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 …
Iteris and BASF Join in Precision Ag Weather Agreement
Iteris and BASF have entered into an agreement to leverage Iteris’ ClearAg high-resolution field level weather information. Under this agreement, Iteris’ ClearAg™ high-resolution, precision hail information will be integrated into BASF’s suite of precision agronomy sales and customer support tools. BASF sales and customer support staff will have access to Iteris’ field-level hail information, including descriptions of hail events by …
Research to Quantify Cover Crop Benefits
A common theme at last week’s 2015 Soil Health Summit in St. Louis was the need to quantify the benefits for farmers of using cover crops. Purdue University economics professor Dr. Wally Tyner is trying to do just that. “I’ve worked in a lot of different areas in economics and this is the hardest nut to crack,” he said. “Because …