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• Warmer, drier weather helps N. Dakota farmers Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 9:51 AM ET

  BISMARCK, N.D.-- Warmer and drier weather across North Dakota last week allowed farmers to get the last of their crops planted. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in its weekly crop report that there were 5 days suitable for fieldwork on average last week. Spring wheat seeding is rated just 86 percent complete, trailing last year's 100 percent average.

• Iowa corn crop continues to lag in stormy spring Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 9:48 AM ET

  DES MOINES, Iowa-- The latest crop report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows Iowa's cornfields have been hit hard by the wet spring. Twelve percent of the crop is in poor condition, worse among the 18 leading corn growing states.

• GRAINS-Wheat firm as slow harvest pace draws bargain buyers Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 7:50 AM ET

  *Soybeans firm as USDA confirms continued planting delays. PARIS/ SYDNEY, June 18- Chicago wheat futures rose on Tuesday as rain, which hampered harvesting and sowing in the United States, encouraged buyers to return after a two-month low at the end of last week.

• White House threatens to veto farm bill over food stamp cuts Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 8:44 PM ET

  WASHINGTON, June 17- The White House threatened to veto a five-year farm bill on Thursday because of "unacceptable deep cuts" in food stamps for the poor that could increase hunger across America.

• UPDATE 3-Big investor urges Smithfield breakup over buyout Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 1:03 PM ET

  *Starboard: Selling pieces could net $44- $55/ shr. June 17- Starboard Value LP revealed a major stake in Smithfield Foods Inc on Monday and urged the world's largest pork producer to explore a breakup rather than go ahead with a planned $4.7 billion takeover by Chinese meat company Shuanghui International.

• Cane investments, protected prices prolong sugar surplus Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 12:11 PM ET

  LONDON, June 17- Sugar production looks set to remain stubbornly above demand for at least another 12 months, despite a halving in global prices, as mills in top exporter Brazil are forced to keep supplies flowing to recoup massive investments. No, "said Pierre Sebag of London- based consultancy Sugar K Ltd..

• UPDATE 2-Argentine grain sales strike may slow much-needed corn exports Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 11:48 AM ET

  *Grains truck inflow to Argentine ports falls dramatically. BUENOS AIRES, June 17- The number of grain trucks entering Argentina's main shipping hub of Rosario dropped sharply on Monday as farmers protested government policies by refusing to sell recently harvested corn and soybeans. Argentina is the world's No. 3 exporter of both crops at a time of high demand.

• UPDATE 1-Argentine farm sales strike may curb much-needed corn exports Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 10:34 AM ET

  BUENOS AIRES, June 17- The flow of grain trucks entering Argentina's main shipping hub of Rosario fell sharply on Monday as farmers protested government policies by refusing to sell recently harvested corn and soybeans. Argentina is the world's No. 3 exporter of both crops at a time of high demand.

• Argentine farm sales strike may curb much-needed corn exports Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 8:42 AM ET

  Truck flow into Argentina's main grain port of Rosario was slower than usual, due to lack of selling by farmers. The strike will continue until Wednesday night at midnight, Julio Curras, vice president of the Argentine Agrarian Federation, said on Saturday, when the protest officially started.

• Colombia's long-elusive goal: land reform Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 7:11 AM ET

  MORROA, Colombia-- Caught in the crossfire between far-right militias and leftist rebels, 40 families abandoned the farm they shared in the foothills of Colombia's Montes de Maria range.

• Asia wheat buyers fret even as US says gene-altered strain isolated Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 3:32 AM ET

  *Japan says no change in stance on U.S. wheat. SEOUL/ TOKYO, June 17- Asian wheat buyers remain concerned U.S. imports could be tainted with genetically modified wheat even as U.S. government findings showed the discovery of an unapproved GMO strain in Oregon appeared to be an isolated incident.

• Don't Ask the FDA If Your Corn Is Genetically Altered Sunday, 16 Jun 2013 | 3:13 PM ET

  

  Last year $2 billion worth of products were sold with a label saying they do not contain ingredients from genetically modified organisms, but the claim wasn't backed by regulators.

• UPDATE 1-Probe indicates biotech wheat was "isolated incident" -USDA Friday, 14 Jun 2013 | 6:29 PM ET

  Investigators are interviewing "approximately 200 area growers," said USDA. USDA said it gave skittish trading partners a test method on Thursday to identify the wheat, developed years ago by Monsanto Co, which is not approved for cultivation anywhere in the world.

• GRAINS-U.S. wheat hits 2-month low as Plains harvest advances Friday, 14 Jun 2013 | 4:26 PM ET

  Cutting is now in full swing from north Texas to the Kansas border, "said Mark Hodges, director of the farmers group Plains Grains Inc. The increasing supply weighed on futures, with Chicago Board of Trade July wheat easing 4-3/ 4 cents to $6.80- 3/ 4 per bushel, the lowest settlement since April 2.

• As U.S. House takes up farm bill, groups warn of hidden costs Friday, 14 Jun 2013 | 2:54 PM ET

  WASHINGTON, June 14- As the U.S. House of Representatives gets ready to debate a $500 billion, five-year farm bill, environmentalists and fiscal hawks warn the legislation could leave taxpayers on the hook for expensive new subsidies to growers if crop prices fall.

• GRAINS-U.S. wheat falls 1 pct as Plains harvest advances Friday, 14 Jun 2013 | 11:59 AM ET

  Farmers were gathering hard red winter wheat in Texas and Oklahoma, with harvest likely to begin soon in the top growing state of Kansas. "

• North American potash sales jump, whittling down stocks Friday, 14 Jun 2013 | 11:05 AM ET

  June 14- North American domestic sales of crop nutrient potash soared in May, when demand from spring planting whittled down large inventories at the mine level, according to data posted on Potash Corp of Saskatchewan's website. Domestic sales, mainly to the United States, jumped 61 percent from April to 1.062 million tonnes.

• Grocers Allege Potato Group Pumped Up Spud Prices Friday, 14 Jun 2013 | 9:10 AM ET

  

  A battle between grocers and potato growers has been silently hitting shoppers' pocketbooks, according to a wholesaler accusing America's spud farmers of driving up prices.

• World of weather opposites for Arkansas farmers Friday, 14 Jun 2013 | 8:22 AM ET

  LITTLE ROCK, Ark.-- Arkansas farmers were expected to plant 1 million acres of corn this year but frequent heavy rains have knocked that estimate down by about 15 percent, state agriculture experts said Thursday. Even though it is the middle of June, a small percentage of growers are still planting soybeans, rice and cotton.

• GRAINS-CBOT corn extends decline as crop outlook improves Friday, 14 Jun 2013 | 8:05 AM ET

  *Soybeans edge up but still on track for weekly loss. LONDON, June 14- Chicago corn futures fell for a third straight session on Friday as forecasts of near-perfect growing weather across the United States boosted supply prospects. Chicago Board of Trade new-crop December corn was off 0.2 percent at $5.34 a bushel by 1130 GMT.