Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Global grains trader Archer Daniels Midland said Wednesday it will consolidate five business units into four in the company’s second reorganization in just over a year as adverse weather and a U.S.-China trade dispute threaten profits. ADM will combine its grain trading and oilseeds segments into a new business unit called […] Read more
ADM to combine grain trading, oilseed businesses
Japan opens doors to full access of U.S. beef imports
Reading Time: < 1 minute Washington | Reuters — Japan has agreed to eliminate its long-held restrictions on U.S. beef imports, opening full access to U.S. cattle products after more than 15 years, the head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement on Friday. “The new terms, which take effect immediately, allow U.S. products from all cattle, […] Read more
New Mexican duties against U.S. ready soon, minister says
Reading Time: < 1 minute Toronto | Reuters — Mexico is finalizing duties to impose on new U.S. products in retaliation for the Trump administration’s steel and aluminum tariffs and details should be available soon, Economy Minister Graciela Marquez said on Tuesday. Mexico and Canada have both imposed retaliatory measures on billions of dollars of U.S. goods. Mexico said in […] Read more
Trump says more farm aid coming amid China trade war
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — President Donald Trump said on Monday that his administration was planning to provide about US$15 billion in aid to help U.S. farmers whose products may be targeted with tariffs by China amid a deepening trade war. “We’re going to take the highest year, the biggest purchase that China has ever made […] Read more
Suitor quits bid for Australia’s GrainCorp
Reading Time: 2 minutes Sydney | Reuters — Australia’s largest-listed grain handler, GrainCorp Ltd., said that suitor Long-Term Asset Partners (LTAP) has withdrawn its A$2.4 billion (C$2.26 billion) takeover bid after due diligence, pushing shares to five-month lows. GrainCorp stock dropped 11 per cent at the open of trade on Tuesday to hit close to where it stood preceding […] Read more
Bernie Sanders promises help for family farms
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — U.S. presidential contender Bernie Sanders unveiled a plan on Sunday to help family farmers and rural residents, promising to break up corporate agricultural monopolies and invest heavily in social and economic programs in struggling rural communities. Sanders, an independent U.S. senator and fierce corporate critic, said on a campaign trip to Iowa that […] Read more
Louis Dreyfus could consider selling stake to regional player
Reading Time: 2 minutes Paris | Reuters — Louis Dreyfus Co., one of the world’s biggest agricultural commodities houses, may consider selling a stake to a regional player to support its development although there are no specific plans to do so, the company said Friday. Agricultural commodities traders have been grappling with lower profits from sourcing and shipping commodities […] Read more
Maple Leaf quarterly profit misses estimates as costs rise
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — Packaged meat producer Maple Leaf Foods reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, hit by higher costs as it invested more in new initiatives and capacity expansion. The company has been keen on expanding in the U.S., seeing growth opportunities in humanely raised animal products and alternative protein sources. In April, the company […] Read more
No fresh aid package for U.S. farmers planned for now, Perdue says
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — The Trump administration does not have any active plans to provide more aid to farmers at the moment but can consider the option if the trade negotiations and weak commodity prices linger, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said on Tuesday. “We have been very clear to the agriculture community that […] Read more
Trump administration eyes more aid to farmers if necessary
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — The Trump administration is ready to provide more federal aid to farmers if required, a White House adviser said on Monday, after rolling out up to US$12 billion since last year to offset agricultural losses from the trade dispute with China. “We have allocated $12 billion, some such, to farm assistance. […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
