Reuters — A Missouri jury’s US$265 million award to peach grower Bill Bader in his lawsuit against herbicide providers Bayer and BASF has raised the stakes for the two companies as at least 140 similar cases head to U.S. courts later this year. A jury in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, handed Bader, […] Read more
Peach grower awarded US$265 million in dicamba drift suit
Sudan to continue to subsidize bread but with ‘justice’
Khartoum | Reuters — Sudan will continue to subsidize bread prices during transitional rule after Omar al-Bashir’s ouster but wants to achieve “justice” in distributing income supports, its trade and industry minister said on Wednesday. Bread shortages, caused by difficulties in raising hard currency to import wheat, triggered mass protests which — with the help […] Read more
Colombia cleared of foot-and-mouth
Country now aims to double meat exports
Bogota | Reuters — Colombia will look to double its meat exports now it has regained its status as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease, President Ivan Duque said on Thursday. Foot-and-mouth is a highly contagious viral disease found in animals and is one of the most serious to affect livestock, including cattle, sheep and […] Read more
Corteva to accelerate Enlist E3 soybean rollout
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. seed and crop chemical maker Corteva said Thursday it will accelerate production of its next-generation biotech soybean seeds and complementary herbicides in Canada and the U.S. over the next five years. The move heightens the competition for sales to farmers with rivals Bayer and BASF. Up to 20 per cent […] Read more
Starbucks plans plant-based breakfast sandwich
Reuters — Starbucks Corp. said Tuesday it would introduce a breakfast sandwich this year with a plant-based patty in Canada and the United States. The coffee chain said last week it aims to add more plant-based food and drinks to its menu as part of the company’s latest plan to become more environmentally friendly. A […] Read more
Tim Hortons pulls Beyond Meat products from Ontario, B.C.
Reuters — Restaurant Brands International’s Tim Hortons said on Tuesday it has removed Beyond Meat’s products from its coffee and donut shops in Ontario and British Columbia. This comes after the coffee and breakfast chain cut Beyond Meat’s burgers and sandwiches from its menu in September from all of Canada except the two provinces. “We […] Read more
Zimbabwe says grain stocks running out after drought
Harare | Reuters — Zimbabwe has only 100,000 tonnes of grain in its strategic reserves, enough to last just over a month, as the southern African nation suffers the effects of a severe drought, according to the agriculture minister. More than half the country’s population faces food shortages after maize harvests halved last year. The […] Read more
Namibia looks to import cattle as drought decimates herds
Windhoek | Reuters — Namibian state-owned meat processing and marketing firm Meatco is in talks with neighbour Botswana to import cattle, as severe drought decimates local herds and threatens beef export deals with China and European countries. The southern African desert nation moved closer to famine last month after dam levels fell below 20 per […] Read more
China certifies three domestic GM traits
Beijing | Reuters — China’s agriculture ministry issued biosafety certificates on Tuesday for domestically grown, genetically modified (GM) corn and soybean traits, moving closer to commercialization of GM grain production in the world’s top market. The certificates, valid from Dec. 2, 2019 until Dec. 2, 2024, were granted to a corn trait developed by Beijing […] Read more
U.S. farmers expected to get third and final tranche of trade aid
Washington | Reuters — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said he expected the federal government to pay farmers a third and final tranche of 2019 trade aid a day after an initial deal with China was signed, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. Washington and Beijing signed the Phase One pact on Wednesday, setting trade tensions between […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
