Anglo-Dutch publisher Reed Elsevier has revealed that it is selling off its US trade magazines business RBI piecemeal.

In 2008, plans to sell off RBI – which in the UK publishes titles such as Farmer’s Weekly, Estates Gazette and New Scientist – were abandoned after the estimated bid price for the business dropped from £1.3bnn to £650m.

The FT and others reports today that John Poulin, chief executive of Reed Business Information in the US, has told employees he expected to announce the sale of various titles to separate buyers in the coming months.