Leverkusen, Germany | Reuters — German drugs and pesticides maker Bayer forecast a year without earnings growth for its agricultural products business on Wednesday, as it seeks to complete its US$66 billion deal to take over U.S. seeds giant Monsanto. Bayer has said the deal, which would put the size of its agricultural business on […] Read more
Bayer sees pesticide profits stagnating before Monsanto takeover
Wild boars roam Czech forests, some of them radioactive
Prague | Reuters –– The Czech Republic has an unusual problem this winter with its wild boar meat, a local delicacy. The boars are radioactive. Actually, it’s not the boars themselves, but what they’re eating. A cold and snowy winter is forcing them to feed on false truffles, an underground mushroom common in the Sumava […] Read more
EU regulators reported set to clear Dow, DuPont deal
Brussels | Reuters — Dow Chemical and DuPont are set to win EU antitrust approval for their US$130 billion merger, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The deal, which still needs approval from U.S. and other regulators, has faced intense scrutiny from the European Commission. Of particular concern is combining the two […] Read more
Canada stresses NAFTA talks to involve all members
Toronto | Reuters –– Any talks to renew the North American Free Trade Agreement would involve all three member nations, a top Canadian official said on Tuesday, dampening speculation the U.S. might seek to sit down with Canada first and then Mexico. “We very much recognize that NAFTA is a three-nation agreement and were there […] Read more
Maple Leaf to buy U.S. veggie dog, burger maker
Canadian meat packer Maple Leaf Foods is buying space on the non-meat side of the deli section with a deal for U.S. processor Lightlife Foods. Toronto-based Maple Leaf announced Tuesday it would pay US$140 million for Lightlife, which makes vegetarian burgers, hot dogs, sausage, deli cuts, jerky and other meatless protein products at Turners Falls, […] Read more
Saskatchewan approves largest multi-farm drainage plan
Saskatchewan’s provincial Water Security Agency has signed off on what it describes as the largest single agricultural drainage project in the province’s history, with more projects of a similar scale to come. The province announced Thursday it has issued a single approval for 73 landowners in the province’s southeast to set up an “organized and […] Read more
Canary seed market watches peso ahead of planting
CNS Canada — It’s not a stellar time for canary seed prices but the situation could improve, depending on acreage this spring and what the Mexico peso does in 2017. “Prices are not showing a whole lot of strength,” said Kevin Hursh, executive director of the Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan. “We’re probably in that […] Read more
Canada’s competition watchdog clears Syngenta takeover
Canada’s farmers aren’t likely to see less competition for their crop chemical dollars if the owner of Adama Canada buys Syngenta, the Canadian antitrust watchdog has ruled. The Competition Bureau on Tuesday issued a “no action” letter for the takeover of Syngenta by China National Chemical Corp. (ChemChina), saying the deal is “unlikely to result […] Read more
Despite Trump talk of ‘tweaking’ NAFTA, Canada could still be hurt
Ottawa | Reuters — Although U.S. President Donald Trump says he only wants to tweak trade ties with Canada, his pledge to renegotiate NAFTA to focus on Mexico is almost impossible and Canada will not emerge unscathed, Canadian officials and trade experts said Tuesday. Trump had warm words for Canadian trade following a meeting with […] Read more
Grainews editor, investment columnist Andy Sirski, 73
Memorial services will be held Friday in Winnipeg for Andy Sirski, the ag rep turned farm writer who encouraged Prairie producers to expand their views of financial planning beyond the farm gate. Sirski was best known to farmers in his role as editor of Grainews from 1995 to 2006 and as the farm journal’s “Off-Farm […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
