Insights and Stories of Rod Nickel

Apr. 7, 2015 at 6:15 pm CDT

Reuters — U.S. fertilizer producer Mosaic Co. boosted its CEO’s pay last year by more than $5 million as a reward for slashing costs and jobs, a regulatory filing shows. Construction of excess potash capacity and fiercer competition have pressured the sector, and leading North American producers Mosaic, PotashCorp and […]

By Rod Nickel

Apr. 7, 2015 at 6:05 pm CDT

Winnipeg | Reuters — Japan and Taiwan have imposed trade restrictions on poultry and poultry products from Ontario, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Tuesday, a day after avian flu was confirmed in the province. The government agency said a turkey farm near Woodstock, Ont. was under quarantine after the […]

By Rod Nickel

Mar. 31, 2015 at 4:26 pm CDT

Winnipeg | Reuters –– The Canadian government, under pressure to eliminate its budget deficit, has reduced the frequency of inspections at certain Alberta meat-packing plants and plans to cut spending on food safety, the food inspectors’ union said on Tuesday. The cutbacks follow two major meat recalls over foodborne illness […]

By Rod Nickel

Mar. 27, 2015 at 5:51 pm CDT

Winnipeg | Reuters –– Soybeans, once a novelty in western Canadian fields, are poised to reach record-large acreage again this year, and some of the world’s biggest seed companies are betting they have further room to grow in a region known for wheat and canola. Farmers on the eastern side […]

By Rod Nickel

Mar. 23, 2015 at 8:20 pm CDT

Winnipeg | Reuters –– Western Canadian farmers, some of whom could not plant crops last year due to soggy soil, may be able to get a head-start on sowing their fields this spring. Canada is the world’s biggest canola exporter and the second largest wheat exporter, but its flat western […]

By Rod Nickel