Bigger and bigger and …

Two years ago March 12, trumpets blasted in Ankeny, Iowa, as America’s new gladiators for agricultural justice — U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr., his antitrust chief Christine Varney, U.S. Department of Agriculture boss Tom Vilsack and hundreds of farmers — gathered for a day-long discussion on “competitive dynamics of the seed industry; trends in

World grain prices to stay strong

Reuters / World grain prices should remain “very firm” over the near term as demand from Asia exceeds forecasts and dry weather cuts into supply, the senior economist of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said March 26. South American corn and soy yields took a beating from drought this season, while China’s rapidly





Food companies poised to profit as production rebounds

The world’s farmers are poised for a year of plenty in 2012 after last year’s weather-related disasters, and prospects of lower grain prices from bumper harvests could offer relief to the battered bottom lines of grain and food companies. Food and beverage companies like Sara Lee, PepsiCo and General Mills have struggled to absorb high

Decadent ice cream saves the day for General Mills

chicago/reuters / General Mills Inc.’s mix of foods and its limited exposure to Italy and Greece have insulated it a bit from Europe’s economic crisis, one of the company’s top executives said March 14. The maker of Cheerios and other cereals has seen some European shoppers buy more items when they are discounted, or trade


Experts search for ways to cut food waste

Reuters — Cleaning your plate may not help feed starving children today, but the time-worn advice of mothers everywhere may help reduce food waste from the farm to the fork, help the environment and make it easier to feed the world’s growing population. Hard data is still being collected, but experts at the Reuters Food

Falling crop prices may be a harvest for retail

Corn, wheat and cotton prices are expected to fall — and that could lead to gains in sectors far removed from the farm. Deere & Company predicted on its February earnings call that agricultural commodities will lose ground this year. The farm equipment maker estimates that corn prices will fall 17 per cent through the


Arab countries consider grain storage site

The Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAID) is considering building a system for storing three to six months of grain reserves for the Gulf region, a senior official from the investment bank said Feb. 22. AAID, which was set up by Arab governments in the late 1970s, will study construction of storage for

Sitting in the hot seat can toast your bottom

Bottom warmers in cars may ease frigid winter commutes, but dermatologists warn that extended exposure to seat heaters can lead to a skin condition called “toasted skin syndrome.” Two reports in the Archives of Dermatology describe rashes on legs that erupt by pressing against warmed-up seats for prolonged periods of time. It might be ugly,