A close-up of a cow's head

French farmers fear for dairy herd as Lactalis cuts milk purchases

Paris | Reuters – Lactalis, the world’s largest dairy company, is to reduce the volume of milk it processes in France, a move it said is aimed at reducing its exposure to international commodity prices but which caused alarm among farmers about a declining dairy herd. Lactalis plans to cut the amount of milk it



Photo: File

Strategie Grains cuts EU wheat crop forecast as harvesting starts

Paris | Reuters – Strategie Grains lowered its monthly forecast for this year’s soft wheat crop in the European Union, confirming its expectation for a four-year low in production as harvesting gets under way. The consultancy now sees 2024/25 soft wheat production in the 27-country bloc at 121.8 million metric tons, 1.7 million tons less



Louis Dreyfus launches juice brand

Louis Dreyfus launches juice brand

The commodity giant will lean on its South American citrus production to source the European market

Reuters – Louis Dreyfus Company has launched its own juice brand. The product will first appear on shelves in France. The company hopes to use its orange production in Brazil to tap into demand for fresh and traceable fruit juices, the agricultural commodity group said March 12. LDC is a global trader and processor of



A cargo ship is escorted by Houthi boats in the Red Sea in this photo released Nov. 20, 2023.

Ukraine’s grain export success tested by Red Sea crisis

Ukraine Black Sea route slowed by Red Sea turmoil, hampering trade with Asia

Ukraine has managed to boost its Black Sea grain exports to a level not seen since before Russia’s invasion, but the shipping crisis in the Red Sea poses a new challenge to the nation’s crucial agricultural trade. Kyiv’s success in replacing a UN-backed Black Sea export deal with its own shipping scheme has brought relief



Farmers protesting in Toulouse, France, on January 16, 2024, with tractors bearing placards that read ‘Macron still an effort, soon all farmers will be dead’. Photo by Alain Pitton/NurPhoto via Reuters

Explainer: Why are French farmers protesting?

Many farmers feeling pinched by costs, imports, environmental regulations and disregarded by French society

French farmers are blocking roads across the country to demand government action to address numerous grievances, as protests in the European Union's agricultural sector spread. Here are some of the issues that have prompted the growing protest movement and how the government could respond.