The rural life of rearing rare breed sheep and nurturing alpacas is a world away for many urban teenagers. Yet a British school near Liverpool has opened its pupils to a wealth of jobs in agriculture and the benefits of nature with its own farm.
Urban school farm opens world of opportunity to British teens
Students from the underprivileged community have won acclaim at ag fairs, and some have gone on to be farmers, vets
China to push for higher grain yields to ensure food security
Chinese corn breeders are preparing to double the amount of GMO corn planted next year
China, the world's top buyer of soy and corn, will push for higher grain yields across large areas of farmland as it seeks to ensure food security for its huge population, state media reported on Wednesday, citing an annual rural policy meeting.
U.S. grains: Chicago corn futures hit new lows
Exports being lost because of US-Mexico rail crossing closures, industry says
Chicago front-months' corn contracts hit new lows on Wednesday after the U.S. government closed two key rail crossings into Mexico, the top importer of U.S. corn, in response to rising migrant crossings.
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures firm on hopes of higher cash prices
The trade is expecting a smaller hog herd, Reuters survey shows
Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures firmed on Wednesday amid technical trading, weakness in U.S. corn futures and hopes of higher cash prices next week as packers close out the year, analysts said.
U.S. grains: Chicago soybeans turn lower on rain forecast in Brazil
Wheat futures rose on a technical bounce
Chicago soybean futures turned lower on Tuesday, as weather forecasts called for Brazil's dry crop belts getting some much-needed rainfall in the coming days.
U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures fall on technical trading ahead of reports
Lean hog futures also ended the day lower
Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures closed lower on Tuesday on technical trading and investors adjusting their positions ahead of a series of key government reports, analysts said.
U.S. grains: Soybeans rally as Argentina seeks to raise meal, oil export taxes
Good export demand also underpinned soybeans
U.S. soybean futures clawed back early losses and ended higher on Monday on good U.S. export demand and after Argentina's new government said it would raise export taxes on soymeal and soyoil in the world's supplier of the soy products.
U.S. livestock: Cattle extend advances on technical buying, firm equities
Lean hogs end slightly down after early jump
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and feeder cattle futures closed higher on Monday on technical buying and support from firmer equities, analysts said.
German farmers protest with tractors against austerity measures
The German government proposed to abolish fuel subsidies to meet savings targets
According to next year's budget, a partial tax refund on agricultural diesel, along with a tax exemption for agricultural vehicles, will be abolished to meet the saving targets - a measure farmers said would threaten their livelihood and the competitiveness of Germany's agricultural sector.
Brazilian farmers slow fertilizer buys as drought dampens corn-planting plans
Fertilizer companies are already dealing with lower profits as prices sag
Brazil's drought is causing farmers there to delay fertilizer purchases for their upcoming corn-planting season, denting sales for global fertilizer suppliers in the world's top corn-exporting country, executives told Reuters.