Articles by Roberto Samora | Manitoba Co-operator

Brazil farm minister heads to U.S. over fresh beef ban

Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil’s agriculture minister prepared to travel to the U.S. on Friday to fight a ban on imports of fresh Brazilian beef, which hit shares of local meatpackers and revived concerns about the image of the world’s largest beef exporter. “We will fight for this market!” said the minister, billionaire soy

Livestock

JBS scandal might reduce Brazil meat supplies, industry group says

By Ana Mano, GFM Network News, Roberto Samora May 27, 2017

Sao Paulo/Cuiaba | Reuters — An unfolding corruption scandal involving meatpacker JBS SA may reduce meat supply in Brazil, potentially benefiting rivals of the world’s largest beef exporter, industry group Abrafrigo said. Since the scandal broke, JBS and ranchers have been at odds, with the company deciding to stop buying cattle for cash and producers

Cereals, Crops, Markets

Exporters fear Brazil agents’ strike could hurt corn exports

By GFM Network News, Roberto Samora September 20, 2015

Sao Paulo | Reuters — A strike by Brazilian federal agricultural agents responsible for approving certificates required for shipments could affect Brazil’s corn exports, the director of the cereal exporters association Anec Sergio Mendes said Friday. Mendes said the strike that started on Thursday was “the worst thing that could happen” to grain exports, though

Markets

Brazil food safety agents start open-ended strike at ports

By GFM Network News, Roberto Samora August 16, 2013

Food safety inspectors responsible for clearing agricultural goods at Brazilian ports went on an open-ended strike Friday morning, saying there was political mismanagement and businesses were meddling in their agency. Wilson Roberto de Sa, president of federal food safety inspectors union ANFFA, said more than 80 per cent of the agents who clear all of

Crops, Markets

Brazil faces prolonged regional wheat shortage after frosts

By GFM Network News, Roberto Samora July 26, 2013

Several days of frost this week over Brazil’s southern wheat belt has destroyed as much as 5 per cent of the national crop and will prolong the shortage of the grain on the regional market where prices are in record territory, the local flour milling industry association said on Friday. Board Chairman Marcelo Vosnika of

Crops, Markets

Brazil may import more N. American wheat after frosts

By GFM Network News, Roberto Samora July 24, 2013

Frost that hit the wheat crop in Brazil’s leading producer state Parana this week will likely force the country to import more than the 2 million tonnes of wheat it has bought from North America, even with tariffs, Brazilian buyers said. Local meteorologists Somar and Simepar reported multiple days of frost over the heart of

Crops, News, Oilseeds

Dock worker strike exposes weak link for Brazilian export powerhouse

By Gustavo Bonato, Roberto Samora March 1, 2013

The government wants to privatize  158 ports to attract private investment,  but workers fear a loss of jobs

Reuters / Dock workers shut down the movement of global commodities through Brazilian ports early Feb. 22 during a six-hour strike to protest the government’s plan to overhaul regulations and put more than 150 terminals in the hands of the private sector. The short-lived work stoppage provided a glimpse of what could turn out to

News

China Food Demand Boosts Brazil Growers’ Profits

By Roberto Samora November 25, 2010

Brazil growers will reap healthy profits from the 2010-11 grain crop, despite the high cost of getting goods to port, because strong demand from China is supporting prices, consultants MB Associados said. Despite the downward correction in world commodities prices in the past week, futures prices of commodities from grains to iron ore are still

News

Tractors Moving Faster In Brazil With Cheap Loans

By Roberto Samora May 13, 2010

Farm machinery sales in Brazil should recover in 2010 from a crisis-driven slump, as producers take advantage of state-subsidized loans to renew equipment or mechanize for the first time. The government of the South American agricultural powerhouse introduced subsidized loans for the purchase of machines like tractors and harvesters in an effort to staunch an

Beef cattle, Hogs, Livestock

Brazil’s JBS Drops U. S. National Beef Bid

By Roberto Samora February 26, 2009

Brazil’s JBS, the world’s largest beef producer and owner of JBS-Swift, has abandoned its attempt to take over U. S. meat company National Beef Packing Co., saying it could not work out an agreement with U. S. authorities over terms of the deal. JBS became the No. 3 U. S. beef producer in 2008 when

Bayer, Corteva in ‘two-dog battle’ over U.S. soy market

CBOT weekly outlook: Focus to shift after USDA’s largely stand-pat WASDE report

Prairies hit hard by drought

GFM Network News