Reading Time: 2 minutes Beijing | Reuters — China may suffer a shortage of canola meal, a protein-rich feed ingredient, after Beijing plans to toughen the import standards for the oilseed from major exporters, industry analysts said. China will allow no more than one per cent of foreign material in canola shipments starting April 1, the country’s quarantine agency […] Read more
China’s canola meal supply may fall under tighter standards
Grain consortium lobbying hard for Australia’s biggest wheat exporter
Reading Time: 2 minutes Sydney/Reuters – A consortium seeking to buy Australia’s biggest wheat exporter, Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd (CBH), is stepping up lobbying for its offer amid concerns the deal may be snubbed and reports of a rival Chinese bidder. The Australian Grains Champion (AGC), which includes farmers and some former directors of CBH, wants to acquire and list […] Read more
Paterson taps brakes on China canola sales
Reading Time: < 1 minute Winnipeg | Reuters — Crop handler Paterson Grain will take a more cautious approach to selling canola to Chinese buyers for the near term, after China said it would toughen its standard on canola shipments from Canada, the CEO of parent Paterson GlobalFoods said. China’s quarantine authority, AQSIQ, told Ottawa last week it would allow […] Read more
Make room. There’s another farm equipment manufacturer in town
Is there really enough market for two more full-line farm equipment manufacturers?
Reading Time: 6 minutes In a second floor conference room at the Hanover fairgrounds in Germany during the Agritechnica machinery expo in November, a panel of experts got together to present their individual views on the present and future of the agricultural machinery market around the globe. Despite the fact world demand for new machinery has slowed significantly, optimism […] Read more
Blackleg, big stocks seen behind China-Canada canola conflict
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — A “scientific disagreement” between Canada and China over the risk of transmitting the blackleg fungus is behind China’s move to raise its standard for Canadian canola imports, an industry official involved in discussions said. But some traders say the real reason for a higher standard that may slow Chinese imports is the country’s […] Read more
China tightens dockage rules on Canadian canola
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — The Canadian government confirmed Wednesday that China has toughened its standard for canola shipments, an action that traders say may discourage sales to the country. China, Canada’s top canola export market, notified Ottawa on Tuesday of the new measures, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) spokeswoman Tammy Jarbeau said in an email statement. Reuters […] Read more
Fertilizer expected to be pricier by springtime
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada –– Relatively cheap natural gas has helped push down fertilizer prices for Canadian farmers over the past winter, but that should change by springtime. One Manitoba farm leader noted urea fertilizer that went for $545 per tonne last August could now be acquired for $445 per tonne. “Phosphate fertilizer was going for $721 […] Read more
China clears Xtend soybean variety for import
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Monsanto said on Feb. 3 it received import approval from China for its new genetically modified Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans and will sell the seeds in the U.S. and Canada for the 2016 growing season. China, the world’s biggest soybean importer, does not allow imports of new genetically modified crops until they […] Read more
China seeks food security with friendly bid for Syngenta
Reading Time: 3 minutes Basel | Reuters — China made its boldest overseas takeover move when state-owned ChemChina agreed a US$43 billion bid for Swiss seeds and pesticides group Syngenta on Wednesday, aiming to improve domestic food production. The largest ever foreign purchase by a Chinese firm, announced by both companies, will accelerate a shake-up in global agrochemicals and […] Read more
China to let market decide its corn prices
Reading Time: < 1 minute Beijing | Reuters — China will let the market decide its domestic state corn prices to help cap the country’s rising imports and record-high level of state reserves, a senior official was cited by state media as saying on Monday. “The direction of corn reform is… to let the market decide prices, and (state support) […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
