A new report from GROWMARK Research challenges the commonly accepted notion that ending stocks are a primary determinant of agricultural commodity prices. In the report, GROWMARK economic and market research manager Kel Kelly shows that stocks are inversely correlated with prices, but that the correlation occurs within a limited price range, meaning that stocks do not dictate the extent of …
USDA’s Big Biobased Picture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture takes a wide angle view of the biobased product picture which encompasses several different segments within the agency. At the USB Biobased Stakeholders Dialogue last week in Washington D.C. we heard from a number of USDA officials about what they are doing to expand biobased opportunities. One panel featured Rural Business Cooperative Service administrator Lilian …
USFRA Communications Committee Work
The live streamed Food Dialogues events get all the publicity when they take place with high profile moderators and panelists. However, there’s a lot of work going on “behind the scenes.” In Chicago recently that work included a regular meeting of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance Communications Committee. I visited with two members of the committee. First up is …
Students Honored for Research at ASTA
College students from across the country had the opportunity to enter American Seed Trade Research Foundation’s Operation Student Exchange. The winning student was announced during a Future Seed Executives 10th Anniversary Reception at ASTA’s recent annual meeting. Leah Ruff’s poster presentation and research was selected this year’s winner and she received the Roger Kruegar Scholarship. The scholarship honors the late …
Millennial Views of Biobased and Sustainability
The hostess for the the USB Biobased Products Stakeholders’ Dialogue at George Washington (GW) University this week was the moderator for an important discussion about what the “millennial generation” thinks about biobased and sustainability. University sustainability director Kathleen Merrigan, who is also former deputy ag secretary, invited some current students and recent graduates to be on the panel. “What I …
BASF Announces Summer Training Series
BASF Ag Products is planning what is expected to be the largest training effort in the company’s history for this summer, reaching 24 states and focusing on weed management, application best practices and overall stewardship of BASF herbicides. “We are committed to ensuring growers’ success with new technologies,” said Luke Bozeman, Technical Market Manager, Herbicides, BASF. “The more knowledgeable growers …
NAMA Happenings and Update
The Executive Committee of the National Agri-Marketing Association met yesterday and even though I could not make it thanks to plane problems and weather I got all caught up with President Kenna Rathai this morning. So this week’s program is our conversation in which Kenna talks about what the committee discussed or did during the quarterly meeting. First up is …
Elevance Exemplifies Biobased Product Diversity
One of the many biobased product companies represented at the USB Biobased Products Stakeholders’ Dialogue this week was Elevance Renewable Sciences, which produces a wide array of materials from renewable oils like soybeans. “We make products targeted at three broad market industries,” says Andy Shafer, EVP for sales and marketing. “The consumer and industrial space where we make ingredients for …
Meet ASTA’s New Second Vice Chair
Mark Herrmann with Monsanto’s vegetable seed division is the new second vice chair of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) after elections held during the annual meeting last week in Indianapolis. “The seed industry has been an exciting place to be for the last 30 years,” said Herrmann, who has been involved with ASTA for about 20 of those 30 …
Dairy in the Food Dialogue
The CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, Connie Tipton (pictured on right), took part in the USFRA Food Dialogues in Chicago. The topic was Integrity in Food Marketing and as with other panelists I asked her what this means to her personally. Connie says, “You know every company has to figure out how to position their product but to …