A Chinese takeover of Smithfields? Monday, August 5, 2013 Last year was financially unkind to Smithfield Foods Inc., the largest pork producer in the United States. While full year sales were up a full percentage point to US$13.2 billion, net income was down to $183.8 million, nearly a 50 per cent drop from $361 million a year before.The company's press release said pork production was not a money maker last year because of higher feed costs and other inputs. Any pork producer could have told you that.No wonder shareholders were enthusiastic about Shuanghui International, the largest butcher in China, taking over Smithfield sometime in the next six months. Shuanghui was offering US$31 a share for Smithfield Foods stock, a 31 per cent premium over the previous trading price of $25.75. The sale requires federal government approval.Shareholders aren't the only ones wondering where this is going. Producers across North America wonder what it will mean if a firm from China, the largest pork consumer and producer in the world, acquires the Smithfield company, if indeed the sale is approved. Is this more pork going to China and away from North American markets, or what else might happen? BP Coping with the wild boar invasion Tennessee backs down on ag-gag law
Pork producers applaud long-awaited EPA data decision Friday, November 6, 2026 For more than 20 years, hog and other livestock farmers have lived with uncertainty over what new federal permitting or reporting requirements could result from an emissions study conducted nearly two decades ago. In a regulatory win for pork producers and other farmers, the Environmental... Read this article online
Ag in the House: Oct. 26 – 30 Friday, November 6, 2026 On Oct. 26, Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald fielded a question from a fellow Liberal MP about how the federal government is supporting food security across Canada. Chi Nguyen, the Ontario MP for Spadina—Harbourfront, asked the minister to share how the government is going to invest... Read this article online
What is Struvite? Could it Help Farmers Stretch Phosphorus and Reduce Runoff Friday, November 6, 2026 Canadian researchers are exploring whether a fertilizer recovered from wastewater could become part of a more sustainable approach to phosphorus management on farms. Research from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) indicates that struvite, when used alongside conventional... Read this article online
NASA Uses Satellite Imagery to Assess Ukraine Harvests Friday, November 6, 2026 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 disrupted agricultural production and the country’s ability to monitor crop conditions. With winter wheat and rapeseed already planted before the conflict began, questions emerged about how much farmland farmers could access and... Read this article online
Kalon Armstrong joins Nofence as managing director for Canada Friday, November 6, 2026 Nofence has brought in an agtech professional with more than a decade of experience to lead its commercial launch in Canada. Kalon Armstrong, a co-founder of Enriched Ag, an Alberta-based data insight company focused on ranching and grazing management, is Nofence’s managing director for... Read this article online