Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — China has not halted its ginseng imports from Canada despite allegations to the contrary, a spokesperson from Ginseng Ontario says. Rebecca Coates, executive director for Ginseng Ontario, said China is only one of many export destinations for Canadian-grown ginseng. Other major buyers include Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Europe. An official from another […] Read more
Ginseng exports not in trouble as claimed
Canadian wheat sales to China hit 14-year high despite dispute
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg/Chicago | Reuters — Canada has shipped the most wheat to China in 14 years, contrasting a sudden halt in canola trade amid a diplomatic dispute between the countries, as Chinese buyers shunned the United States. China bought 1.5 million tonnes of wheat from Canada from August 2018 through April 2019, nearly double the pace […] Read more
Canada frets about potential Chinese crackdown on more exports
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday he was concerned that China could broaden its crackdown on Canada’s exports, and that he might seek a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month. China has already blocked imports of Canadian canola seed and looks set to boost customs examinations […] Read more
Increased Chinese inspections on Canadian meat for pork only
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ottawa | Reuters — Chinese plans to boost inspections of Canadian meat imports only affect pork rather than all meat products as the federal agriculture ministry initially stated, a Canadian government official said on Wednesday. A ministry notice seen by Reuters on Tuesday said the Canadian embassy in Beijing had been told Chinese customs agents […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle rally on corn futures slump
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) feeder cattle futures continued to rally on Wednesday, as corn futures fell sharply and traders hoped that feed costs will continue to remain under pressure. The burgeoning U.S.-Mexico trade fight pressured Chicago Board of Trade corn futures, despite a Reuters report that corn has been excluded from […] Read more
China to ramp up inspections on all Canadian meat imports
Reading Time: 2 minutes Customs agents in China now plan to open all containers of inbound Canadian meat and meat products and will inspect up to 100 per cent of their contents, Reuters reported Tuesday. The news agency quoted a notice from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada which said the Canadian embassy in Beijing had been informed of the boost […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Warming weather, easing feed costs spur rallies
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) feeder cattle futures rebounded on Tuesday as traders hoped that feed costs will remain under pressure following news U.S. buyers are importing corn from South America. Both live cattle and lean hog futures also rose amid a rally in the U.S. stock market and forecasts of warming […] Read more
Spice maker seeks path to make vanilla milkshakes cheaper
Reading Time: 4 minutes Chicago/Antananarivo, Madagascar | Reuters — A kilo of vanilla beans costs more than a kilo of silver. Cultivated painstakingly over years from an orchid plant, vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world, after saffron. In less than five years, the wholesale price has risen nearly 500 per cent, partly because of growing […] Read more
Brazil halts beef exports to China after atypical BSE case
Reading Time: < 1 minute Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil has temporarily halted beef exports to China following an atypical case of BSE in leading farm state Mato Grosso, the agriculture ministry said on Monday. China, Brazil’s largest beef importer by sales, spent US$1.5 billion on Brazilian beef last year, totaling 322,400 tonnes or almost 20 per cent of […] Read more
U.S. grains: CBOT wheat rallies on weather
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rallied on Monday on concerns about harvest risks as more heavy rain was forecast in some U.S. grain belts and warm, dry weather was expected in top wheat exporter Russia. Meanwhile, corn and soybean futures traded choppily as the markets digested a threat of U.S. tariffs against Mexico, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
