National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) president Kevin Skunes has probably spent more time in Washington DC over the past month or so than on his farm in North Dakota, working hard to protect the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the important market of ethanol for corn growers. Last week, Skunes joined the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) in visits to …
FMC Offers Season Long Disease Protection
FMC ever-growing portfolio of products offers corn, soybean and wheat farmers season-long protection from the top disease threats. At Commodity Classic, FMC Technical Service Manager Matt Wiggins was talking about the three primary solutions they offer for diseases such as Northern corn leaf blight, grey leaf spot, frog-eye leaf spot, target spot, and white mold in soybeans, rust and head …
Seed Treatment Can Harness Soil Microbes
A new and improved seed treatment will soon be available for corn growers that promises to help them “be dirt rich” to reach higher yield potential. The Poncho®/VOTiVO® 2.0 system is the next generation of the top selling seed treatment, Poncho/VOTiVO, which combines a fast-acting systemic insecticide with a biological seed treatment that provides protection against nematodes. The 2.0 is …
Ethanol Interests Shout Opposition to RIN Price Cap
As concerns began to grow late last week that the Trump Administration was leaning toward a cap on prices for Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) to appease oil refinery interests, biofuel interests went into high gear to get the word out about how that action would devastate the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). A White House meeting was reportedly set for today …
Study Shows Impact of RIN Price Cap on Corn Prices
A new analysis from the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University shows that any action to artificially cap Renewable Identification Number (RIN) prices in exchange for a waiver allowing year-round sale of E15 would result in reduced ethanol consumption, a drop in corn prices, and an effective cut of 5% to the Renewable Fuel Standard …
Delaro Fungicide Shows Yield Advantage in Corn, Soybeans
Bayer has released results from 500 DelaroTM field trials which took place in 20 states. Across two years of trials, Delaro averaged a 12 to 18 bushel-per-acre increase in corn and a four to five bushel-per-acre increase in soybeans compared to an untreated check. In these trials, Delaro had a 90 percent win rate over the untreated check. The recent …
Corn Growers Care About RINs
The vast majority of people know nothing and care less about Renewable Identification Numbers, or RINs, the multi-digit code created under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as a way to encourage refiners to blend more biofuels. But corn farmers both know and care what RINS are and why they are important. As U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue took questions …
Sen. Cruz Allows Bill Northey Confirmation
Bill Northey is at last free to take the job at USDA that he was nominated for almost six months ago after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) lifted his hold on the nomination and allowed the confirmation Tuesday. The Senate confirmed Northey on a voice vote to become USDA’s undersecretary for farm production and conservation as Sens. Cruz, Pat Toomey (R-PA), …
Industry Groups Anxious About White House RFS Meeting
Biofuels and agricultural groups are anxiously awaiting the outcome of a meeting today between President Trump and four Republicans senators over the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Trump will be meeting with Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Pat Toomey (R-PA), who want to see changes in the RFS to protect refiners, and Iowa Sens. Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst, who want …
Industry News Briefs
It’s been a busy couple of weeks here and we have gotten behind on some industry news stories that we have wanted to post – so here are a few! Cyndee Smiley, formerly division marketing manager for Region 4 combines and front-end equipment, has been named media relations and communications manager for John Deere Ag & Turf Division for the …