The National Cotton Council has a new president and a new chairman following elections held over the weekend at the organization’s annual meeting. Dr. Gary Adams, who has served as the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) vice president of Economics and Policy Analysis since 2002, was elected by the NCC’s board of directors to be president and chief executive officer, replacing …
Eco Agro Resources Teams with Ekompany
US-based Eco Agro Resources today announced an agreement expanding its product range to include Ekote, a line of eco-friendly controlled-release fertilizers by Netherlands-based Ekompany. Ekompany developed Ekote coated mineral fertilizers to reduce carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions as compared to conventional processes and fertilizers. “This new generation of controlled release fertilizer allows macro- and micro-nutrients as well as minerals …
Bayer Introduces New Soybean Varieties
Bayer CropScience today announced the introduction of 12 new CredenzTM soybean varieties featuring the LibertyLink® trait. The new varieties are specifically tailored for growers in the Mid-South, Mid-Atlantic and Southern U.S. regions and are available immediately for the 2015 growing season to help growers maximize performance and fight glyphosate-resistant weeds. The new varieties represent relief for growers in the south …
USFRA Visits with Cattle Producers
The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) had a booth at the 2015 Cattle Industry Convention’s big trade show in San Antonio last week where CEO Randy Krotz was able to meet with producers and tell them about what the alliance has been doing to help increase communications with consumers. “The Beef Checkoff is a major funder of USFRA,” said …
CIRB Hears of Challenging Year for Ag
American Farm Bureau Senior Director for Congressional Relations Mary Kay Thatcher told members of the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau this week that she expects 2015 to be “a challenging year for agriculture.” “There seems to be a lot of emphasis on Capitol Hill about wanting to make budget cuts,” she explained. “We only have a couple of months before …
Proposed Crop Insurance Cuts Concern Ag Groups
A coalition of more than 30 agricultural, banking and insurance organizations are concerned about the President’s proposed budget cuts to some elements of crop insurance. The group sent a letter to Congressional leaders this week to highlight the importance of crop insurance and how it can save consumers money and help farmers recover from weather disasters. The American Soybean Association …
First Woman NCBA President Honored
The first female president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, who was instrumental in getting the beef checkoff passed, was awarded the Swan Family Leadership Award today at the 2015 Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio. The award, which recognizes worthy individuals who have made a difference during a lifetime of dedication and leadership to the beef industry, was presented …
Groups Urge Quick Passage Of TPA
A diverse group of agriculture and food organizations sent a letter to Congress this week urging swift passage of legislation renewing Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). The 70 groups, ranging from general farm organizations like the American Farm Bureau, to specialized commodity groups like the Wine Institute, say TPA is necessary so that major trade deals can be finalized and implemented …
Happy Birthday Farm Bill!
It was one year ago this week – February 7, to be exact – that President Obama signed the “Swiss Army Knife” farm bill into law. “Despite its name, the farm bill is not just about helping farmers,” President Obama said at the signing. “Secretary Vilsack calls it a jobs bill, an innovation bill, an infrastructure bill, a research bill, …
Soil Health Partners Work Together
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) was launched just shy of a year ago with seed funding in part from Monsanto and technical support from The Nature Conservancy (TNC). That may seem like a case of strange bedfellows, but everyone has the same goal of healthier soils. At the first Soil Health Summit last week in St. Louis, Monsanto Sustainability Business …