Reuters — Canada’s PotashCorp has hired a third investment bank as adviser in its effort to take over German fertilizer maker K+S , a German newspaper reported Sunday. Bank of America Merrill Lynch will join Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank in advising the Saskatoon-based fertilizer giant in the effort, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper said, […] Read more

PotashCorp reported hiring third bank in battle for K+S

EU to give 500M euros to farmers hit by Russia sanctions
Brussels | Reuters — The European Commission announced a 500 million-euro (C$743 million) package of measures on Monday to provide relief for farmers stung by slumping prices, triggered partly by the loss of exports to Russia due to EU sanctions against the country. The crisis has triggered a wave of protests which culminated on Monday […] Read more

Egypt’s ag minister arrested on suspicion of corruption
Cairo | Reuters — Egypt’s agriculture minister resigned on Monday and was arrested on suspicion of corruption shortly after leaving the cabinet building. “He was arrested in connection with a corruption case involving illegal land licences,” a security official said. “He is under investigation.” The minister, Salah El Din Mahmoud Helal, could not immediately be […] Read more

Federal farm politicians lining up for debate
UPDATED, Sept. 29 — Canada’s incumbent agriculture minister and three of his federal critics are so far confirmed for a pre-election debate on farming issues later this month. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, working with media partner (and operator of this website) Glacier FarmMedia, will host the national agriculture leaders’ debate on Sept. 30 in Ottawa. Western […] Read more

Fertilizer markets seen holding relatively steady
CNS Canada –– Prices for nitrogen and potash have weakened over the first half of 2015, but according to an industry analyst, the relationship between fertilizer prices and ag commodity prices is pretty much in line with the 10-year average. “I think we’ve seen some stabilization in fertilizer markets of late, which is promising,” said […] Read more
Rain and eventually frost in store for Sask., Man.
CNS Canada — Early-September rains will likely interrupt harvest progress in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, according to a U.S. meteorologist — but producers will still likely be able to avoid frost. Field work will operate around rains that are expected to fall between Sept. 6 and 9, said Drew Lerner, president of World Weather Inc. “We’ve […] Read more
Canaryseed prices at standstill ahead of harvest
CNS Canada — After hitting highs in the summer, canaryseed prices have held steady, but staying at current levels is unlikely, though an industry specialist expects reduced production this year. “Demand is terrible,” said David Nobbs, general manager at Canpulse Foods and chair of the Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan. Europe has been buying “next […] Read more
This year’s El Nino could be strongest on record
Geneva | Reuters — The current El Nino weather phenomenon is expected to peak between October and January and could turn into one of the strongest on record, experts from the World Meteorological Organization said at a news conference Tuesday. Climate models and experts suggest surface waters in the east-central Pacific Ocean are likely to […] Read more

YOUTH AG-SUMMIT:’Thought leaders’ consider farming’s future
Sustainability, leadership and innovation in agriculture guided four days of learning, debating and discussion among young “thought leaders” from 33 countries at this week’s Youth Ag-Summit. The event, held in Canberra, Australia from Aug. 24 to 27, and organized by Bayer CropScience and the Australian youth organization Future Farmers Network, was set up to build […] Read more

Youth Ag-Summit: How Australian ag benefits from biotech
A speaker at the international Youth-Ag Summit in Canberra, Belinda Cay of the Grains Research and Development Corporation of Australia discusses how new crop varieties have improved yields on that continent, including on her own family’s farm.