Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures surged on Friday, reaching highs not seen since last summer, as the market anticipated drought losses in South America that could curb global export supplies. Wheat rose after a two-day slide, attracting bargain-buying and traders hunting for short-covering, as investors closely monitor a standoff between Russia and the […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans surge on weather concerns
CBOT wheat rises after slide
Highs may be in on flax as attention turns to new crop
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — The highs may be in for flaxseed bids in Western Canada, with end-users covered for the time being as attention turns to the 2022 crop. “(Canadian flax) is expensive relative to other markets,” said analyst Marlene Boersch of Mercantile Consulting, speaking via Zoom in Winnipeg on Tuesday to the annual Crop Production Week […] Read more
China, Philippines suspend beef imports from Canada on BSE case
Reading Time: < 1 minute Winnipeg | Reuters –– China and the Philippines have suspended imports of Canadian beef due to Canada’s detection in December of a cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a spokesperson for Canada’s agriculture department said on Monday. The moves follow an import suspension by South Korea last month, after Canada reported its first BSE […] Read more
China to give safety approval to more domestic GMO corn types
Reading Time: 2 minutes Beijing | Reuters – China plans to approve the safety of more genetically modified (GMO) corn varieties produced by domestic companies, the agriculture ministry said on Dec. 27. The move comes after Beijing last month proposed an overhaul of regulatory seed rules to pave the way for approval of GMO crops and as top policy […] Read more
New China import rules bring headaches for food, beverage makers
Cooking oil, milled grains among foods moved to higher-risk categories
Reading Time: 3 minutes Beijing | Reuters — Makers of Irish whiskey, Belgian chocolate and European coffee brands are scrambling to comply with new Chinese food and beverage regulations, with many fearful their goods will be unable to enter the giant market as a Jan. 1 deadline looms. China’s customs authority published new food safety rules in April stipulating […] Read more
Ambassador to China to leave post after helping free detainees
Canola, 5G access, other issues remain
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa | Reuters –– Canada’s ambassador to China said on Monday he would soon leave his post after a two-year assignment where he helped secure the freedom of two Canadian detainees despite icy relations between Beijing and Ottawa. Dominic Barton’s departure, which will take effect Dec. 31, leaves a crucial diplomatic post open at a […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat rallies as global demand offsets virus worries
USDA confirms China buys U.S. soybeans
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. and European wheat futures jumped on Thursday as a series of import tenders and fears of rain damage to Australia’s harvest overshadowed concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus variant. Soybean and corn futures also advanced at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). Global demand for wheat put renewed […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Soybean purchases steal wheat’s thunder
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — While Chicago wheat is hitting new contract highs, soybeans are the standout commodity on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), according to one trader. Over the weekend, there were rumblings that China had purchased five cargoes worth of soybeans earlier in the week. Three nights later, that number had grown, which caused soybean […] Read more
U.S. grains: CBOT wheat down off nine-year high
Chicago corn, soybeans also weak
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures fell on Tuesday on a profit-taking setback, with the benchmark Chicago Board of Trade soft red winter wheat contract sagging 1.9 per cent from the nine-year high it hit on Monday. Corn and soybean futures also were lower, but the declines were kept in check by signs of […] Read more
China proposes new rules to ease GMO approvals
Leadership seeks 'turnaround' in seed sector
Reading Time: 2 minutes Beijing | Reuters — China is planning changes to its seed regulations that will make it easier to approve genetically modified crops, a move seen as a critical step toward commercializing GM corn. The ministry of agriculture and rural affairs published a draft document late on Friday proposing a series of amendments to several different […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
