U.S. senators, Elizabeth Warren and Mike Rounds on May 19 introduced a bipartisan resolution asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate beef companies for potential price-fixing. It is the latest effort by politicians to hold meat companies accountable for high food prices, which critics blame in part on U.S. beef production being controlled by
U.S. beef price-fixing investigation proposed
Brazil soy growers seek WTO complaint against U.S.
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazilian soybean growers have asked their country to file a complaint against the U.S. at the World Trade Organization, alleging U.S. farm subsidies give an unfair advantage to the world’s top soybean producer. Brasilia-based farm group Aprosoja says those subsidies might be costing Brazilian farmers $1 billion a year in
Brazil court probing state-backed loans to JBS
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil’s federal accounts court, the TCU, said it had identified irregularities on loans to JBS SA, the world’s largest beef producer, and is deepening an investigation into the company’s relationship with state-run lender BNDES. The TCU is probing loans used to purchase U.S.-companies Swift and Co, for about US$225 million
Brazil soy planting lags historical average despite rain
Sao Paulo / Reuters – Soybean planting in Brazil remained behind the historical average even after isolated rainfall in the center-west, analyst firm AgRural said on Friday, with 31 per cent of area planted compared to the 42 per cent five-year average. A year earlier at this time 29 per cent of the previous crop
El Nino seen bringing drought to Brazil’s north, heavy rains to south
Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Brazil will likely experience a moderate El Nino by the end of the year, bringing steady rain to the country’s main grain-producing regions and sustained drought in the arid north, the national meteorological institute, Inmet, said. Inmet meteorologist Fabricio Daniel dos Santos Silva said six consecutive quarters of warming sea
Brazil soy exports likely to slow after fire near Santos port
Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Brazil’s soy exports will likely slow because a six-day fire at a nearby fuel-storage facility has restricted access to Brazil’s largest port, Santos, a port official and the soy industry association Abiove said on Tuesday. Authorities have agreed to restrict truck access to some terminals at the port at least
Brazil truck strike wanes; more soy gets to ports
Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Only a handful of roads remained blocked in Brazil on Tuesday as truck drivers focused their grievances on Brasilia and a key highway in top soy state Mato Grosso opened after two weeks of protests. There were seven protests over rising freight costs affecting federal highways, down from 18 on
Brazil truckers continue some roadblocks after crackdown
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Striking truck drivers resumed some roadblocks in Brazil on Monday, disrupting grain and meat shipments to southern ports even as the government cracked down on protesters and promised to give new benefits to the transport sector. By mid-afternoon there were 23 road blockages in three southern states, down from 99
Brazil soy exporters to police Monsanto seeds, for fee
Sao Paulo | Reuters — At least one soybean exporter in Brazil has agreed with Monsanto to collect royalties, in exchange for a fee, from farmers who planted genetically engineered seeds marketed by the company, according to industry sources. The landmark deal, already finalized by a firm that declined to be identified, highlights an increasingly
Brazil soy farmers start planting expected record crop
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Farmers in Brazil have started planting what may be their third consecutive record soybean crop though progress has been uneven in South America’s largest economy, analysts for two state-level farm institutes said Wednesday. Parana, Brazil’s No. 2 soy growing state, in southern Brazil has planted six per cent of its
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