Geneva | Reuters — The end of the Black Sea grain deal would not pose an immediate threat to the world market as Ukraine would still be able to export supplies, although at such a high cost that production in the war-torn country would likely fall even further. Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations […] Read more

Loss of Black Sea grain deal not seen as threat to global supplies, for now
Alternate routes exist but would be more expensive

French insect-based ingredients maker Ynsect to expand in North America
U.S. plant would use Ardent Mills' flour milling byproducts
Paris | Reuters — French company Ynsect said on Tuesday it had signed deals to build insect ingredient production sites in the United States and in Mexico as the firm kicks off what it says will be the world’s largest insect farm. Ynsect breeds mealworms that produce proteins for aquaculture, livestock, pet food, fertilizers and […] Read more

Avian influenza, Ukraine war push egg prices higher worldwide
Major exporting countries are running short on supply, driving up food costs
Reuters – Severe outbreaks of avian influenza (AI) in the U.S. and France are tightening global egg supplies and raising prices as the war in Ukraine disrupts shipments to Europe and the Middle East. Higher prices are particularly painful for consumers who rely on eggs as a low-cost source of protein and substitute for more […] Read more

France bans killing of male chicks
Reuters – France’s agriculture minister has announced a ban on the killing of male chicks by crushing or gassing, effective next year. The practice has been denounced as barbaric by animal welfare groups, and they will push for a similar measure at European level. Each year, 50 million male chicks are culled in this way, […] Read more

InVivo in talks to acquire French agribusiness Soufflet
Firms see limited overlap outside grain trading
Paris | Reuters — Co-operative group InVivo has entered exclusive talks to acquire family-controlled Soufflet in a deal that would create one of Europe’s biggest agricultural businesses with 10 billion euros (C$15.5 billion) in sales, the French firms said on Wednesday. The potential consolidation comes as France, the European Union’s largest agricultural producer, is trying […] Read more
France to help farmers to abandon glyphosate weedkiller
Paris | Reuters – France will give financial aid to farmers who agree to halt use of glyphosate, the farm ministry said on Monday after President Macron said he had failed with efforts to ban use of the weedkiller by 2021. Glyphosate, first developed by Bayer’s Monsanto under the Roundup brand, has generated intense global […] Read more

Plant-based protein maker Roquette sees short-term COVID-19 impact
Demand could accelerate second Canadian plant
Paris | Reuters — The plant-based protein market has seen a slowdown in new product launches and lower sales in restaurants and cafeterias due to COVID-19 but benefited from more people cooking at home and trying new products, French manufacturer Roquette said. The market for plant-based protein such as meat-free burgers has surged in the […] Read more

China’s pork output to fall by at least 20 percent in 2019: FAO
Paris | Reuters – African swine fever (ASF) will cut pork output in China, the world’s largest producer, by at least 20 percent in 2019, the United Nations’ food agency said on Thursday, doubling the decline it had expected six months ago. The disease has slashed China’s hog herd since August 2018, pushing Chinese pork […] Read more

No country immune to risk of African swine fever spreading: OIE
Paris | Reuters – African swine fever will spread further across Asia where it has devastated herds, and no country is immune from being hit by the deadly animal virus, the head of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Wednesday. The disease, which has hit the world’s top pork producer China hard, […] Read more

China faces long struggle to tackle African swine fever, OIE says
Paris | Reuters — It will take years for China to contain the deadly African swine fever virus that has spread throughout the country, which is the world’s biggest pork producer, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said on Tuesday. China has been struggling to control the epidemic, which some analysts predict could see […] Read more