The latest Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ (AEM) Ag Tractor and Combine Report from November shows overall sales remained positive. U.S. Sales of self-propelled combines gained 9.2 percent in November compared to last year, and U.S. sales of 4-wheel-drive tractors increased 60.7 percent month-over-month. November year-to-date U.S. sales showed a 16.6 percent growth for combines and 15.9 percent growth for 4-wheel-drive …
USDA Launches ReConnect Program
USDA is offering up to $600 million in loans and grants to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. Telecommunications companies, rural electric cooperatives and utilities, internet service providers and municipalities may apply for funding through USDA’s new ReConnect Program to connect rural areas that currently have insufficient broadband service. “High-speed internet e-Connectivity is a necessity, not an amenity, vital …
Former Agriculture Secretaries Meet
Just days after the passing of former Secretary of Agriculture Bob Bergland, four former secretaries met with current Secretary Sonny Perdue to discuss the latest agricultural issues. Those in attendance included former Secretaries John Block (1981-1986), Dan Glickman (1995-2001), Ann Veneman (2001-2005), and Mike Johanns (2005-2008). The Secretaries discussed several issues including trade, wildfires, agriculture research, infrastructure, cell-based meat, and …
USFRA Announces New Chair, Board Members, and Podcast
Maryland crop farmer Chip Bowling, representing National Corn Growers Association, is the new chair for the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) elected last month at the coalition fall board meeting along with new executive committee and board members. Bowling, who is the fourth chairman of the group, is joined by a new executive committee: • Vice Chair: Scott VanderWal, …
Praise for Farm Bill Soil Carbon Pilot Program
Several organizations are pleased that the new farm bill includes a climate-friendly soil carbon pilot program. The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) thank the Farm Bill conferees for including language in the 2018 Farm Bill to establish an Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) pilot …
BASF Looks Forward to 2019 Growing Season
BASF continues to educate growers about one of the newest products available for the 2019 growing season in LibertyLink GT27. The new technology will offer tolerance to three different herbicide groups: Liberty, glyphosate and HPPD, pending approval. “Because it’s the first technology that you can use Liberty and glyphosate with, it really allows them to address a broad range of …
Conaway Pleased with Final Farm Bill
Passage of the 2018 Farm Bill is a “big deal for rural America” and for House Agriculture Committee chairman Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX), who loses his chairmanship next month when the Democrats take the majority in the House. After the House voted 386-47 to pass the conference report and send the bill to the president, Conaway released a video talking …
Clariant and Eastman Announce Agrochemical Collaboration
Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, and Eastman Chemical Company, a global advanced materials and specialty additives company, have announced an agreement for the distribution of a new solvent for the agriculture industry. TamiSolve NxG was developed for the global plant protection sector, for use in plant growth regulators, biological control agents, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides. Under this exclusive …
Bayer Spotlights NemaStrike at #ASTACSS
Bayer representatives at the 2018 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo wanted growers to take notice of NemaStrike technology as they make decisions for the 2019 growing season. “We believe it’s going to provide a fantastic opportunity for growers to protect themselves against a pest that they were maybe underestimating – nematodes,” said Brent Craig, Seed Applied Solutions Marketing for NemaStrike …
Farm Bill Poised for Passage
The Senate voted 87-13 yesterday to pass the 2018 Farm Bill approved by the conference committee this week and the House is expected to do so soon. “We think the farm bill’s in very good shape,” said President Trump as he sat down with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), just before getting into a spat with …