Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall got together to discuss the benefit of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) for agriculture as AFBF released an economic analysis of the pending trade agreement. “Until today, we didn’t have a specific documented review or study of that benefit,” said Vilsack, said in thanking Farm Bureau for doing the …
FMC in the Biologicals Market
Biological controls are the new frontier in crop protection and FMC Corporation has made a strong commitment to expand its portfolio in that arena. “We’ve got a number of projects in play right now that are biological controls,” said FMC portfolio manager Rick Ekins at the National Farm Machinery Show. “This is about expanding the level of control, it’s about …
Senate Ag to Consider Labeling Bill
The Senate Agriculture Committee will meet this week to consider a draft bill proposed by Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) to address labeling for genetically modified foods. Roberts calls the Biotechnology Labeling Solutions legislation draft “a framework to find a solution for a patchwork of laws.” With a labeling law in Vermont set to be implement in July, Roberts says they …
USDA Secretary at #Ethanol Conference
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited the National Ethanol Conference this week for the last time in the position he has held under President Obama for both terms. During his appearance, Vilsack announced some good news for the ethanol industry – new research showing significant improvement in ethanol production efficiency. According to the study, between 1991 and 2010, direct energy use …
FMC Highlights Ethos XB at #NFMS16
All farmers want to protect and nurture every seed from the moment they place it in the ground, and that is exactly what FMC’s Ethos XB is designed to do. With planting season just around the corner, FMC portfolio manager Rick Ekins was telling growers at the National Farm Machinery Show last week about this insecticide/fungicide in-furrow solution that offers …
Pollinators Part of @GROWMARK Endure Program
Protecting pollinators is part of the GROWMARK sustainability initiative called ENDURE. “Sustainability is a very hot topic in the world today,” said GROWMARK Director of Strategic Agronomy Marketing Lance Ruppert. “As a company we’re trying to look at our internal actions to be sustainable as a system and get that message out.” Because pollinator health is so critical, Ruppert says …
FMC Herbicides Part of #LibertyLink Rebate Program
Soybean growers looking to extend their weed control this season can be eligible for rebates when they link up LibertyLink® soybeans with FMC Authority® and Anthem® herbicides as part of the Soybean Residual program with FMC. At the National Farm Machinery Show last week, I talked with Mark Howard, FMC retail market manager for central Illinois, about the rebate program …
Ag America Wants Candidates to Support Agriculture
A coalition of agricultural leaders is calling on the presidential candidates to commit to publicly support U.S. agriculture. Ag America has developed a set of “Principles for Our Ag Future” that “outline the path forward to ensure that American agriculture continues to be the envy and leader throughout the world.” “Ag America is calling on all of the fine men …
#NFMS16 ZimmCast with FMC
The 51st annual National Farm Machinery Show held last week in Louisville, Kentucky featured 880 exhibitors covering 1.2 million square feet of floor space. As the name of the show implies, the focus is on equipment, but FMC Corporation has continued to increase its presence at the show about the past 30 years, making the company really standout to exhibitors, …
FMC 3RIVE 3D™ Wins Award at #NFMS16
The FMC 3RIVE 3D™ application system received a 2016 FINovation award from Farm Industry News during the National Farm Machinery Show this week in Louisville. “This is the marriage of application technology and formulation technology that allows growers to plant as many as 500 acres on a single fill,” said FMC portfolio manager Rick Ekins of the system, which is …