Beijing | Reuters – China reported its first outbreak of the deadly African swine fever (ASF) on Friday, as authorities in Liaoning province in the country’s northeast culled almost 1,000 hogs and rushed to control the highly contagious disease. News of the infection will stoke concern about its spread in the world’s largest pig herd, and possibly […] Read more

China reports 1st African swine fever outbreak, culls 1,000 hogs

China signals to state giants: ‘Buy American’ oil and grains
Singapore/Beijing | Reuters –– China will import record volumes of U.S. oil and is likely to ship more U.S. soy after Beijing signalled to state-run refiners and grains purchasers they should buy more to help ease tensions between the two top economies, trade sources said on Wednesday. China pledged at the weekend to increase imports […] Read more

China retreats from U.S. sorghum probe amid global market havoc
Beijing | Reuters — China dropped its anti-dumping probe into imports of U.S. sorghum on Friday, beating a hasty retreat from a dispute that wreaked chaos across the global grain market and raised concerns about rising costs and financial damage at home. The move was seen as a goodwill concession as Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He […] Read more

China approves two new GMO varieties for import, renews 14
Beijing | Reuters — China approved two new varieties of genetically modified (GMO) crops for import from Monday, after the world’s top buyer of GMO soybeans pledged to speed up a review of biotech products as part of a recent trade deal with the U.S. The approvals of new GMO imports follow an agreement on […] Read more

Fat herds, leaner profits: For China’s pig farmers, New Year feasts bring cold comfort
Beijing/Reuters – With China’s Lunar New Year festivities fast approaching, pig farmers in the world’s biggest pork market have little to cheer. As they fatten herds to meet peak demand, a slump in retail prices and a spike in feed costs are grinding up profits. A wave of imports has squeezed pork retail prices 10 […] Read more

Canada’s canola meal sales to China at five-year high
Winnipeg/Beijing | Reuters –– Canadian canola meal shipments to China have jumped to their highest level in five years, boosting profits of crush plants and firming prices as farmers slog through a difficult harvest. Canada shipped 415,000 tonnes of canola meal to China from January through August, the most since 2011 and following zero shipments […] Read more