Reuters — Regional shortages of propane, which is used for heating homes and barns and by farmers to dry their crops, have led to emergency declarations covering nine U.S. Midwest states amid late harvests of soggy grains. Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin declared state emergencies beginning in late October, and continued last Friday to
U.S. states declare emergencies to help farmers in propane shortage
CN to cut management, union jobs
Reuters — Canadian National Railway said on Friday it would cut management and union jobs, as the largest Canadian railroad operator grapples with an economic slowdown. The company will lay off 1,600 employees in the U.S. and Canada, according to a report by the Globe and Mail. The announcement comes amid declining freight volumes as
Pot producer Canopy Growth to stop expanding in Canada
Reuters — Canopy Growth Corp. on Thursday reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss on soaring expenses and said it would not make any large investments to expand in Canada amid surplus supply and tepid demand for weed and weed products. The decision to hold expansion plans follows a wave of enthusiastic spending by marijuana companies to
ADM says to focus on organic growth after acquisitions
Geneva | Reuters — Grain trader Archer Daniels Midland does not expect to continue its aggressive strategy of acquisitions in the next few years and will instead focus on organic growth, a senior official said on Wednesday. “With this level of acquisitions we have had, I don’t think you will see ADM being a very
Glencore’s head barley trader leaves post
Paris | Reuters –– Glencore Agriculture removed head barley trader Mathieu Kleine from his post last week, market sources familiar with the matter said. The grain merchant, which is part owned by diversified commodity group Glencore, dismissed Kleine due to disappointing results, two of the sources said. It was not clear if Kleine was still
CNH Industrial cuts revenue guidance for second time
Company sticks to earnings per share forecast
Milan | Reuters – Italian-American machinery maker CNH Industrial trimmed its forecast for full-year revenue for a second time this year after lower sales volumes and exchange rate factors weighed on results in the third quarter. CNH Industrial, which makes most of its profit from farming machinery, Iveco commercial vehicles, construction equipment and powertrains, said net sales of
Oil vs Corn: U.S. lawmakers set hearing on fractious biofuels policy
The U.S. oil and corn industries will continue a long-running public battle over America’s biofuels policy on Tuesday during a Congressional hearing about the Trump administration’s use of “secret waivers” for refineries. The hearing set by the Energy and Commerce Committee will air out the grievances of two key political constituencies heading into next year’s
EU to ban Bayer’s Calypso insecticide
Brussels | Reuters — European Union governments on Tuesday widened the EU ban on neonicotinoid pesticides after deciding not to renew their approval for Bayer’s thiacloprid. Farmers will not be allowed to use the neonic insecticide, sold under the brands Calypso and Biscaya, after April 30, 2020, when its current approval expires. A majority of
Cargill suspends shifts at Kansas beef plant after explosion
Chicago | Reuters — Cargill said Thursday it had suspended some shifts at its Dodge City, Kansas beef-packing plant after an explosion injured two employees. Cargill spokesman Daniel Sullivan said the company expects the facility to be fully operational soon and that it would meet all it customer commitments. The company is investigating the cause
BHP sets early 2021 for decision on Jansen potash project
Melbourne | Reuters — BHP Group Ltd., the world’s biggest miner, said on Thursday it will make a final investment decision on its long-delayed $17 billion Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan around February 2021. Investors have been awaiting a decision by BHP on whether to go ahead with project, which would be its most significant