Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to hear a bid by Conagra Brands to escape a class-action lawsuit accusing it of falsely labeling its cooking oil as 100 per cent natural even though it had genetically modified ingredients. Conagra had asked to the justices to hear its appeal of a […] Read more
U.S. top court lets Conagra cooking oil class action proceed
Unilever spreads business whets private-equity appetite
London | Reuters — Anglo-Dutch consumer group Unilever has invited private-equity bidders to submit tentative offers for its US$8 billion margarine and spreads business by a deadline of Oct. 19, two sources close to the matter told Reuters. The business includes the brands Stork and Flora, the latter of which is sold under the name […] Read more
La Nina could return cold, snowy tradition to Prairies
CNS Canada — The world’s major weather forecasters predict a slightly better than 50 per cent chance that a La Nina weather pattern will occur this fall and winter. Most Prairie farmers could see good things happening if the system does materialize, because La Nina systems tend to bring what many people think of as […] Read more
EU set to delay vote on glyphosate
Brussels | Reuters — Health experts from European Union countries are expected to discuss whether or not to extend the licence for herbicide glyphosate at a meeting starting on Thursday, but will only vote on the issue later this year. The EU has been debating for two years whether to allow the herbicide, used in […] Read more
Metro to buy Jean Coutu to stave off looming risks
Toronto | Reuters — Metro Inc., Canada’s third-biggest food retailer, on Monday agreed to buy pharmacy chain Jean Coutu Group for $4.5 billion in cash and stock, paying what analysts said was a “steep” premium to protect against risks facing the retail sector. The deal comes at time when global retail giants like Amazon.com, Wal-Mart […] Read more
Shutdowns planned for two PotashCorp mines
Fertilizer firm PotashCorp plans to temporarily halt production at two Saskatchewan potash mines this winter to curb excess supply. The Saskatoon company, in the midst of seeking regulatory approvals for a merger with Calgary competitor Agrium, announced last week it will “curtail” production at its mines at Allan and Lanigan, Sask. The shutdowns will run […] Read more
Nova Scotia to help black residents get land titles
London | Thomson Reuters Foundation — Historic black communities in Nova Scotia will be given funds to establish legal ownership of land where they have lived for generations, the government said, in a drive to solve what critics call a case of long-running discrimination. The provincial government will spend $2.7 million over two years to […] Read more
Dreyfus shareholders agree to arbitration over stake sale
Amsterdam/Paris | Reuters — Family shareholders of commodity trader Louis Dreyfus have agreed to arbitration talks to settle a long-running dispute over a share sale, sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters. The tussle concerns an attempt by minority shareholders to sell nearly 17 per cent of the group’s holding firm to Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, […] Read more
France open to phasing out glyphosate
Paris | Reuters — France is open to phasing out common weedkiller glyphosate, the government said on Monday, following complaints from farmers worried about a potential imminent ban. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe reiterated Paris would vote against the European Commission’s proposal to extend for 10 years the licence for glyphosate, which is used in Monsanto’s […] Read more
Post-secondary cannabis credentials on offer
Degree and diploma aggies interested in producing commercial cannabis and/or hemp will be able to get college-certified starting next year. Niagara College announced Tuesday it will launch a graduate certificate program in commercial cannabis production in 2018, a program it bills as Canada’s “first post-secondary credential” in the crop’s production. Niagara picked up approval this […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
