Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation at the USDA, will be a keynote speaker at the 2024 Ag Outlook Forum, September 16 in Kansas City. Secretary Bonnie will discuss the latest updates on climate-smart projects and the progress of voluntary, incentive-based conservation efforts across the United States. Click here for more information.
Attendees at the 2024 American Society of Agricultural Consultants (ASAC) Annual Conference November 3 – 5 will have the opportunity to participate in three tours in the greater Fort Myers, Florida area. ECHO Farms offers unique demonstrations, plants, and techniques being used to help farmers and urban gardeners in developing countries. Click here for more information and registration.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative are accepting applications for new members to serve on the agricultural trade advisory committees. Applications must be received by 5 p.m., EDT, on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. Any applications received after the deadline will be considered for future appointments, as appropriate. For complete application instructions and information about the committees, please visit: https://fas.usda.gov/topics/trade-advisory-committees.
At the annual Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is partnering with American business owners to expand innovative domestic fertilizer production, creating jobs in rural communities and strengthening local economies. The Department is awarding $35 million for seven projects in seven states through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP), which is funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation. This program provides grants to independent business owners to help them modernize equipment, adopt new technologies, build production plants and more. This funding advances President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to grow the nation’s economy from the middle out and bottom up.
Farm Journal announces the launch of its revamped website, FarmJournal.com, as a go-to resource for marketing and sales professionals charged with engaging the stakeholders who are producing and delivering food, fuel and fiber to the world. This new web resource is a cornerstone of Farm Journal’s “no one grows alone” philosophy to unite the ag community and advance the possibilities realized by working together.
Syngenta Group announced sales for the first half of 2024 were $14.5 billion, down $3.0 billion or 17 percent year-on-year, compared to a strong 2023. Syngenta Crop Protection sales declined in a market that remained challenging. The Seeds business delivered $2.4 billion sales in the first half of 2024, 4 percent lower year-on-year.
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is pleased to announce the awardees for the 2024 NCGA Scholarship Programs. Eleven outstanding students were selected by a committee of grower leaders to receive scholarships for this fall semester. NCGA is proud to continue supporting these vital programs in partnership with BASF Corporation.
Bob Petersen, a long-time figure in regional and national agricultural circles, has announced his plans to retire. He will be succeeded at the firm he founded in 2004, Petersen Consulting Services (PCS), by Erica Venancio as the firm’s senior executive. New to the firm is Zachary Helder, who recently completed his MPA at Princeton University and brings a decade of experience in agriculture, public policy, and organizational management.
Sollum Technologies contributed to a significant expansion of the Cannabis Research Coalition’s (CRC) research capabilities through a groundbreaking partnership. This collaboration marks a major milestone in the cannabis cultivation research sector, as CRC introduces Sollum’s dynamic lighting solution into its new facilities.
U.S. retail sales of potatoes increased by both volume and dollar sales in July 2023–June 2024. Volume sales increased by 1.3 percent, and dollar sales for the year increased by 4.6 percent to $18.3 billion.
According to a new research brief from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, global demand for U.S. soybeans has fallen sharply as international buyers remain discouraged by a strong dollar, slowing economic growth and uncertainty over the direction of U.S. trade policy in an election year. Export sales of new-crop soybeans are historically low as the U.S. enters the 2024/25 soybean marketing year on Sept. 1. However, several tailwinds could emerge to rejuvenate demand for U.S. soybeans in the marketing year ahead.
