Italy launches durum wheat futures market Jan. 21

milan / reuters / Europe’s first futures market for durum wheat, used mainly to produce pasta in the continent and couscous in North Africa and the Middle East, was launched January 21. Borsa Italiana, controlled by the London Stock Exchange, was due to launch the durum futures in November but the date was put back


Time to move past divisive wheat-marketing debate

Richard Gray won’t miss the fighting amongst western Canadian farmers over the Canadian Wheat Board. The University of Saskatchewan agricultural economist says the long, divisive debate distracted farmers from tackling even more financially important issues such as crop research. Grain marketing has been a touchy issue. A farmer who declined to be interviewed likened it



Italy to launch durum wheat futures contract

Reuters / Borsa Italiana is set to launch Europe’s first futures market for durum wheat in November to cater to demand from the continent’s Italian-led pasta makers, but building sufficient trading volumes will be a challenge, traders say. Grain futures generally take a long time to attract a large trading base, and the minimal volumes

JBS to open six new slaughterhouses in Brazil

sao paulo / reuters / Brazil’s JBS SA, the world’s biggest integrated meat producer, will open six new slaughterhouses that will increase beef production capacity in the coming months in Brazil by 15 per cent. The new plants will add processing capacity of 1.2 million head of cattle by July 2013, and eventually up to