Paris | Reuters — Louis Dreyfus Co. (LDC) said on Friday it had completed the sale of a 45 per cent indirect stake to Abu Dhabi holding firm ADQ, marking the arrival of the first non-family shareholder in the agricultural commodity group’s 170-year history. The overall value of the deal was not disclosed but LDC
Louis Dreyfus completes stake sale to ADQ
Deal includes long-term supply line to UAE
Brazil’s ag ministry investigating suspected BSE case
Evidence suggests 'atypical' BSE, source says
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil’s agriculture ministry said Wednesday it was investigating a suspected case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the country, according to a statement. An industry source told Reuters, on condition of anonymity, that the suspected case occurred in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. The ministry said such investigations are
Pot producer TerrAscend to buy U.S. rival Gage Growth
Company to pay US$545 million
Reuters — Cannabis producer and processor TerrAscend will buy Michigan-based rival Gage Growth Corp., backed by prominent cannabis investor Jason Wild, for around US$545 million, the pot producer said on Wednesday. Dealmaking in the U.S. cannabis industry has heated up this year as companies bank on Democrats’ promises to reform marijuana laws and potentially legalize
China’s sow herd shrinks in July, first decline in almost two years
China’s sow herd declined for the first time in nearly two years, contracting 0.5 per cent in July from the previous month, state media said, after a plunge in hog prices pushed many farmers to get rid of unproductive sows. In year-on-year terms, however, it was still up 25 per cent, according to National Development
Philippines says swine fever cases waning
The Philippines’ Agriculture Ministry said August 19 active cases of African swine fever were declining and confined to less than one per cent of the nearly 3,000 villages that recorded outbreaks since the first cases were detected in 2019. The fall in infections and an ongoing government-funded hog repopulation program had put the Southeast Asian
Kazakhstan sees 2021 grain crop down due to drought
Kazakhstan expects its 2021 grain crop to fall by 24 per cent to 15.3 million tonnes after drought hit main producing regions of the Central Asian nation, acting Agriculture Minister Yerbol Karashokeyev told a government meeting Aug. 17. Kazakhstan, the top grain producer in Central Asia, has been hit by dry and hot weather in
U.S. reports world’s first deer with COVID-19
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. government said Friday it had confirmed the world’s first cases of COVID-19 in deer, expanding the list of animals known to have tested positive for the disease. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported infections of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in wild white-tailed deer in the state of
Washington state eradicates first ‘murder hornet’ nest of the year
Nest found in northwestern county near B.C. border
Reuters — Washington state eradicated its first Asian giant hornet nest of the year by vacuuming out 113 worker hornets and removing bark and decayed wood near the nest, Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) officials said Thursday. The so-called stinging “murder hornets,” the world’s largest hornets, can grow to five centimetres in length and
U.S. seeks to protect pork exports if swine fever hits territories
Policy would distinguish Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands from mainland
Chicago | Reuters — The United States said on Thursday it is seeking to avoid disruptions to pork exports if the territories of Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands detect the fatal pig disease African swine fever. The risk for infections in the territories is higher after the Dominican Republic last month confirmed the
Belarus potash exporter says sanctions will increase global prices
Belarus Potash Company (BPC), the exporting arm of state potash producer Belaruskali, says western sanctions on Belaruskali would lead to an increase in global potash prices and reduced availability of the crop nutrient. Washington earlier this month blacklisted Belaruskali, one of Belarus’s largest state-owned enterprises and one of the world’s largest producers of potash, and