Insights and Stories on International

Feb. 26, 2016 at 1:23 pm CST

Sydney | Reuters — Australia is set to increase taxes on foreign travellers who work in the country, raising concerns from farmers that their supply of “backpacker labour” at harvest times may dry up and undermine Australia’s ambitions of being Asia’s delicatessen. Australian fruit exports are set to hit a […]

By Colin Packham

Feb. 25, 2016 at 5:47 pm CST

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean prices fell on Thursday as commodity traders reacted to forecasts of increased corn plantings and grain production, as well as predictions of falling prices in the coming growing season. But wheat futures bounced back during the day’s trading, firming for the first […]

By P.J. Huffstutter

Feb. 25, 2016 at 5:42 pm CST

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts climbed on Thursday, propelled by anticipation of firm cash prices by Friday amid improved wholesale beef demand, traders said. The February contract, which will expire on Monday, closed up 0.9 cent/lb. to 137.875 cents (all figures US$). April ended 1.2 […]

By Theopolis Waters

Feb. 25, 2016 at 5:03 pm CST

Leverkusen, Germany | Reuters –– BASF, the world’s largest chemicals group by sales, will cut half of the 700 jobs at its plant biotechnology business, slashing some early development projects in yield improvement and stress tolerance and all of its rice yield and corn fungal resistance projects. BASF’s plant biotechnology […]

By Reuters

Feb. 25, 2016 at 4:28 pm CST

Leverkusen, Germany | Reuters — Bayer’s Crop Science business is casting its eye over potential targets to enhance its seeds operation, the division’s head said on Thursday, as competitive threats increase with big mergers among its rivals. The Bayer CropScience operation comprises the world’s second-largest pesticides supplier but remains a […]

By Ludwig Burger, Patricia Weiss