International news & Farming Articles

Cereals, Crops, International news, Opinion

Wheat farmers in Western Australia face a financing crunch

By Roger Crook March 25, 2013

Bankers want at least eight per cent for operating loans, and are asking for risk-mitigation insurance

Two weeks ago some 350 farmers, politicians and bankers attended a meeting at Kulin in the heart of Western Australia (WA) wheat country. It was organized by the local representatives of the West Australian Farmers Federation and called “Agriculture in Crisis — looking for a brighter future.” There were no surprises and no answers, just

Crops, International news, Weather

UN bodies want to tackle drought to avert food crisis

By Emma Farge March 25, 2013

Reuters / UN agencies want to strengthen national drought policies after warnings that climate change would increase their frequency and severity. Droughts cause more deaths and displacement than floods or earthquakes, making them the world’s most destructive natural hazard, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, one of the groups taking part. “We must boost

Crops, International news

Conservatives call for big cut in U.S. crop insurance subsidy

By Charles Abbott March 25, 2013

A coalition of fiscal conservatives March 5 called for a steep cut in federal subsidies for crop insurance, setting up a clash with U.S. farm groups that see the program as their top priority in a new Farm Bill. Growers have collected more than $15 billion in payments for 2012 losses resulting from the worst

Beef cattle, International news, Livestock, News, Other livestock

Poland shuts down plant on fears it resold outdated meat

By Reuters March 22, 2013

A local broadcaster showed footage of employees discussing plant practices A Polish meat plant shut down March 8 after veterinary officials said the company was selling products beyond their expiry date which had been cleared from store shelves. The General Veterinary Inspectorate said it carried out a survey of the Viola meat plant in northern

International news, Livestock, News

Manitobans boosting Filipino honey sector

By Shannon VanRaes March 16, 2013

A decade ago, there were just 5,000 hives in the entire nation,  but now honey production and demand for beekeeping training is soaring

Only a few years ago beekeeping wasn’t even recognized by the Philippine Department of Agriculture. Now it’s having trouble keeping up with demand for training. The change is partly due to the efforts of a group of Manitoba apiarists who have been visiting the Philippines in recent winters, while also inviting beekeepers from the South

Crops, International news, News

Professor decries local-food movement and praises the ‘10,000-mile diet’

By Victoria Paterson March 16, 2013

Local food is mostly a fad that won’t last because it’s inferior to the “10,000-mile diet.” That was the message University of Toronto geography professor,a Pierre Desrochers delivered at the recent Alberta Beef Industry Conference in Banff. “It really has become a way to protest against ‘the man,’” Desrochers said. “Backwards is the new forward.”

Crops, International news, News

Taller children through better crop rotation

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff March 16, 2013

Researchers at Michigan State University crop rotation with legumes and other soil-management practices have increased Malawian crop yields by 50 to 200 per cent compared to monoculture. Trials at one village have been so successful that children have gained weight and height to the point where they now meet international norms for healthy children. MSU

Beef cattle, International news, Livestock, News, Other livestock

Waiter! There’s a giraffe in my kudu

By Reuters March 16, 2013

Only three days after being told their hamburgers may in fact be donkey or water buffalo, South African meat lovers have been dealt another blow: biltong, the fabled dried-meat snack, may not be as “wild” as many packets suggest. Acting on a hunch — and four years before Europe’s horsemeat scandal broke —researchers at the

Cereals, Crops, International news, News, Weather

Dry weather wilts South African crops

By Olivia Kumwenda March 16, 2013

Reuters / Dry weather conditions have hit the main maize-growing areas in South Africa, wilting the crop and dashing prospects for better yields this year. South Africa’s provinces of Free State and North West, which together produce more than half of the country’s total maize crop, have been the hardest hit by the dry conditions

Cereals, Crops, International news, News

Russia’s role of cheap wheat supplier may be hurt in 2013

By Polina Devitt March 16, 2013

Russia’s role as one of the cheapest wheat suppliers to the Middle East and North Africa may be jeopardized in 2013 as it looks to rebuild depleted stocks after last year’s drought. The damage to Russia’s 2012 crop generated a huge premium for old wheat crop supplies versus new crop, attracting attention from exporters and

Daily Network News

CFIA updates plant protection regulations

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat ease after gains driven by Black Sea jitters

CBOT Weekly: Watching for Chinese soybean purchases

International news