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☆ UK grocery price inflation hits record high as more stores impose rationing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —A measure of UK grocery price inflation soared to a record high this month — that’s more bad news for consumers already facing a shortage of fruit and vegetables that has led to rationing at major supermarkets. “Our latest research shows that grocery price inflation is the second most important financial issue for the public behind energy costs, with two-thirds of people concerned by food and drink prices,” McKevitt said. Mark Spencer, the UK food and farming minister, held crisis talks with supermarket bosses on Monday to discuss their response to the shortages. UK growers were not harvesting tomatoes, peppers and eggplants at this time of year, as is usually the case, because high energy costs this winter had delayed planting, said Lee Stiles, LGVA secretary. UK apple farmers normally buy at least one million apple trees each winter for planting.

☆ UK vegetable and fruit shortage could last until May, producers warn
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A shortage of tomatoes affecting UK supermarkets is widening to other fruit and vegetables and is likely to last weeks, retailers have warned. According to the BRC, UK supermarkets import 95% of their tomatoes and 90% of their lettuce in December and typically the same proportions in March. Stiles said UK supermarkets had opted to import even more fresh produce from abroad this winter, taking advantage of lower prices sought by overseas growers. UK supermarkets have not mentioned Brexit as a reason for the supply crunch. Although full UK border checks on fruit and vegetable imports from the Europen Union start only from January 2024, Stiles says additional paperwork has already deterred EU producers from exporting more to the country.

☆ Female-owned farms and companies are growing Ghana's taste for coffee
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

As the women worked, Tamakloe walked among them with a device to test the coffee beans' moisture content. Today, Bean Masters coffee is mostly sold in bulk to high-end restaurants and hotels. But Tamakloe aims to expand her production of retail-sized bags this year to make Bean Masters available to all kinds of consumers. At Kozo, an Afro-Asian fusion restaurant in Accra, Tamakloe and the staff sipped espressos made with Bean Masters coffee. The owner visited Pagniw's farm with Tamakloe in 2021, and has exclusively stocked Bean Masters ever since.

☆ Britain's salad vegetable crisis its own fault, says former Sainsbury's boss
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The crisis has been exacerbated by less winter production in greenhouses in Britain and the Netherlands due to high energy costs. "We could have chosen to subsidise the energy this winter as we have done for other industries." Horticulture has been excluded from a government Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme (ETII) that provides help with energy costs. King said that most UK supermarkets still had "very good" supply of salad vegetables coming in but overall the country is short. "That's why supermarkets introduce fair purchase policies so that 'real' customers are able to buy the one or two that they really need."

☆ UK supermarkets Tesco, Aldi and Asda are rationing fruit and salad vegetables
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Asda told CNN that it was temporarily limiting purchases of some items to three packs per customer. These include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and lettuce. Morrisons told CNN that it had imposed a cap of two packs per customer on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and lettuce. Sainsbury’s (JSAIY), the United Kingdom’s second-largest food retailer, told CNN it had no plans to ration the sale of fruit and vegetables. The high-end supermarket chain told CNN that it was “monitoring the situation” but had no plans to introduce rationing.

☆ Marijuana legalization has stalled in Mexico, but farmers and cartels are still making big plans to profit off a new market
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Luis Chaparro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

An effort to legalize marijuana in Mexico has stalled after several years of debate by lawmakers. But Mexican cartels and independent growers are still preparing to cater to a new domestic market. The Sinaloa Cartel in particular is drawing business lessons from marijuana dispensaries in the US. At the current price for weed, Margarita gets roughly $25 a kilo. A marijuana legalization activist smokes marijuana in front of the San Lazaro Legislative Palace in Mexico City in October 2022.

☆ California farm worker pleads not guilty to 7 murder counts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The next hearing in the case was set for May 3, the district attorney, Steve Wagstaffe, confirmed to Reuters. Zhao is charged with seven counts of premeditated murder and a single count of attempted murder in a criminal complaint that also cites "special circumstance" allegations accusing him of "personally and intentionally" shooting to kill. read moreUnder California law, defendants convicted of murder with "special circumstances" are eligible for the death penalty, though Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019 declared a moratorium on executions. Authorities said the Monterey Park assailant, Huu Can Tran, 72, shot himself to death the next day as police closed to make an arrest. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles Editing by Alistair Bell and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The country buys about 17 million tonnes of mostly GM yellow corn from the United States each year, mostly for animal feed. Mexico will still prohibit use of GM corn for human consumption, such as flour, dough, or tortilla made from the grain. About 20% of Mexican corn imports from the United States is white corn for food products. It will still move forward with its plan to ban imports of the herbicide glyphosate, with a transition period in effect until March 31, 2024. The United States had given the Mexican government until Tuesday to explain the science behind its proposed bans.

☆ Hundreds of tractors enter Paris in protest against pesticide bans
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] French farmers drive their tractors near the Invalides during a protest over pesticide restrictions and other environmental regulations they say are threatening agricultural production, in Paris, France, February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierPARIS, Feb 8 (Reuters) - French farmers drove hundreds of tractors into Paris early on Wednesday to protest against pesticide restrictions and other environmental regulations they say are threatening farm production in the European Union's largest agricultural power. They warned imports of crops not subject to similar pesticide restrictions would threaten French jobs. Environmental activists say pesticide residues cause damage to the soil and wildlife. Unions were expecting 500 tractors and 2,000 farmers from around Paris to join the protest.

☆ Bayer says chemicals farmers use to fight insects are safe, but it's more complicated than that, says its ESG head
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The European Union, also in 2018, banned some pesticides that Bayer makes because scientists and regulators linked them to deaths of bees. "It felt like we were on the grill at a barbecue," Kunz, Bayer's head of environmental, social, and governance strategy, told Insider. Beyond neonicotinoids, Kunz said Bayer's strategy to meet its environmental targets involved what he called a more systems-based approach. Bayer also makes digital tools that help farmers apply fertilizer and pesticides more precisely, which can dramatically reduce how much they're needed, Kunz said. Bayer's sustainability efforts are attracting at least some ESG investors and ratings firms.

☆ Nuveen investment chief Saira Malik told us how investors should be positioned today, and when they should flip the switch and change strategies for bigger post-recession profits
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Marley Jay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Saira Malik is the chief investment officer at Nuveen, which manages $1.1 trillion in assets. Malik favors fixed income over stocks, and explained how she thinks investors should allocate. January was a decent month for stocks, and the third positive month for US indexes out of the last four. Some might call it a relief rally, but Nuveen investment chief Saira Malik doesn't seem relieved. She's the chief investment officer and head of the global investment committee for Nuveen, a unit of TIAA that managed $1.1 trillion in assets as of September 30.

☆ Focusing on stable earnings growth helps this Olympic gold medalist beat the bear market
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A mutual fund led by a gold-medal winning Olympic swimmer is rare enough, but Joe Hudepohl's Eaton Vance Atlanta Capital Focused Growth is also outperforming the stock market over the past five years. Maybe it's the former athlete's discipline and slavish devotion to patient training that's helping Focused Growth earn handsome long-run returns. " But despite falling 20.4% last year, the Focused Growth fund still enjoys a five-year annual trailing return of 13.97%, according to Morningstar. One of those long-time holdings is health technology company Danaher , which Focused Growth (EAALX) first bought in 2011, according to Morningstar. Morningstar rates the fund with five stars despite its 1.03% expense ratio, and says Focused Growth lands in the second percentile of more than 1,000 large growth funds for its five-year performance.

☆ Suspect in Half Moon Bay shooting rampage appears in California court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Jorge Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/6] A suspect is arrested by law enforcement personnel after a mass shooting at two locations in the coastal northern California city of Half Moon Bay, California, U.S. January 23, 2023 in a still image from video. The hearing was held at the San Mateo County Superior Court in nearby Redwood City, California. The complaint against Zhao also alleged "special circumstances" accusing Zhao of "personally and intentionally" shooting to kill. IMMIGRANT VICTIMSHalf Moon Bay, a community of about 12,000 residents south of San Francisco, is home to both a luxury resort and a low-income farming community. Two days before the Half Moon Bay killings, another gunman 380 miles to the south opened fire at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, a club frequented mostly by older patrons of Asian descent in Monterey Park.

☆ Suspect in California's latest shooting rampage due in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Alexandra Ulmer | Thomson Reuters | U.S. National Affairs Correspondent Who Spent Four Years In Venezuela Covering President Maduro'S Administration | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] A suspect is arrested by law enforcement personnel after a mass shooting at two locations in the coastal northern California city of Half Moon Bay, California, U.S. January 23, 2023 in a still image from video. HALF MOON BAY, Calif., Jan 25 (Reuters) - The man accused of shooting and killing seven farm workers near San Francisco in the latest of two back-to-back gun rampages in California that claimed 18 lives overall was due in court on Wednesday for his initial appearance before a judge. Chunli Zhao, 66, the lone suspect in Monday's massacre at two mushroom farms in the seaside town of Half Moon Bay, is expected to be formally presented with murder and other charges at the San Mateo County Superior Court in nearby Redwood City. The suspect was described as a resident of Half Moon Bay, a community of about 12,000 residents known for its foggy weather, fishing, and agriculture. San Mateo County jail records showed Zhao was booked on suspicion of premeditated murder, attempted murder and firearms offenses.

WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - U.S. farm and trade officials raised "grave concerns" over Mexico's agricultural biotechnology policies in meetings with their Mexican counterparts on Monday, as lingering disagreements threaten decades of booming corn trade between the neighbors. The United States accounts for most of Mexican corn imports. U.S. officials traveled to Mexico to discuss Mexico's approach to agricultural biotech products. Mexico's agriculture ministry declined to comment, while the country's economy ministry, which handles trade, did not immediately provide comment. Mexican officials have said they will keep importing GM corn for animal feed.

The government had been preparing a third and final annual dispensation to cover the 2023 sugar beet crop. Sugar beet growers group CGB condemned the "brutality of the decision" a few weeks before spring planting. That could further discourage sugar beet growers who faced drought-related yield losses last year and put a question mark over sugar production capacity. "When sugar manufacturers don't have enough sugar beet they have to close. The EU court's ruling followed a challenge to a similar exemption for neonicotinoid use on sugar beet in Belgium.

☆ Why Orange Juice Is So Expensive Right Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Ryan Dezember | David Uberti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Florida orange growers are harvesting their smallest crop in nearly 90 years, the result of an ill-timed freeze, two hurricanes and citrus disease that is laying waste to its groves. The Sunshine State is expected to produce just 18 million 90-pound boxes of oranges, the Agriculture Department said last week. That would be less than half the size of last year’s poor crop and a 93% decline from Florida’s peak output in 1998.

☆ Agriculture Companies Push Carbon-Capture Farming; Growers Are Skeptical
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Patrick Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Agriculture companies are investing millions of dollars to develop farming programs designed to capture more carbon dioxide in fields, as a possible solution to mitigate climate change. The challenge: convincing farmers that it is worth their time, the costs of new farming practices and potentially losing out on some of their harvest in the process.

☆ Cramer’s week ahead: Wait before trading on company earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Stocks made a comeback on Friday after falling initially on quarterly earnings reports and recession warnings from major banks. Tuesday: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, United AirlinesGoldman SachsQ4 2022 earnings release at 7:30 a.m. Morgan StanleyQ4 2022 earnings release at 7:30 a.m. United AirlinesQ4 2022 earnings release at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday: J.B. Hunt Transport, AlcoaJ.B. Hunt TransportQ4 2022 earnings release before the bell; conference call at 9 a.m.

☆ 2023 will be another record year for dividend payouts. Here's why that matters
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index (VYM) , for example, with more than $50 billion in assets, saw shares outstanding increase 20%. Dividend ETFs are typically divided into two groups: high dividend and dividend growers. ETFs that specialize in high dividends include iShares Select Dividend ETF (DVY) and Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM), and these are typically paying yields in the 3% range. Dividend growers include ProShares S & P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL) , Vanguard Dividend Appreciation (VIG) and Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) . There are 58 of those in the S & P 500, including Caterpillar, Air Products, Franklin Resources, Aflac, and Procter & Gamble.

☆ 'An expensive mistake': Citi says stop hoarding cash — and reveals two areas to invest in
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Last year was a tough one for stock and bond investors, many of whom flocked to the relative safety of cash amid the market turmoil. But Citi is now warning of the perils of hoarding cash. "Amid the uncertainty, we see various ways to put cash to work and seek portfolio income. Citi warned that hoarding excess cash could "prove an expensive mistake over time" and instead advised investors to have "fully invested, globally diversified portfolios" for the long term. Dividend growers One way to deploy excess cash is in dividend stocks , according to Citi.

☆ Why private sector companies have a responsibility and opportunity to solve the hunger crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Shipt With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

All of us in the private sector have a responsibility to offer a helping hand. Food insecurity is an issue that can impact nearly every aspect of people's lives. Business leaders across the country took the opportunity of the conference to make promises to help address the national hunger crisis. This is an example of how Shipt — and the private sector at large — can step in to help local communities and nonprofits address food insecurity and scarcity. A critical element toward achieving this goal is reauthorizing the Farm Bill, which would help prioritize healthy food access for low-income families.

☆ Analysis: Some ocean shipping rates collapsing, but real price relief is months away
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Lisa Baertlein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

They're not interested in playing the (spot) market" by shopping for lower rates, shipping expert John McCown said. The chief executive of container shipping company Ocean Network Express, Jeremy Nixon, said in December that short-term spot rates were "bottoming out." Meanwhile, long-term contract rates finished 2022 about 20% lower than the pandemic peak of more than $8,000 per container, according to maritime consultancy Drewry, which expects contract rates to halve in 2023. Several factors could support longer-term contract rates, including upheaval from China's COVID outbreak, war in Ukraine, and high labor costs. Steve Schult, vice president for almond farming cooperative Blue Diamond Growers, bets contract rates will not revisit pre-COVID levels.

☆ These elite dividend stocks consistently hike and beat the market
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The stocks below have a dividend yield above 3% and a payout ratio below 50%, suggesting that there is little risk of a dividend cut in the near future. Additionally, they've been consistent growers, with a five-year annual dividend per share growth above 7% and total return above the S & P 500's. The stock on the list with the biggest dividend yield is Devon Energy at more than 8%, as the oil and gas company has showered investors with cash from higher commodities prices. Morgan Stanley , by contrast, has been a more stable stock for investors over the past five years. The investment bank hiked its dividend by 11% after the second quarter, helping to ease the pain of a weaker banking environment in 2022.

☆ I'm a florist for a hotel in Hawaii. My job involves figuring out what's 'trendy' — and yes, flowers do go out of style.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Molly O'Brien | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Joseph Reyes, 51, is the head florist at Halekulani, a hotel on the beach in Honolulu. His floral team consists of four members with a combined experience of more than 40 years. My small but mighty floral team consists of four members with a combined experience of more than 40 years. All of the arrangements I've posted on our Instagram page (I do our social media, too!). As the hotel gets busier, I hope to get more people on our floral team so we can expand our event offerings.

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