Brussels | Reuters — The European Commission is extending by 18 months its approval for the herbicide glyphosate, used in Monsanto’s Roundup, Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said on Tuesday. Contradictory findings on carcinogenic risks have thrust the chemical into the centre of a dispute between EU and U.S. politicians, regulators and researchers. Campaign groups urged […] Read more
European Commission to extend glyphosate licence for 18 months
Canada dilutes plan to limit temporary foreign workers
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s Liberal government on Thursday watered down measures to limit the number of low-wage temporary foreign workers firms can hire after complaints the restrictions would cause major labour shortages. Under rules introduced by the previous Conservative administration, the number of low-skilled foreign workers a firm could employ would have dropped to […] Read more
Canpotex shelves plans for Prince Rupert terminal
Reuters — Canpotex, the potash export sales arm for PotashCorp, Mosaic Co. and Agrium, said Friday it would not build a planned shipping terminal at Prince Rupert in British Columbia. Canpotex said the decision was based on economic and commercial considerations and that its export capacity in Vancouver, Saint John and Portland were sufficient. PotashCorp […] Read more
Report finds ethanol, bioenergy no threat to food security
New York | Reuters — Bioenergy produced from crops does not threaten food supplies, researchers funded by the U.S. government, World Bank and others said in a report Tuesday, dealing a potential blow to critics of the country’s biofuels program. There is no clear relationship between biofuels and higher prices that threaten access to food, […] Read more
North Dakotans put ‘corporate’ farming to vote
Reuters — North Dakotans are voting Tuesday in a referendum to repeal a law enacted last year that changed decades of family-farming rules in the state by allowing corporations to own and operate dairy and hog farms. The North Dakota Farmers Union and other groups that collected signatures to put the referendum on the ballot […] Read more
Bayer ex-CEO reportedly opposed Monsanto deal
Frankfurt | Reuters — Bayer ex-chief executive Marijn Dekkers opposed the company’s plans for a US$62 billion takeover of U.S. seeds firm Monsanto, German magazine Der Spiegel reported. Dekkers warned Bayer non-executive board chairman Werner Wenning against going ahead with the offer, Der Spiegel said in an excerpt of an article to be published on […] Read more
China’s COFCO Agri hiring grain traders, opening Winnipeg office
Winnipeg | Reuters –– Chinese state-owned agricultural trader COFCO Agri is opening a trading office in the Canadian grain hub of Winnipeg, adding to the aggressive expansion of its North American agriculture business. COFCO Agri is hiring three grain traders and an operations manager to expand export and domestic trading, according to the company’s postings […] Read more
Canada’s PSP buys stake in tag maker Allflex
Reuters — PSP Investments, one of Canada’s biggest pension funds, said Friday it had acquired a significant minority stake in Allflex Group, the world’s biggest maker of electronic tags for animals, from private equity firm BC Partners. The purchase was overseen by PSP’s new team in London, led by Simon Marc, and is likely to […] Read more
Turkey bans ammonium nitrate sales after bomb attacks
Istanbul | Reuters — Turkey has banned the sale of fertilizers containing ammonium nitrate, which can be used in explosives, after at least half a dozen car bomb attacks this year, the agriculture minister said on Thursday. The move comes after 11 people including six police officers were killed on Tuesday in a car bomb […] Read more
Constellation seeks $1B valuation for Canadian wine unit
Reuters — Constellation Brands is seeking a valuation of about $1 billion for a possible initial public offering of its Canadian wine business this year, Bloomberg reported on Friday. The unit, which includes eight wineries and 160 retail locations across Ontario, is expected to list in Toronto as early as the fall, Bloomberg reported, citing […] Read more
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