Connect to share and comment

Australia set to cull 10,000 wild horses

Agence France-PresseMay 22, 2013 00:30
A controversial cull of up to 10,000 wild horses in Australia's harsh Outback reportedly began Wednesday in a bid to control the feral animals which officials say are destroying the land. The Central Land Council said animals -- including horses, donkeys and camels -- were dying in their thousands due to a lack of food and water and a cull was necessary on humanitarian and environmental grounds. They also argue that the destruction of water holes by the large animals was having an impact on native species which rely on the same drinking sources.

Analysis: U.S. food labels seen heating up North America meat war

May 21, 2013 11:17
By Rod Nickel and Theopolis Waters WINNIPEG, Manitoba/CHICAGO (Reuters) - The United States is poised to introduce stricter rules on the labeling of meat imports this week, a move that is likely to heat up a simmering trade dispute with Canada and Mexico. Under new regulations that Washington says are aimed at complying with a World Trade Organization order, all meat sold in the United States must have labels that state where an animal was born, fed and slaughtered.

Wheat and soybean futures rise on the CBOT; beef and pork prices also rise

The Canadian PressMay 20, 2013 16:15
CHICAGO - Grains futures were mixed Monday on the Chicago Board of Trade. Wheat for July delivery rose 2 cents to $6.8525 a bushel; July corn fell 3.25 cents to $6.495 a bushel; July oats fell 12.25 cents to $3.6325 a bushel; while July soybeans jumped 16 cents to $14.645 a bushel. Beef and pork prices rose on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. June live cattle rose 0.72 cent to $1.2012 a pound; August feeder cattle rose 1.10 cent to $1.4447 a pound; June lean hogs added 0.55 cent to 92.07 cents a pound.

Wheat and oat futures fall, while corn and soybean futures rise on the CBOT

The Canadian PressMay 17, 2013 16:47
CHICAGO - Grains futures were mixed Friday on the Chicago Board of Trade. Wheat for July delivery fell 4.5 cents to $6.8325 a bushel; July corn rose 11.25 cents to $6.5275 a bushel; July oats slipped 2.25 cents to $3.755 a bushel; while July soybeans jumped 21 cents to $14.485 a bushel. Beef and pork prices fell on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. June live cattle fell 0.50 cent to $1.1940 a pound; August feeder cattle fell 1.75 cent to $1.4337 a pound; June lean hogs fell 1.35 cent to 91.52 cents a pound.

Tougher food-safety rules in the works: Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz

The Canadian PressMay 17, 2013 13:04
SASKATOON - Canada's food watchdog is planning to impose tougher rules to deal with the threat of E. coli in slaughterhouses. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will strengthen E. coli testing in federally inspected establishments that use raw beef. Testing will increase between April and October — considered barbecue season.

Organic industry's political influence rises on Capitol Hill as demand grows for organic foods

The Canadian PressMay 17, 2013 04:45
WASHINGTON - The organic food industry is gaining influence on Capitol Hill, prompted by its entry into traditional farm states and by increasing consumer demand. That's not going over well with everyone in Congress. Tensions between conventional and organic agriculture boiled over this week during a late-night House Agriculture Committee debate on farm legislation that for decades has propped up traditional crops and largely ignored organics.

Mexican activists hang anti-transgenics banner from monument

Agencia EFEMay 16, 2013 17:50
Mexico City, May 16 (EFE).- Four Greenpeace activists scaled a monument in this capital on Thursday to unfurl a banner denouncing the use of genetically modified organisms in the cultivation of maize, Mexico's emblematic staple. The foursome climbed halfway up the Stela of Light, which stands 104 meters (341 feet) tall, hung the banner with the slogan NO OGM and remained for several hours before descending and driving away in a pickup truck. OGM are the initials of the Spanish translation of genetically modified organisms.

Sri Lanka sexes up image of Ceylon tea

Agence France-PresseMay 13, 2013 23:02
A hot cup of Ceylon tea is better known as being soothing and relaxing, but Sri Lanka is now marketing its most profitable export as a luxury boost for the libido. The tea industry is increasingly plugging Ceylon's supposed aphrodisiac qualities in a bid to radically change perceptions of the brew, which manufacturers say can sell for less than water in some markets. "We are highlighting the properties of tea that can give you an edge in the bedroom," said Rohan Fernando, whose firm HVA Foods sells a small 60-gram jar of premium Ceylon for $350.

US Supreme Court finds for Monsanto in seed patent battle

Agence France-PresseMay 13, 2013 11:01
The US Supreme Court ruled in favor of Monsanto Monday over an Indiana farmer accused of having pirated the genetically-modified crops developed by the agribusiness giant. The high court was unanimous in its decision, ruling that laws limiting patents do "not permit a farmer to reproduce patented seeds through planting and harvesting without the patent holder's permission." The crux of the argument was over "patent exhaustion" which states that, after a patented item has been sold, the purchaser has "'the right to use (or) sell' the thing as he sees fit."

Sri Lanka sexes up image of Ceylon tea

Agence France-PresseMay 13, 2013 01:18
A hot cup of Ceylon tea is better known as being soothing and relaxing, but Sri Lanka is now marketing its most profitable export as a luxury boost for the libido. The tea industry is increasingly plugging Ceylon's supposed aphrodisiac qualities in a bid to radically change perceptions of the brew, which manufacturers say can sell for less than water in some markets.
Syndicate content