(Dave Bedard photo)

Rush on to reverse U.S. tax boon for ag co-ops

Reading Time: 3 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Republican U.S. senators are working with some of the world’s biggest agricultural merchants to undo a last-minute provision in the tax overhaul that threatens to distort the grains market and starve private firms of corn, soy and wheat supplies. It was included during final revisions of the tax bill that passed […] Read more

CHS Inc., the biggest farm co-operative in the U.S., is seen gaining a competitive edge against private and publicly-traded grain firms from changes to tax law affecting sales of U.S. farmers’ crops and livestock. (CHS Inc. photo)

Major U.S. grain firms fear harm from new tax law

Reading Time: 3 minutes Chicago | Reuters — The new U.S. tax law is poised to drive more control over the nation’s grain supply to farmer-owned co-operatives, provoking concern among ethanol producers and privately run grain handlers that they could be squeezed out of the competition to buy crops. Until now, the co-operatives, private companies and publicly traded firms […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Cargill profit falls as grain glut limits trading

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters – Cargill Inc reported a 6 percent drop in quarterly profits on Wednesday as a global glut of grains limited trading opportunities for the food-commodities merchant. Four years of bumper grain and oilseeds harvests have squeezed profits for Cargill and main rivals Archer Daniels Midland Co, Bunge Ltd and Louis Dreyfus Corp […] Read more

Syngenta’s Interaction Centre at Stein, Switzerland. (Syngenta.com)

ADM, Cargill still pursue Syngenta over corn rejections

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Syngenta moved closer to putting a troubled biotech corn seed launch behind it with a US$1.5 billion settlement with farmers this week, but grain traders who filed two remaining lawsuits may be less ready to compromise, legal experts said. The company was sued three years ago by the farmers and traders […] Read more


(NHC.noaa.gov)

Irma whips orange trees, shuts meat plants

Reading Time: 3 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Hurricane Irma stripped oranges from trees and prompted Tyson Foods to shut meat plants in Florida and Georgia on Monday to keep workers safe. Tyson, the biggest U.S. meat company, hopes to resume normal operations soon at chicken plants it shuttered in Cumming, Dawson and Vienna, Ga., and at a beef […] Read more

Bunge leaves door open to selling itself, cuts 2017 forecast

Reading Time: 3 minutes Chicago/Reuters – Bunge Ltd kept the door open on Wednesday to a sale of the company as it reported a 34 percent drop in quarterly earnings and cut its full-year outlook, but its chief executive officer predicted a grains market rebound that would reverse the slide. CEO Soren Schroder said planned cost cuts should also […] Read more


(ADM.com)

ADM sees weaker ag services outlook on trading woes

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. agricultural trader Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) on Tuesday cautioned that massive global grain stocks are making it difficult to turn a profit trading grain internationally, sending its shares plummeting despite reporting a higher first-quarter profit. The warning highlighted a string of trading woes at ADM, which has shed several key […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Bunge profit dives as grain glut hits margins

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. agricultural trader Bunge reported on Wednesday a sharply lower first-quarter profit and cut its full-year earnings forecast as slow crop sales by farmers in South America squeezed margins in its core agribusiness unit, sending shares tumbling. White Plains, N.Y.-based Bunge said net income available to shareholders plunged 82 per cent […] Read more


(ADM.com)

ADM sells stake in Canada Malting owner GrainCorp

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. agricultural commodities trader Archer Daniels Midland has sold its 19.9 per cent stake in GrainCorp to underwriters UBS, just three years after a failed bid to wholly acquire the Australian grain handler, ADM said Thursday. The sale to the Swiss bank was valued at A$387 million (C$382 million), or A$8.53 […] Read more

(ADM.com)

ADM profit jumps on higher U.S. grain exports

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. agricultural products trader Archer Daniels Midland on Tuesday reported a far better-than-expected third-quarter profit as higher U.S. exports of corn and soybeans boosted volumes and margins, sending shares up sharply. U.S. farmers have nearly completed what is expected to be the largest corn and soybean harvests on record, which should […] Read more