According to the President and CEO of BASF Plant Science Dr. Hans Kast, the future is in the genes for agriculture. Kast gave ag journalists an overview of that future in Germany last week. “Plant biotechnology will play a crucial role in ensuring that the rapidly growing population continues to have a sufficient supply of high quality food,” said Kast. …
Last BASF Execs Interview
Finally we have “escaped” from our non-stop tour activities here in Japan so maybe I can clear out all my interviews from Germany and Brussels, which seems like it was a month ago. The last of our interviews with BASF executives was Markus Heldt, who is group vice president for BASF North American Ag Chem. In this photo, he is …
Marketing Headline
BASF Headline fungicide has become a major crop protection product for corn in just the past two years, not as a fungicide but as an overall plant health product. In fact, it has become a real success story in agricultural marketing and the ability to take advantage of favorable market factors. BASF Vice President for strategic marketing of ag products …
Yokoso Nippon IFAJ
We were welcomed to Japan (Yokoso Nippon) by Kazumasa Numura, president of the Japan Agricultural Journalists Association (left) and Masaru Yamada, the main coordinator. Our welcoming reception included lots of food and beverage. Just what you need when you’ve been on the go sitting in an airplane for over half a day. Besides welcoming comments we were also entertained with …
Visit to the European Parliament
Our BASF Agricultural Products sponsored trip to Brussels included informative visits to all segments of the European Union political system. That includes the European Commission, where we met with ag commissioner spokesman Michael Mann, the EU Council, and the European Parliament, which was not in session as it was Friday and they have a four day work week. It was …
Reporting from Brussels
BASF Agricultural Products set up a nice visit for ag journalists here in Brussels at a great time to get some real news for the farmers back home. It was announced just yesterday that the European Commission was proposing to eliminate the mandatory ten percent set aside to help increase production for the coming crop year, and possibly permanently. We …
OECD-FAO Assumption Outlook
The more information I receive and read from the FAO, the more I’m disillusioned with the whole organization. I think there’s a lot of well-meaning people there but between them and the Organization for Economic Co-operation (OECD) I’m now more inclined to put them in the whacko classification. Take their “OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook – 2007-2016” report that’s already being quoted …
Getting Ready For Japan
In just a couple days Cindy and I will be winging our way to Japan and the IFAJ Congress 2007. What a week for ZimmComm New Media. Cindy’s in Brussels now as you’ve probably read and I’m back from Canada. Actually I got back last night and went up to Des Moines today to host the first in a video …
Interview with BASF Ag Products President
BASF Agricultural Products division president Michael Heinz is in a good mood because prices for farm products are higher and farmers are spending more money on their input costs to increase production. “It makes us very excited because when the farmer is in a good mood, in general, we are in a good mood,” Heinz says. This optimism was the …
Global Press Conference
I have been an ag journalist for 25 years and never participated in an event quite like the global press conference for BASF here in Germany. Michael Heinz, President of BASF’s Agricultural Products Division, and Dr. Klaus Welsch, head of the European Crop Protection business, were the headliners at the event and the main news was how BASF sees the …