Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels | Reuters — European Union countries backed a proposal on Friday to ban all use outdoors of insecticides known as neonicotinoids that studies have shown can harm bees. The ban, championed by environmental activists, covers the use of three active substances — imidacloprid, developed by Bayer CropScience; clothianidin, developed by Takeda Chemical Industries and […] Read more
EU nations back ban on all outdoor neonic use
U.S. farmers seek approval of GMO corn settlement with Syngenta
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters –– U.S. farmers suing Syngenta over its decision to commercialize a genetically modified (GMO) strain of corn before China approved importing it sought court approval on Monday of a record US$1.51 billion settlement with the Swiss seed company. The deal covers U.S. corn producers, grain handling facilities and ethanol plants nationwide that sold corn […] Read more
ADM, Syngenta settle suit over biotech corn exports
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain merchant Archer Daniels Midland has settled a lawsuit with Syngenta over the seed company’s launch of a biotech corn strain that roiled grain exports to China, according to regulatory documents filed on Friday. ADM sued Syngenta four years ago for selling the corn variety known as Agrisure Viptera or […] Read more
The big 4
Where are all the mergers and acquisitions in the crop protection and seed sectors going to leave the individual farmer?
Reading Time: 9 minutes Sorting out who owns who in today’s agricultural supply sector is a bit like looking at that rat’s nest of cords and surge protectors behind your desk. Everyone’s too afraid to touch it because it’s so complicated and intertwined. Besides, it seems to be working, so why bother? Except… Canadian farmers spend billions in seed, […] Read more
New in IP soybean varieties
The market continues to follow the lead built by traited soybeans
Reading Time: 3 minutes The 2017 growing season has yielded an interesting trend which few seem to be aware of. Acres planted to soybeans in Canada reached a new high for this year at 7.3 million, an increase of 33.2 per cent from 2016. Those numbers from Statistics Canada have been something of a surprise for some, especially considering […] Read more
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
Syngenta agrees to settle GMO corn litigation
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Syngenta has agreed to pay close to US$1.5 billion to resolve lawsuits stemming from its decision to commercialize a genetically modified strain of corn before China approved importing it, a person familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The Swiss company confirmed that it has reached a settlement, without confirming the financial terms. […] Read more
China approves two more GMO crops for import
Reading Time: 2 minutes Beijing | Reuters — China has approved two more genetically modified (GMO) crops for import, the Ministry of Agriculture said, the second such move in the past month to expand access to biotech seeds as part of Beijing’s 100-day trade talks with Washington. The two new crops, approved from July 16 for a period of […] Read more
Field studies fuel dispute over whether neonics harm bees
Reading Time: 3 minutes London | Reuters — Two major studies into how bees are affected by a group of pesticides banned in Europe gave mixed results on Thursday, fuelling a row over whether the neonicotinoid pesticides are safe. The studies, one conducted across three European countries and another in Canada, found some negative effects after exposure to neonicotinoids […] Read more
Bayer files for Monsanto takeover approval with EU regulators
Reading Time: < 1 minute Frankfurt | Reuters — Bayer has filed a request for approval of its planned US$66 billion takeover of U.S. seeds company Monsanto with European Union regulators, as suitors line up for assets that Bayer will sell to get the approval by year-end. Bayer, which is bracing for the EU Commission to go into an in-depth […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
