insurance
Canada blocking poultry, eggs from Minnesota
Discovery of H5N2 avian flu at a commercial turkey operation in central Minnesota has led Canada to curb cross-border imports of poultry and eggs from the state. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on Friday announced restrictions blocking any raw poultry or poultry products or byproducts that aren’t fully cooked. Such products — including eggs […] Read more
St. Lawrence Seaway opening delayed
CNS Canada — The reopening of the St. Lawrence Seaway will be delayed by a week, with the navigation season now set to begin April 2, according to a notice from the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. Citing “careful review and consideration of factors and conditions affecting safe navigation and effective system transit,” seaway officials […] Read more
Argentina says ‘worried’ about flooded soy fields
Buenos Aires | Reuters — Flooding in some of the soy-growing areas of Cordoba, Entre Rios and Santa Fe provinces has become “worrying” to the government as farmers get ready to start harvesting the 2014-15 crop, the agriculture ministry said in its weekly report on Friday. The northern part of the Pampas grains belt has […] Read more
Costco working to end use of human antibiotics in chicken
Chicago | Reuters — Costco Wholesale Corp. is working toward eliminating the sale of chicken and meat from other animals raised with antibiotics that are vital to fighting human infections, senior executives at the third-largest U.S. retailer told Reuters on Thursday. The ongoing push by Costco, which sells 80 million rotisserie chickens a year, highlights […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures jump with cash prices
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle settled higher on Friday, driven by short-covering in response to strong preliminary cash prices, traders said. April closed 1.375 cents per pound higher at 154.65 cents, and June ended up 1.075 cents at 147.1 cents (all figures US$). A small number of market-ready (cash) cattle in […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn falls on stronger dollar, ample supplies
Reuters — Corn fell one per cent on Friday and soybeans weakened slightly due to ample supplies and a stronger dollar, which made U.S. exports pricier. U.S. wheat hit a contract low before prices rose modestly due to bargain-buying, traders said. The nearby contract posted a weekly loss of six per cent. Spread trades involved […] Read more
H5N2 avian flu found in Minnesota turkey flock
U.S. officials have confirmed a commercial turkey flock in central Minnesota to be the first in the Mississippi flyway with a highly pathogenic strain of H5N2 avian flu. The high-path strain is confirmed as the same seen in recent months in backyard flocks and wild birds in the Pacific flyway states of Washington, Oregon and […] Read more
North Dakota canola acreage set to increase
CNS Canada –– Canola acreage in North Dakota is expected to increase slightly in 2015, as it offers many benefits for farmers in the state, industry officials say. “We’ve been projecting canola acres all along to go up from 1.2 million to maybe 1.3 million in North Dakota this year,” said Barry Coleman, executive director […] Read more
Australia backs farmers on foreign ownership gripes
Canberra | Reuters –– The Australian government has sided with farmers who say official data vastly underestimates foreign ownership of the nation’s farmland, as it moves to clamp down on overseas purchases of agricultural land. Foreign ownership is a key concern for many farmers, a crucial part of the conservative government’s support base, who worry […] Read more