Chicago | Reuters -- Iowa, the top U.S. egg-producing state, found a lethal strain of bird flu in millions of hens at an egg-laying facility on Monday, the worst case so far in a national outbreak that prompted Wisconsin to declare a state of emergency. The infected Iowa birds were being raised near the city[...]
U.S. could use vaccines being developed to fight bird flu in poultry
Chicago | Reuters -- Faced with a deadly bird flu outbreak that has infected millions of chickens and turkeys, the U.S. Agriculture Department could turn to what it has always seen as a last resort: readying and deploying a vaccine to fight the disease. Up to now, USDA has said it would prefer not to[...]
Shake Shack IPO comes amid hunger for premium burgers
New York | Reuters -- Shake Shack Inc.'s filing this week for an initial public offering underscores a question for investors and foodies alike: How hungry are U.S. consumers for another burger chain? A key part of Shake Shack's growth strategy involves expanding its locations beyond its New York base, and investors and analysts are[...]
Railways step up service as Ottawa eyes tackling grain backlog
Winnipeg | Reuters -- Canada's two big railways are stepping up service to reduce a backlog of grain shipments that have delayed exports and pushed oat prices to record highs, but the Canadian government said it may still step in with new regulations. Record crops of wheat and canola, along with frigid weather, overwhelmed Canadian[...]
Grainworld: Durum export outlook positive for 2014-15
Winnipeg | CNS Canada -- Because of the large durum crop grown in Canada in 2013-14, the country needs to gain a higher percentage of global durum trade to alleviate some of the pressures of having huge supplies, the Wild Oats Grainworld conference was told here Monday. "And I don't think it's going to be[...]
Post to buy West Coast fruit/nut processor
Aiming to claim market share in the private-label food business, the maker of Shreddies, Grape-Nuts and Cranberry Almond Crunch cereals has bought a major B.C. processor of dried fruits, trail mixes and nut butters. St. Louis, Mo.-based Post Foods announced Monday it will buy Golden Boy Foods of Burnaby, B.C. for C$320 million, in a[...]
U.S. hog report does little to calm PEDv fears
U.S. data showing a surprisingly large late-summer hog herd has done little to quell fears in rural America that a virus deadly to baby piglets could spread. The U.S. livestock industry was anxiously awaiting Friday's release of the Agriculture Department's quarterly hogs and pigs report on the nation's swine inventory over the past three months,[...]
Prairie oat cash market strong with tight supply concerns
Cash prices for new- and old-crop oats in Western Canada are strong, underpinned by expectations that carryover stocks will be tight in 2012-13 and 2013-14. According to Prairie Ag Hotwire, values on Thursday for old crop delivered to the elevator in Western Canada were as high as $4.05 per bushel, while new-crop values ranged from[...]
U.S. corn, soy jump one per cent on planting snarls
Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn and soybean futures jumped one per cent on Friday as persistent heavy rains delayed U.S. planting of both crops, threatening production prospects. "Nobody wants to be short due to the planting issue. There is concern now that not everything will get planted," said Roy Huckabay, analyst for Chicago-based trade[...]
U.S. wheat drops over one per cent on bearish global data
U.S. wheat ended more than one per cent lower on Wednesday in volatile dealings after the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) April estimates for 2012-13 global ending supplies were well above analysts' estimates. Corn ended higher but below the trading session highs and soybeans turned down after an initial rally in reaction to the USDA[...]
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
