(Dave Bedard photo)

Bayer gets U.S. approval to buy Monsanto: report

Reuters — German drugs and pesticides group Bayer has reached a deal with the U.S. Justice Department for antitrust approval for its US$62.5 billion bid to acquire Monsanto by agreeing to sell additional assets, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. The Justice Department reached an agreement in principle with the two companies in recent days, […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle stumble on profit-taking

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle turned lower on Friday after profit-taking and fund liquidation gave back some of the market’s gains over the past two days, said traders. U.S. stocks’ plunge over trade war fears unnerved CME livestock investors still digesting Monday’s Chinese tariff hike on U.S. pork, with similar plans […] Read more



(WhiteHouse.gov)

Trump proposes US$100 billion more in new tariffs on China

Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had instructed U.S. trade officials to consider US$100 billion in additional tariffs on China, fueling an already heated trade dispute between the world’s two biggest economies. Trump said in a statement the further tariffs were being considered “in light of China’s unfair retaliation” […] Read more





(MGC.com.au)

Australia clears Saputo’s Murray Goulburn takeover

Reuters — Australia’s competition regulator on Wednesday approved a planned $1 billion takeover of the country’s largest dairy processor, Murray Goulburn Co-operative, by Canada’s Saputo. The deal, which Australia’s largest dairy processor says is key to its survival, was approved after Saputo agreed to sell a milk plant in Victoria state to address concerns from […] Read more




(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs end mixed on positioning before USDA report

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures settled mixed on Tuesday after investors adjusted positions before the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) quarterly hog report on Thursday, said traders. Analysts polled by Reuters, on average, estimated the U.S. hog inventory as of March 1 at 72.902 million head or 3.1 per cent […] Read more