Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — This month’s pledge by McDonald’s Corp. to phase out eggs laid by caged hens in its North American restaurants will increase competition for limited supplies of cage-free eggs. The ban, which follows similar moves by Burger King and food services company Sodexo, carries higher costs that may, at least initially, sting farmers. For […] Read more
McDonald’s cage-free egg pledge pressures farmers
Grain handler Scoular on hunt for more Canadian buys
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg | Reuters — U.S. crop handler The Scoular Co. is looking to acquire stakes in grain and oilseeds facilities in Western Canada, fresh off agreeing to its first major purchase in the crop-growing belt, the private company’s chief operating officer said Monday. Scoular last week agreed to pay $94 million for the special crops […] Read more
PotashCorp says not actively discussing K+S takeover
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — PotashCorp is not actively discussing its takeover proposal with Germany’s K+S, but remains interested in a combination of fertilizer producers that would aid North American potash sales and offer new access to Europe, CEO Jochen Tilk said Wednesday. PotashCorp’s standing offer of 7.9 billion euros (C$11.75 billion) or 41 euros per share is […] Read more
Legumex to sell processing plants, wind down company
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg | Reuters –– Prairie special crops firm Legumex Walker said Monday it has agreed to sell its pulse and special crop processing plants and expects to sell its U.S. canola-crushing facility, allowing it to wind down the company. Winnipeg-based Legumex plans to sell its special crops division, which includes 14 plants in Canada, the […] Read more
Hard-luck Prairie farmers may get late-season weather break
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg | Reuters –– Farmers in Western Canada, whose crops have been battered this year by drought and hail, may be in line for a break in the weather as they bring in the harvest. Temperatures are forecast to remain above freezing for more than a week, delaying the first significant harvest frost later than […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat, corn creep higher as investors trim bearish bets
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Chicago wheat edged higher after touching a five-year low on Friday, and corn also inched up as investors covered short positions in both grains after recent declines. The nearby contract for wheat finished with its fourth straight weekly loss in the face of stiff export competition from northern hemisphere harvests, losing four per […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans slide as concern about Chinese growth persists
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — U.S. soybean prices dropped on Wednesday on concern that interest rate cuts in China may not be enough to stimulate growth in the key importer. Corn slipped on technical selling, and Chicago wheat lost ground on concerns about export competition as the dollar rose, traders said. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) November soybeans […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans bounce off six-year-low on bargain buying
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg | Reuters — U.S. soybeans rebounded on Tuesday off a more than six-year low, helped by China’s decision to cut interest rates, although fears of a cooling economy in the world’s largest buyer of the oilseed kept gains in check. Bargain buying and a bounce in other commodities, such as crude oil, nudged soybeans […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans resume slide, register big weekly loss
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg | Reuters –– U.S. soybean futures dropped on Friday as favourable rains were expected to move into the U.S. Midwest, finishing with a big weekly loss. An unexpected increase to the U.S. harvest outlook on Wednesday hung over the market, after soybeans, wheat and corn all rebounded in the previous session. Chicago wheat rose […] Read more
Dairy farmers milk politics of Pacific trade pact
Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — New Zealand dairy farmers have a message for their Canadian counterparts, who worry a Pacific trade deal will throw them on the mercy of world markets and devastate their industry: It’s not so bad. But heavily protected Canadian farmers have reason for skepticism. A deadlock over dairy has emerged as one of the […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
