Paris | Reuters — An epidemic of bird flu that has devastated U.S. poultry flocks this year is likely to be under control within a few months as the U.S. steps up measures to contain the virus and the summer weather weakens it, senior officials said on Tuesday. There is, however, a high risk that […] Read more
U.S. bird flu virus seen under control within a few months
China’s wine growers beat France into second place
Paris | Reuters — China overtook France last year as the world’s second largest wine grower by area under cultivation as it continued to plant vast fields of mostly imported grape vines to meet growing demand. The world’s second largest economy, which since 2013 consumes more red wine than any other country, has more than […] Read more
CWB sees global grain crops falling back from records
Geneva | Reuters — The world’s wheat crop will shed three per cent this year to 703.4 million tonnes from last year’s record, but it will still remain above the five-year average, grain marketing company CWB estimated on Wednesday. The global 2015 corn crop should fall 1.6 per cent from a record last year to […] Read more
Feed ingredient unlikely to spread PED, experts say
Chicago/Paris | Reuters — The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said Wednesday an animal-feed supplement suspected of spreading a deadly pig virus is not likely to transmit the disease if manufacturers follow proper safety measures. Multiple studies suggest spray-dried porcine plasma, a supplement containing pigs’ blood that is fed to piglets, is not a […] Read more
PEDv likely to ease in U.S. by year-end, OIE chief predicts
Paris | Reuters — A deadly pig virus that has decimated herds in the U.S. and sent prices rocketing is likely to subside before the end of this year as the causes are being identified, the head of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) has wiped out more […] Read more
U.S. becomes world’s biggest wine market as French drinkers cut down
Paris | Reuters — The United States became the world’s biggest market for wine last year, beating France into second place for the first time as consumption slides in the country long seen as its natural home and Americans develop a greater taste for it. U.S. consumers bought 29.1 million hectolitres of wine in 2013, […] Read more
France to ban pigs, byproducts from N. America, Japan over PED
Paris | Reuters –– France will ban imports of live pigs, pork-based byproducts and pig sperm from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Japan to protect against a virus that has killed millions of piglets in North America and Asia, a farm ministry official said on Friday. The ban, which is due to be introduced on […] Read more
French firm suspected as culprit in horsemeat scandal
An investigation has identified a French meat-processing firm as a likely culprit in the horsemeat scandal that has enraged consumers across Europe and implicated traders and abattoirs from Cyprus to Romania. Separately, British police investigating alleged mislabelling of beef products arrested three people on Thursday at facilities in Wales and Yorkshire which had handled horsemeat […] Read more
“Cattle plague” rinderpest now wiped out: OIE
A global effort has eradicated the cattle disease rinderpest, which caused the starvation of millions of people, making it the second disease after smallpox to be wiped out by humankind, says the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Rinderpest, known before the Roman era and also called “cattle plague,” did not affect humans directly but […] Read more
Banks seen curbing grain loans after collateral crops vanish
(Reuters) — Small and medium-sized grain trading houses will have a tougher time getting loans after lenders were caught by the disappearance of grains in Russia said to have cost Swiss banks over US$100 million. Financial institutions will demand more guarantees from companies before getting credit — even when they are not trading with Russia […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
