Britain-EU break-up leaves farmers short of workers
The "Brexodus" — the British withdrawal from the EU — "is being felt particularly acutely in the agriculture industry, which relies heavily on manual laborers, especially from poor European countries like Romania and Bulgaria," says the New York Times. Thousands of foreign-born workers have left England, or have decided not to return to harvest-time jobs on farms or other industries.
Farmland prices rise 5 percent in Britain over the summer
Property consultants Strutt and Parker said the price of cropland in England rose by 5 percent in the three months ending on Sept. 30, reversing a two-year decline, reported Agrimoney.
U.S. beef exports rebound from mid-decade slump
After dipping to 2.27 billion pounds in 2015, U.S. beef exports are forecast to climb 9 percent this year, and to climb again next year, said the monthly Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook. "The U.S. competitive advantage in beef production relative to other major beef producing nations has enabled it to increase its market in global beef trade," says the USDA report.
Maker of Dannon yogurt buys Denver-based WhiteWave Foods
Paris-based Danone SA reached a deal to buy WhiteWave Foods for $10.4 billion, a merger "that would hand it a slice of the fast-growing market for organic food and more than double its North American revenue," said the Wall Street Journal. Organic food is 5 percent of the U.S. food sales, with large annual increases.
Indirectly, Brexit could hurt U.S. pork exports
The United States exports only tiny amounts of pork to the EU but still may feel the impact of Britain's decision to leave the 28-nation bloc. In the financial turmoil that has followed the vote, the value of the U.S. dollar has risen against the Euro, putting U.S. pork at a disadvantage on the world market, says Purdue economist Chris Hurt.
Brexit may hobble US-EU free-trade negotiations
The decision by UK voters to leave the European Union will complicate the contentious negotiations for a U.S.-EU free trade agreement. And it could redound on regulation of pesticides such as glyphosate and neonicotinoids.
Brexit vote hits U.S. ag futures, raises questions on trade and environment
The vote by Britain to leave the European Union had an immediate impact that can be felt by U.S farmers — lower futures prices for corn, soybeans and wheat during overnight trading, along with a stronger dollar that would make U.S. exports less competitive. The decision could affect U.S.-EU trade negotiations and the future of neonicotinoids, the pesticides blamed by activists for the plunge in honeybee populations.
On a British dairy farm, father and son differ on ‘Brexit’ vote
Dairy farmer Rob Warnock says he'll vote for Britain to leave the EU despite the likely loss of $60,000 a year in EU subsidies, says The Associated Press. While Warnock believes the referendum will be a wake-up call to the national government on the matter of better agricultural policies, his father is skeptical that will happen, so he says he will vote to stay.