Archive for February, 2015

FORT DODGE, IOWA, U.S. — A “significant mechanical failure” to a key piece of operational equipment at a Fort Dodge, Iowa, U.S., corn wet mill owned and operated by Cargill forced the company to suspend shipments and deliveries at the facility. The mechanical failure took place Feb. 6, and as of Feb. 10 the company still was in the process of assessing the damage to the equipment.

“Fortunately, none of our employees or contractors were injured during the failure, and there ...

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, U.S. — Dalton Henry has been named director of policy for U.S. Wheat Associates, effective in March. Henry is currently director of government affairs for Kansas Wheat, the cooperative agreement between the Kansas Wheat Commission and the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers (KAWG).

“I am very pleased with the talented trade policy team working for U.S. wheat farmers to increase market access and monitor previous trade commitments,” said Alan Tracy, president of U.S. Wheat. “Dalton’s commitment to our industry ...

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA — The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) on Feb. 9 began consultations on its proposal to license feed mills in western Canada and to extend payment protection to grain producers who sell grain to feed mills.

The CGC is seeking input from feed mills, grain producers, producer groups, current licensees and industry stakeholders on its proposal to license feed mills and to assist in the development of licensing requirements for feed mills. The intent is to assess the feed ...

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — FEFAC, FEDIOL and COCERAL on Feb. 5 urged the E.U. Commission to lift immediately the present “de-facto” moratorium on genetically-modified (GM) import authorizations for food, feed and technical uses to prevent further threats to the E.U. food security as well as to the economic sustainability of the food, feed and E.U. livestock sector.

Despite these increasing threats, the E.U. authorization system for GM import is on hold since November 2013 due to merely political considerations, the groups said. ...

UZWIL, SWITZERLAND — Bühler will host the “9th European PhD Workshop on Food Engineering and Technology” in Uzwil, Switzerland, in March 2015.

As part of a competition that Bühler helped to organize, PhD students from 16 European countries will present their research projects March 24-25 at the headquarters of the Bühler Group. Entries are still being accepted and the preliminary selection of candidates has begun.

“Bühler is proud to host this prestigious event. The workshop is an excellent platform to discuss the ...

PARANAGUA, BRAZIL — The Port of Paranaguá said this January it exported its highest volume since 1995 of soybeans, corn, wheat and sorghum meal, port officials said on Feb. 4.

Grain exports reached 984,100 tonnes, an increase of 0.13% from the 982,802 tonnes exported in 2014. In January 2013, the port exported 878,354 tonnes.

The corridor operated the entire month with only two berths due to the installation of two new ship loaders (shiploaders) – the system normally operates with three cots. ...

Like other crops facing the challenge of pests and diseases, maize, Africa’s second most consumed cereal after rice is no exemption. Farmers in eastern Uganda have been battling the notorious Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease, also known simply as MLND, which causes low yields to total crop failure.
In 2013, several districts in the east were hit by MLND. Bulambuli, as a case in point, suffered a 30 per cent yield loss. When farmers spotted a “strange” disease, it was immediately ...

India’s wheat exports are poised to fall this year as an increase in supplies from Australia, Russia and Europe has pulled down global prices and made shipments from India non-viable.This could put pressure on the government as it would be forced to procure more of the grain at the state-set price as India is expected to have another bumper harvest.

Trading companies from USbased Cargill to local major ITC aren’t signing contracts for the new crop to be harvested in April-May ...