GROWMARK reported $7.3 billion in sales for fiscal year 2017, up from $7.0 billion in 2016. The company shows a pretax income of $91 million, down from $116 million the previous year. “The fiscal year was not without its challenges, with economic conditions putting continued pressure on farm net incomes,” said GROWMARK CEO Jim Spradlin. “Warm winter weather lowered demand …
Brownfield Mobile App Features Local Grain Markets
Midwest farmers now have another source for local grain prices. The Brownfield Mobile application, available to iPhone and Android users, now provides cash bids and basis levels for the five nearest grain elevators when farmers enter a zip code. Data is updated after the close of the Chicago Board of Trade each day. The free app is available from iTunes …
Soybean Growers Lose $1.6 Billion Annually to SCN and SDS
Diseases like Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) and Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) continue to plague soybean growers to the tune of $1.6 billion per year, based on USDA 2016–2017 marketing year projection for average soybean price of $9.10 per bushel. Those two diseases contribute to the largest number of bushels lost for soybean farmers, who sometimes don’t even realize disease is …
Precision Ag Bytes 12/20
BRANDT has announced that Randy Blackburn has joined the U.S. ag sales team as Territory Sales Manager for the Northeast region. Randy has over 25 years of ag sales experience in the northeastern U.S. Prior to BRANDT, Randy managed customer development for Meherrin Chemical and spent 15 years in customer development for WinField Solutions and 10 years in sales and retail …
NCGA Announces 2017 Yield Contest Winners
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has named the 2017 winners in its popular National Corn Yield Contest (NCYC). Five national entries surpassed the 400-plus bushel mark in the contest again this year. The 18 winners in six production categories had verified yields averaging more than 386 bushels per acre, compared to the projected national average of 175.4 bushels per …
Iowa Corn Looks to Increase Corn Use in Plastics
The Iowa Corn Promotion Board is one step closer to expanding the corn market after receiving a new patent application on a proprietary production method using corn in the industrial manufacturing of monoethylene glycol (MEG). Most MEG is produced from fossil fuels, with the exception of some bio-MEG made from sugarcane ethanol and sourced from Brazil. Consumers are driving a …
Animal Ag Bites 12/18
Registration is now open for the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2018 Stakeholders Summit, themed Protect Your Roots. The event, now in its 17th year, will be held May 3-4 at the Renaissance Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va. Discounted early registration fees and a special hotel rate are available through April 1 (pending availability). For the first time in more than 20 years, …
Zimfo Bytes 12/15
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall has been appointed to the White House’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. Members of the ACTPN advise the president on the potential effects of proposed and current trade agreements. The ACTPN, which is administered by the U.S. Trade Representative, is the main trade advisory committee that provides policy information and advice to the …
New Bayer Seed Treatment Offers Promising Yield Benefit
Bayer is helping growers bring more value without increasing inputs with Poncho/VOTiVO 2.0. The seed treatment is designed to bring a healthier soil environment around the plant root, yielding an additional average 3.8 bushels per acre. “With Poncho/VOTiVO 2.0, you don’t have to change what you’re doing today – especially in the cost effective environment that we’re in today – …
Precision Ag Bytes 12/13
Valley Irrigation announced that the Valley ICON series of smart panels has been named New Product of the Year by Agri Marketing Magazine. The four smart panels in the series provide center pivot irrigation operators equipment with an intuitive, customizable graphical user interface they can utilize at the pivot point or from a tablet or smartphone. The panels are compatible with most …