Reuters — Meatpacker JBS USA paid a ransom equivalent to US$11 million (C$13.3 million) following a cyberattack that disrupted its North American and Australian operations, the company’s CEO said in a statement Wednesday. The subsidiary of Brazilian firm JBS halted cattle slaughtering at all of its U.S. plants and its Alberta beef plant for a
JBS says it paid US$11 million in bitcoin for ransom
Cyberattack disrupted plants in North America, Australia
U.S. chicken producer charged with price-fixing
Claxton Poultry Farms has been indicted in Colorado on charges of price-fixing broiler chickens produced for sale to restaurants and grocery stores, the U.S. Justice Department said May 20. The company’s president, Mikell Fries, and vice-president, Scott Brady, were previously indicted for their roles in a nationwide conspiracy to fix chicken prices from 2012 to
UN bodies set up panel on animal disease risks
The ‘One Health’ panel will advise on plans to curb zoonotic infections
The World Health Organization (WHO) and three other international bodies have formed a team of experts to help develop a global plan to prevent the spread of diseases from animals to humans, the WHO said May 20. The One Health High-Level Expert Panel was an initiative launched by France and Germany late last year, and
Nutrien to boost potash output on global demand
Reuters — Fertilizer company Nutrien said Monday it expects to increase potash production by about half a million tonnes in the second half of the year compared to earlier expectations, due to strong global demand. As crop prices rise, farmers have greater incentive to use fertilizer and maximize yields, boosting potash demand and spurring a
Trans-Pacific trade partners agree for U.K. to start joining process
Tokyo | Reuters — Member nations of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on Wednesday officially agreed to allow the United Kingdom to start the process of joining the pact, Japan’s economy minister said. Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters he welcomed the start of Britain’s joining process after hosting an
JBS Australian, North American servers hacked
Melbourne | Reuters –– Australian and North American units of the world’s largest meat works were hit over the weekend by an organized cyber attack on its information systems, Brazil’s JBS said in a statement. The attack caused its Australian operations to shut down on Monday. The company said it was working to resolve the
WTO creates panel in China-Australia barley row
Sydney/Geneva | Reuters — The World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed on Friday to establish a dispute settlement panel to resolve a row over anti-dumping and countervailing duties imposed by China on Australian barley, a trade source attending the meeting said. Australia launched a formal appeal to the WTO last year, seeking a review of China’s
Hexo steps up cannabis M+A spree with Redecan deal
Reuters — Hexo Corp said on Friday it would buy Redecan, a privately-owned Niagara-region cannabis producer, for $925 million in cash and stock, as the pot producer bolsters its portfolio to tap surging demand and position itself as a top recreational weed supplier. Cannabis demand surged last year as many people turned to pot during
BHP reported in talks with Nutrien on potash partnership
Reuters — BHP Group is in discussions with fertilizer maker Nutrien about a partnership in the miner’s massive potash project in Saskatchewan, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing sources. Potential options include Nutrien acquiring a stake in BHP’s mine at Jansen, Sask., or becoming the mine’s operator and selling the potash through its channels, the report said,
Vegan milk maker Oatly seeks US$10 billion valuation in IPO
Oprah Winfrey-backed vegan milk maker Oatly is aiming for a valuation of about US$10 billion in a U.S. initial public offering, following increasing consumer demand for plant-based dairy. The company, whose investors also include rapper Jay-Z and former Starbucks head Howard Schultz, plans to offer nearly 65 million American depositary shares and an additional 20