Reuters — An invasive weed likely entered Minnesota through seed planted on land in a U.S. conservation program, state agriculture officials said on Thursday, bringing to a close an official probe of a growing threat to agricultural production. Infestations of the weed, Palmer amaranth, have affected other states in the U.S. Midwest through seed planted […] Read more
Minnesota finds source of Palmer amaranth on CRP land
Palmer amaranth threatening U.S. corn fields
Winterset, Iowa | Reuters — A U.S. government program designed to convert farmland to wildlife habitat has triggered the spread of a fast-growing weed that threatens to strangle crops in America’s rural heartland. The weed is hard to kill and, if left unchecked, destroys as much as 91 per cent of corn on infested land, […] Read more
EU clears ChemChina’s Syngenta takeover, with conditions
Brussels | Reuters –– ChemChina won conditional EU antitrust approval on Wednesday for its US$43 billion bid for Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta, a deal that could help China boost its domestic agricultural output. The deal is one of several reshaping the agricultural chemicals and seeds market, even as these deals trigger fears among […] Read more
ChemChina, Syngenta win U.S. antitrust approval for deal
Washington | Reuters — The China National Chemical Corp., or ChemChina, has won U.S. antitrust approval to buy Switzerland’s Syngenta on condition that it divest three pesticides, the Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday. To win approval for the $43 billion deal, the companies agreed to divest ChemChina’s generic production of the herbicide paraquat, the […] Read more
Pattison takes up B.C. grocery chain Quality Foods
The owner of Save-On Foods and other Canadian grocery chains will expand its overall market share on Vancouver Island with majority control of the Quality Foods chain. The Vancouver-based Jim Pattison Group was announced last week as the new controlling shareholder in Quality Foods, buying up the interests of founding partners Ken Schley and John […] Read more
FMC buying much of DuPont’s crop protection business
FMC and DuPont have inked a deal that will see FMC pick up the portion of DuPont’s crop protection business the EU says must be divested for the DuPont-Dow merger to go ahead. In exchange DuPont will acquire FMC Health and Nutrition along with $1.2 billion (all figures U.S. funds) in cash. FMC will acquire […] Read more
Eastern Prairies brace for April melt
CNS – It looks to be a soggy month of April for most farmers across the eastern portion of the Prairies. The three-month forecast, starting in April, for southern Saskatchewan calls for above-normal precipitation while the area around Winnipeg is expected to see a number of systems moving through the early part of the month. […] Read more
Manitoba announces new appointments to its disaster assistance appeal board
The Manitoba government has appointed two new members to the Disaster Assistance Appeal Board (DAAB). “The Disaster Assistance Appeal Board plays an important role for Manitobans, providing an independent, non-judicial review of disputed claims,” said , Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersen in a release. “The two new members’ leadership skills, volunteer experience and history serving on […] Read more
Manitoba’s southwest expecting ‘well above normal’ runoff
Manitoba is expecting normal to above-normal spring runoff except in the Souris River basin, which is looking at “above normal to well-above normal runoff potential.” Levels of spring flooding still depend on future weather conditions, Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersen said Friday in the province’s March flood outlook, but the risk of overland flooding is “slightly […] Read more
Cargill’s Q3 profit up on ingredient, protein demand
Chicago | Reuters — Global commodities trader Cargill reported a higher quarterly profit on Wednesday as strong earnings from its food ingredients and protein units more than offset lagging results from South American grain trading and processing. The privately held company has been streamlining its operations to focus on higher-margin businesses such as food ingredients […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
