Once this deal closes, Corn Products International will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Bunge. Bunge Limited and Corn Products International, Inc. today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement in which Bunge will acquire Corn Products in an all-stock transaction. The aggregate transaction value is approximately $4.8 billion, including assumption of approximately $414 million of Corn Products’ …
Food and Fuel From ICM
Cindy is attending this week’s Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Nashville, TN and will be primarily posting onto Domestic Fuel. I think she’s in the process of uploading some photos as we speak. This one is from when she attended LifeLine Foods opening last fall. I thought it was appropriate in light of this announcement from ICM, Inc. This is exactly …
SmartStaxing Seed Traits
In another co-development kind of deal, both Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences just announced that they’ve submitted their SmartStax for regulatory review. Thanks to Dow for the picture of Mark Rooney (foreground), Mycogen Seeds field biologist, and Matthew Moeller, Mycogen Seeds research technician, supervise planting of SmartStax™ test plots at the Mycogen research station near Huxley, IA. In anticipation of SmartStax …
A Sunny Announcement From BASF and Nidera
It looks like a morning of “joint-development” announcements. This first one is from BASF and Nidera. BASF and Nidera today announced the introduction of CLHA-Plus – a new genetic trait for the CLEARFIELD Production System for Sunflowers – at the 17th International Sunflower Conference held in Cordoba, Spain. CLHA-Plus is the result of a long-term joint development program between BASF …
Monsanto Completes Acquisition of De Ruiter Seeds
Monsanto continues to grow its seed business. This time with De Ruiter Seeds. Monsanto Company announced today that it has completed its proposed acquisition of De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V., a Dutch-holding company that owns and operates De Ruiter Seeds, for EUR546 million in cash, or approximately $850 million at current exchange rates, less net debt. Monsanto will start to …
Citrus Robots from Energid
Citrus growers will soon have a new employment option: robots. Energid Technologies is developing a robotic citrus harvester for bulk fruit removal. Energid Technologies Corporation has been funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Small Business Innovation Research Program to develop a new robotic citrus harvesting system. This system will combine the intelligence of robotics with the efficiency …
Ag Leader Technology Precision Scholarships
Precision agriculture training at Iowa State University just got a boost. Today, Ag Leader Technology announced their commitment to support students interested in precision agriculture by establishing the Ag Leader Technology Precision Agriculture Scholarship within the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE) at Iowa State University. Five Ag Leader scholarships will be awarded annually starting in the 2008/2009 school …
FMC Supports “Be a Hero, Support a Hero”
Crop producers in a variety of markets will have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of U.S. servicemen and women stationed overseas, with the “Be A Hero, Support A Hero” program from FMC Corporation. Throughout 2008, FMC will continue its support of the United Service Organization’s (USO) Operation Care Package initiative as part of the company’s ongoing …
Organic Beef Supply Beefs Up
Two U.S. organic beef producers are teaming up to expand the nation’s organic beef supply. CROPP Cooperative, North America’s largest farmer owned co-op, and Dakota Beef, the largest vertically integrated organic beef producer in the U.S., have partnered in a mutli-year agreement. Consumer demand for high quality organic beef has been exceptional and this partnership will ensure supply to an …
Knowing Novus Now
The week Cindy will be attending the World Pork Expo in Des Moines with our coverage sponsored by Novus International. I was in their office last week to meet with Jeremy Lutgen and Scott Fleetwood. I did an interview with Scott, who is their Executive Director of Marketing and Products. In it you’ll learn a lot more about the company. …