Insights and Stories on General

Wal-Mart forecast disappoints as grocery business struggles

Feb. 20, 2014 at 2:56 pm CST

Reuters — The struggles of the low-income U.S. consumer are playing out in Wal-Mart Stores’ grocery aisles. The world’s largest retailer, which gets more than half its sales from groceries, on Thursday gave a disappointing full-year forecast. It blamed sharp cuts in food stamp benefits and higher payroll taxes that […]

Obama pledges help for drought-stricken California

Feb. 18, 2014 at 10:43 am CST

By Steve Holland

Japan eyes trade pact concessions as talks with U.S. begin

Feb. 18, 2014 at 5:17 am CST

Co-op, Overwaitea to buy 29 grocery stores in West

Feb. 13, 2014 at 6:25 pm CST

By Staff

Obama signs sprawling U.S. Farm Bill, lauds rural progress

Feb. 7, 2014 at 4:17 pm CST

By Roberta Rampton

Wal-Mart plans more supercentres in Canada

Feb. 5, 2014 at 3:04 am CST

Reuters — Wal-Mart Stores said Tuesday it would invest about $500 million this year to strengthen its presence in Canada, creating more than 7,500 jobs including construction. The investments include more than $376 million for store projects, $91 million for distribution networks to expand fresh food capability and $31 million […]

U.S. Senate passes long-overdue Farm Bill, sends to Obama

Feb. 4, 2014 at 4:27 pm CST

Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Senate gave final congressional approval on Tuesday to a farm bill, costing an estimated US$956 billion over a decade, that trims food stamps for the poor, expands federal crop insurance and ends direct payments to farmers, and sent it to President Barack Obama for his […]

By Eric Beech

Sticky land rental rates

Jan. 30, 2014 at 1:45 pm CST

With other farmers bidding up 2014 rates, your only choice may be to go big or stay home Grain prices have sunk, but it’s no news in farm circles that farmland rental values don’t look set to follow anytime soon. Nor, perhaps, should it be any surprise. “If we look […]

By Richard Kamchen

U.S. congressional negotiators reach deal on Farm Bill

Jan. 27, 2014 at 6:52 pm CST

Washington | Reuters — U.S. congressional negotiators have reached a bipartisan agreement on the long-overdue Farm Bill, and a vote on the legislation could come soon, Senator Debbie Stabenow said Monday. “We’ve got a bill that makes sense, works for farmers and ranchers and consumers and families that need help, […]

By Eric Beech

Big U.S. harvest boosts Cargill earnings

Jan. 10, 2014 at 5:35 am CST

U.S. agribusiness giant Cargill on Thursday reported a 36 per cent rise in quarterly profit, supported by a bigger U.S. crop harvest in 2013 that led to lower grain prices and boosted profit margins on meat sales. Minneapolis-based Cargill, a top global commodities trader, reported net earnings of $556 million […]

By Christine Stebbins