Washington/Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. farmers are about to reap a bumper harvest not just in corn and soybeans but also in new subsidies that could soar to US$10 billion, blowing a hole in the government’s promise that its new five-year farm bill would save taxpayers money. If payments for 2014, the first year the […] Read more
U.S. farmers set for huge government payouts despite bumper harvest
USDA trims bin-busting U.S. corn crop, raises soybeans again
Washington | Reuters –– The 2014 U.S. corn crop, while still a record, will be slightly below recent market expectations according to government data released Monday, giving a boost to beaten-down corn prices, while soybean production continues to rise. CBOT corn futures closed up 0.5 per cent on the bullishly construed data, with wheat futures […] Read more
USDA clears GMO potato with lower cancer risk
CORRECTED, Nov. 10, 2014 — Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday approved the first genetically modified potato for commercial planting in the United States in more than a decade, a move likely to draw the ire of groups opposed to artificial manipulation of foods. The so-called Innate potato, developed by the […] Read more
USDA raises record U.S. corn, soybean crops again
Washington | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean production in 2014 will be even higher than the record forecast a month ago, but somewhat below market expectations, U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed on Friday. USDA made surprise cuts to U.S. and global wheat ending stocks for 2014-15, pushing wheat futures up 1.2 per cent, […] Read more
Non-allergic peanut closer to commercial reality
Washington | Reuters — A new method for removing allergens from peanuts means help could soon be on the way for the roughly 2.8 million Americans with a potentially life-threatening allergy to the popular food, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Tuesday. In a blog post, the agency said researchers at North Carolina A+T State […] Read more
U.S. sets new ground beef procedures to stop E. coli outbreaks
Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday announced new procedures for detecting and removing unsafe ground beef from grocery stores and suppliers, as part of efforts to prevent potentially deadly illnesses caused by contaminated meat. The move “will allow the agency to trace contaminated ground beef back to its source more […] Read more
USDA projects record U.S. corn, soybean production
Reuters — U.S. corn production will crack the 14-billion-bushel mark for the first time in 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Tuesday, but the crop was slightly below trade expectations, potentially giving a bullish kick to the beaten-down corn futures market. At 14.03 billion bushels, the estimated crop fell short of trade estimates […] Read more
U.S. proposes allowing more pork imports from Mexican states
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed a change in regulations that would relax restrictions on pork imports from certain areas of Mexico, potentially allowing for increased U.S. imports at a time of a supply shortage. The proposal would permit pork to be imported from certain parts of Mexico defined as having a […] Read more
U.S. goes into battle against deadly orange disease
Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Thursday a total of US$31.5 million in funding to combat a plant disease that threatens to devastate Florida’s $9 billion citrus industry and has driven up the cost of a glass of orange juice. As many as 70 per cent of Florida’s citrus trees […] Read more
Abundant grain, soybean supplies on the way: USDA
Washington | Reuters — The United States is a month closer to bumper supplies of corn and soybeans, its major field crops, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday in a second look at the 2014-15 U.S. and world grain outlook. Meanwhile, although the U.S. wheat crop is struggling, global supplies are on the […] Read more
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