Chicago | Reuters –– Massive supplies of both U.S. corn and soybeans remained in storage bins around the country ahead of spring planting, U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) data released on Friday showed. USDA also said that farmers planned to boost their corn plantings by 4.1 per cent but severe flooding in the U.S. Midwest may […] Read more
U.S. corn, soy stocks top forecasts
Planter power becoming a challenge for customizers
Adding more and more tech to planters is stretching the limits of hydraulic systems
Planters are larger and more complex, as precision control systems bump up power requirements – often beyond what tractors can handle. That’s meant planter makers and customizers have had to get creative about supplying enough hydraulic power to planters. Why it matters: Companies continue to offer more precision solutions for planters and farmers are using […] Read more
Grain handler G3 to further expand Alberta footprint
Having started 2018 with zero grain elevators in the Alberta market, grain handler G3 expects to soon have five in progress. The Winnipeg company announced Wednesday it plans to start construction by this summer, pending regulatory approvals, on a pair of 42,000-tonne capacity elevators in the province, near Stettler and Irricana, for completion in 2020. […] Read more
U.S. jury says Bayer must pay $80 million to man in Roundup cancer trial
San Francisco/New York | Reuters –– A U.S. jury on Wednesday awarded US$80 million to a man who claimed his use of Bayer’s glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup caused his cancer, in the latest legal setback for the company facing thousands of similar lawsuits. The jury in San Francisco federal court said the company was liable for […] Read more
Democratic contender Warren targets corporate agriculture
Washington | Reuters — Democratic presidential contender Elizabeth Warren took aim on Wednesday at agricultural conglomerates, promising her administration would break up big agribusiness mergers that she said have hurt family farmers. Warren, a U.S. senator from Massachusetts and a fierce Wall Street critic, released a broad plan that she said would make it easier […] Read more
USDA facing fund cuts
Trump proposes cuts as farmers grapple with their worst crisis in decades due in part to the tariff wars
Washington | Reuters – United States President Donald Trump’s 2020 budget has proposed a 15 per cent cut for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, calling its subsidies to farmers “overly generous” at a time when farmers are going through the worst crisis in decades due to depressed commodity prices and trade tariffs. The president’s budget […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans bounce ahead of USDA data
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures inched higher on Thursday as traders covered shorts and squared positions a day after a steep drop to four-month lows and on the eve of U.S. government stocks and planting reports. Corn futures were flat as improving crop prospects in South America offset concerns about flooding in the […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans sink on hefty supplies, trade worries
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures dropped to a four-month low on Wednesday on concern about the slow pace of U.S.-China trade talks, due to resume this week in Beijing, as harvesting of a bumper South American soy crop accelerates. Soybeans were further pressured by positioning ahead of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) acreage […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat edges lower on profit-taking
New York | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures inched lower on Tuesday as investors took profits after prices hit a one-month high on U.S. export optimism and adverse weather in the United States that threatened to delay sowing. Soybean and corn futures fell on technical selling. Chicago Board of Trade May wheat dropped 1/4 cent […] Read more
Grain trade regional tie-ups seen more likely over mega-deals
Paris | Reuters — The agricultural trading industry can expect more consolidation at a regional level in an effort to improve margins, but big deals between global merchants are becoming more difficult, Louis Dreyfus’ CEO said. Merchants have been grappling with lower profits from sourcing and shipping commodities such as grain and oilseeds, prompting cutbacks […] Read more
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