Canberra | Reuters — Drought conditions across Australia’s east coast will cut production of key agricultural commodities such as wheat and beef next season and reduce exports, the government’s chief commodities forecaster said on Tuesday. The current season could see Australia, the world’s third-largest wheat exporter, produce a bumper wheat crop, with increased plantings and […]

A five-year federal funding pledge for the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is expected to help fund more farm safety training and monitoring progress towards safer farms. Candice Bergen, the federal minister of state for social development, announced the funding through the Fostering Business Development stream of AgriCompetitiveness — a $114-million program under Growing Forward […]

Sydney | Reuters – The Australian government will provide a A$320 million (C$319 million) assistance package to help farmers ravaged by years of drought across the east coast, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Wednesday. With pockets of Queensland and New South Wales recording the lowest-ever rainfall levels, farmers in the world’s third-biggest beef exporter […]

Singapore | Reuters — Bilateral talks between Japan and the U.S., held as part of negotiations on a Pacific trade pact, ended without an agreement Monday, with Japanese Economics Minister Akira Amari saying that gaps still remained between the two sides. U.S. and Japanese differences over agricultural tariffs are one of the major hurdles facing […]

About four of every five Canadians suffer back pain at some time in their lives — but any professionals advising farmers on how to manage the problem will want to consider how farmers’ needs differ from those of other sufferers, a new study suggests. Of course, farmers’ access to health care out in rural areas […]

Reuters — The struggles of the low-income U.S. consumer are playing out in Wal-Mart Stores’ grocery aisles. The world’s largest retailer, which gets more than half its sales from groceries, on Thursday gave a disappointing full-year forecast. It blamed sharp cuts in food stamp benefits and higher payroll taxes that are will hit disposable income […]

Los Banos, Calif. | Reuters — U.S. President Barack Obama toured parts of California’s drought zone on Friday and pledged to speed help to the No. 1 farm state, but he said harsh weather in the U.S. will get worse until more steps are taken to address climate change. California is coming off its driest […]

Tokyo | Reuters — Japan could make concessions on tariffs on some sensitive farm products, a key cabinet minister said Tuesday, as U.S. and Japanese officials began talks ahead of next week’s high-level multilateral negotiations on a U.S.-led free trade deal. A deal between the U.S. and Japan, the two biggest economies taking part in […]

Thirty grocery stores across Western Canada are set to change hands in the wake of Sobeys’ takeover of Canada Safeway. Sobeys Inc. on Thursday announced it has reached separate deals with Overwaitea Food Group and Federated Co-operatives for the sale of 15 and 14 stores respectively. The stores to be sold include 22 of 23 […]