Chicago | Reuters — CME cattle and hog futures rose on Wednesday, supported by concerns about near-term supplies, traders said. Analysts were expecting a U.S. Agriculture Department report on Friday to show that the number of cattle on feed as of July 1 was 99 per cent of the year-earlier amount. Placements during June were
U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hog contracts end firm
U.S. FTC votes to make ‘right to repair’ a priority
Commission also drops 1995 merger policy
Washington | Reuters — The U.S Federal Trade Commission voted Wednesday to make it a priority to address the issue of manufacturers pushing consumers to use licensed dealers to repair items ranging from smartphones to farm equipment, a practice that critics call anti-competitive. The five commissioners, three Democrats and two Republicans, voted unanimously to approve
German hog market shrugs off swine fever discovery on farms
Hamburg | Reuters — German pig prices were unchanged this week despite the discovery of the disease African swine fever in farm animals, German animal farmers’ association VEZG said on Wednesday. German pig prices were the same as last week at 1.42 euros (C$2.10) per kilogram slaughter weight, the VEZG said. A third case of
Beyond Meat brings back alt-chicken offering
Beyond Meat has brought back a chicken offering to its product portfolio with the launch of plant-based chicken tenders. The faux-meat maker looks to capitalize on booming demand for meat alternatives amid a shift towards healthy eating in the pandemic. The company is launching the product in around 400 U.S. restaurants, more than two years
EU biofuel imports drop as pandemic recovery draws on stocks
European Union imports of biofuel are expected to drop by a quarter this year as the bloc draws on large inventories to meet growing demand after the easing of coronavirus restrictions, the European Commission said July 6. Rebounding demand for biodiesel and bioethanol in 2021 is projected to exceed the level before the COVID-19 pandemic,
Britain wheat area expands on improved sowing conditions
Britain’s wheat area is expected to expand to 1.74 million hectares for this year’s harvest, up 26 per cent from 2020, according to a survey issued by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). The increase was largely at the expense of spring barley, which was expected to be 28 per cent lower at 769,000
China buys 20,000 tonnes of frozen pork for its state reserves
China purchased 20,000 tonnes of frozen pork for its state reserves on July 7. Live hog prices in the world’s top pork producer plunged 65 per cent from January to early June as outbreaks of disease triggered panic selling, and as a glut of large pigs were sent to slaughter. Falling prices eroded profits for
‘Free meat for a year’ offered in JBS U.S. vaccine sweepstakes
Want free meat for a year? Get a COVID-19 shot. Meat packer JBS SA will give away beef, pork and chicken for the next year to 50 U.S. families that participate in company-sponsored vaccination clinics over the coming weeks. The Brazilian company’s arm in the United States and Pilgrim’s Pride, a U.S. chicken company mostly
Strategie Grains raises EU rapeseed crop outlook
Consultancy Strategie Grains has raised its forecast for this year’s European Union rapeseed harvest while trimming demand expectations, projecting reduced supply tightness next season. Rapeseed production in the 27-country EU is now expected to reach 17 million tonnes, compared with the 16.82 million tonnes forecast a month ago and 3.3 per cent above last year’s
World Food Programme starts distributing food in Venezuela
Reuters — The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) said Wednesday it had begun distributing school meals to children in Venezuela, where some seven million people require humanitarian assistance after years of economic collapse in the once-prosperous OPEC nation. The WFP’s first take-home rations were distributed for children under six years old at some 277 schools