The 2016 Commodity Classic in the Big Easy was a big record setter. Total attendance was 9,770, compared to 7,936 in 2015. Another record set was in the number of growers attending, at 4,596. Additionally, the trade show featured an all-time high of 433 participating companies, including 128 first-time exhibitors. These exhibitors filled a record 253,300 net square feet of …
AFBF Urges Congress Not to Reduce Farm Programs
During the last farm bill the House and Senate Agriculture committees did their part to reduce government spending by drastically cutting funding for agriculture. Now the American Farm Bureau Federation and 254 other ag groups are calling for Congress to reject further cuts to farm programs. A recent letter to the Budget and Appropriations leaders opposes further reducing spending for conservation, …
StollerUSA and NSP Announce Sorghum Shootout
The National Sorghum Producers (NSP) announced the installment of Sorghum Shootout, a new grower program, during the 2016 Commodity Classic. The announcement was made with the support of StollerUSA, NSP’s newest gold partner and Sorghum Shootout sponsor. The Shootout, set to begin in May, is the latest installment of a yield contest held by NSP over the past three years, which …
Bayer #AgVocacy Forum Talks Antibiotic Resistance
Bayer Crop Science held a series of panels covering a variety of important topics during an #AgVocacy Forum at the 2016 Commodity Classic last week in New Orleans. Discussion surrounded antibiotic resistance in crops, animals, and humans, and how all three of those industries must share equal responsibility in terms of prioritizing antibiotic stewardship in their fields. The panel included …
Puppy Giveaway Draws Community to #MSFGS2016
The Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is famous for its tradition of hosting a daily puppy giveaway, and the giveaway brought an incredible crowd of attendees from throughout the surrounding communities, regardless of their involvement in the agriculture sector. Sur-Shot Retrievers has been involved with the event for the last fourteen years, giving out puppies each year as a way …
Commodity Group Presidents Address Issues
Once again this year Mark Mayfield emceed the general session at Commodity Classic taking place in New Orleans. The tradition of bringing the presidents of the commodity groups on stage had a twist with the addition of the Association of Equipment Manufactures Ag Chair, Jim Walker. Mayfield introduced them one at a time and asked them what the critical issues …
BASF and Commodity Groups Award Scholarships
BASF Crop Protection has teamed up with the industry-leading commodity organizations behind Commodity Classic to award scholarships to 10 students pursuing degrees in agriculture. BASF presented the students with their scholarships during the 2016 Commodity Classic along with the American Soybean Association (ASA), the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and the National Wheat Foundation(NWF). Representatives from the three commodity groups …
BASF Launches Maglis at #Classic16
BASF today announced the global launch of Maglis, an online agricultural platform designed to help farmers gather, interpret and monitor a range of crop-related data that helps them make better agronomic decisions. “Maglis is a tool that’s really going to help farmers connect better to improve their productivity,” said Paul Rea, Senior Vice President, Crop Protection, North America, BASF. “Maglis …
New Holland Debuts New Air Carts at #Classic16
The New Holland booth at the 2016 Commodity Classic featured the company’s newly redesigned Flexi-Coil P Series air carts. The new air carts come in seven different models, with configurations ranging from two tank to four tank models, and offer an unprecedented number of patent-pending features that have set a new standard for accurate, reliable air seeding delivery. Jason Hardy, …
Wheat & Sorghum Leaders Highlight Industry Issues
The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and the National Sorghum Producers (NSP) each held a press conference on issues facing their industries during the 2016 Commodity Classic. Representatives from NAWG discussed several pieces of legislation that will have a significant impact on wheat growers and industry partners, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and GMO labeling laws. Their latest efforts …