United States

A high-resolution search by satellite found 15 to 20 percent more cropland in the world than previously thought and identified India as the world leader, says the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS says its new map, showing 1.87 billion hectares of cropland, will help "to ensure global food and water security in a sustainable way."

Only three countries show no serious signs of malnutrition: China, Vietnam and South Korea, according to the 2016 Global Nutrition Report. The rest of the world is plagued by such poor nutrition indicators as “stunted toddlers, anemic young women and obese adults,” says The New York Times. In the United States, each obese family member costs families an average of 8 percent of their income in additional healthcare.

The world's largest farm equipment manufacturer said sales were down by 5 percent worldwide - down 8 percent in the United States and Canada - in the third quarter - due to lower commodity prices...

In its first formal forecast of the 2014/15 soybean crop, the International Grains Council forecast a record harvest, up 6 percent from the previous season, and a 24 percent jump in carryover stocks.

The Ethiopian mustard plant could be used to help canola varieties resist the fungal disease blackleg, says a researcher at the University of Alberta.

Coffee production is on the rise in Colombia and Central America, where growers battle the rust fungus, said USDA in its Coffee: World Markets and Trade report.

Participation in food stamps, the major U.S. antihunger program, is down for the fitfth month in a row, say USDA data. Some 46.1 million people received food stamps at latest count, down 3 percent since October.

Farm and baking industry groups in Canada, Australia and the United States, who account for 45 percent of world wheat exports, called for commercialization of genetically engineered wheat.

The main cause of declines in the monarch butterfly population is loss of habitat in breeding grounds in North America, particularly the U.S. Corn Belt, says research by the University of Guelph.

The government "has no clear idea" how Porcine Epidemic Virus entered the United States a year ago, Reuters says. The virus, with a high mortality rate for newborn pigs, has killed 10 percent of the U.S. hog herd and helped push pork prices to high levels.

"Brazil is likely to receive $400 million from the United States as part of an agreement to compensate the South American country" in the decade-old cotton subsidy dispute, says Agro-South.

Japanese and U.S. negotiators explored various factors that control market openings for farm imports during President Obama's visit, a senior administration official told reporters.

The leaders of the United States and Japan say "they have made significant progress on the agriculture and auto issues that have blocked a huge Asia-Pacific trade deal following intense talks," says Politico.

Miller Milling Co, subsidiary of Tokyo-based Nisshin Flour Milling Inc, announced the purchase for $215 mln of four mills from Horizon and ConAgra that will turn Miller into the fourth-largest U.S. miller.

Barclays, one of the five largest banks in comodities, "is reportedly planning to exit large parts of its agricultural trading business," says the Financial Times, with an announcement possible on Tuesday.

Health Canada announced a three-year phase-out of subtherapeutic use of antibiotics in food animals, a step that parallels U.S. action.

Ahead of the annual meeting of the World Bank, the United States is calling on other nations to contribute to a fund that supports local food production worldwide.

Strong overseas demand for U.S. corn and soybeans will mean smaller than expected stockpiles in coming months, the government said in a monthly update of crop output and usage worldwide.