Sacramento | Reuters — This week’s California storms dumped up to 7.6 cm of rain on the parched state and more wet weather is on the way, but it is too soon to know whether there will be enough precipitation this winter to remedy three years of drought, forecasters said. Although the sun came out […] Read more
More rain on the way for California, but drought may not be over
Asian markets block Canadian poultry over bird flu
Reuters — Canada’s detection of avian influenza on two British Columbia farms has resulted in trade restrictions from several Asian markets, a government spokesman said Wednesday. South Korea has banned imports of Canadian chicks; Hong Kong and Taiwan have imposed trade restrictions on British Columbia poultry and poultry products; and Japan has imposed trade restrictions […] Read more
Brazil regulator lifts suspension of JBS Foods’ IPO
Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Brazil securities regulator CVM on Tuesday lifted its suspension of the initial public offering for JBS SA’s processed food unit, JBS Foods, as long as the company holds off taking orders for investment until after Christmas. CVM suspended the share offering Nov. 24, after the company’s CEO breached regulations by […] Read more
Dry spell to create ideal conditions for Argentine grains
Buenos Aires | Reuters — Heavy rains during the weekend will be followed by a dry spell across much of Argentina’s grains belt, creating ideal growing conditions for the 2014-15 corn and soy crop, a local meteorologist said on Monday. German Heinzenknecht, meteorologist with the (CCA) Applied Climatology Consultancy, said about 50 millimetres fell across […] Read more
IGC raises forecast for 2014-15 global corn crop
London | Reuters — The International Grains Council on Thursday raised its forecast for the 2014-15 world corn (maize) crop, reflecting an upward revision to production in China. Global corn production was forecast to total 982 million tonnes, up from a previous forecast of 980 million and just shy of the prior season’s record 984 […] Read more
Bird flu outbreak in India caused by strain humans can contract
Paris | Reuters — A bird flu virus found in India this week is the H5N1 strain that can be transmitted to humans, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said Thursday. However, the organization said it was not concerned about the situation, because India had faced outbreaks of the virus before. No human case […] Read more
French farmers cry wolf over sheep killings
Paris | Reuters — French farmers, who regularly bring livestock into Paris to punctuate their protests, drove some 250 sheep into the shadow of the Eiffel Tower on Thursday to highlight an unusual concern — that a growing wolf population is killing their flocks. Wolves were reintroduced to France in the 1990s under an international […] Read more
Russia may consider floating tariff on grain exports as last resort
Moscow | Reuters — Russia, a key wheat exporter to North Africa and the Middle East, may consider imposing a floating tariff on grain exports as a measure of last resort to defend the domestic market in 2015, its deputy agriculture minister said Thursday. Russia shocked grain markets in 2010 when it banned grain exports […] Read more
India orders culling after new bird flu outbreaks
Paris | Reuters –– India has found two outbreaks of a highly contagious bird flu virus in the southern state of Kerala, prompting the authorities to cull more than 200,000 birds, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said on Tuesday. The virus itself killed about 15,000 infected ducks in Kottayam and another 500 in […] Read more
Newly appointed Iraq grain board chief removed
London | Reuters — Iraq’s newly appointed Grain Board chief has been removed from his post after less than a week, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Thursday, in another sign of turmoil in the body responsible for state imports of vital commodities. Muthanna Jabbar, appointed just last week, was replaced […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
