BASF Raises Sales Target for Crop Protection

Cindy Zimmerman

basf-germany-13-5At a global press conference in Limburgerhof, Germany Wednesday, BASF announced an increase in the long-term sales target for its Crop Protection division.

The Chemical Company’s important agricultural division is now forecast to achieve sales of more than $8 billion by 2015 and $10.8 billion by 2020 – that’s up about $2 billion from previous estimates. Markus Heldt, President of BASF’s Crop Protection division, made the announcement during the opening session of the global press conference that includes agricultural journalists from 10 countries.

“We have demonstrated sustainable growth in our sales and earnings and are confident we will continue with this development,” said Heldt. “ We continue to expand our portfolio, for and beyond crop protection products, to deliver integrated technologies that can help growers run their business more efficiently.” BASF Crop Protection president Markus Heldt comments

2013 BASF Germany Photos

Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, Farming

BASF and John Deere are German Neighbors

Cindy Zimmerman

basf-germany-13-4Global agribusiness giants John Deere and BASF are friendly neighbors in Germany, located just over a mile away from each other on opposite sides of the Rhine River.

John Deere’s Christoph Wigger, pictured here on the right with BASF’s Markus Heldt, crossed the river to speak at the opening dinner of BASF’s global media event, a literal “United Nations” of agricultural journalists from ten countries. “You as ag media play a very key role in communications,” Christoph said. “It’s extremely important that we get your support to explain to all the stakeholders what’s going on.”

As always, the key message is producing enough food to feed a rapidly growing population and Christoph says there are three key pillars to succeeding in that goal. “How do you increase yields?,” he asked. “One third comes from pesticides, one third comes from seeds and one third will be driven by machinery.” Very true!

Listen to Christoph’s remarks here: Christoph Wigger, John Deere

2013 BASF Germany Photos

Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, International, John Deere

Monsanto Increases Corn Rootworm Research Dollars

Leah Guffey

monsanto-postMonsanto Company is ponying up an additional $3 million in corn rootworm academic research which will extend the program, started earlier in the year, to 2016.  

Research projects that are rootworm-based will be able to receive up to $250,000 per year for three years. Areas of research include; economics of corn rootworm management, the development of predictive models, the characterization of resistance, and the development of broad survey methods.

USDA estimates that damage and the cost associated with controlling corn rootworm is $1 billion annually.  They further breakdown the estimate to $800 million in yield loss and $200 million in prevention.  Dr. Dusty Post, Monsanto’s Global Insect Management Lead is co-chair of the CRW Knowledge Research Project Advisory Committee.  I had a chance to catch up with Dr. Post and discuss how important the research is to managing this pest.Interview with Dr. Dusty Post

Anyone interested in applying for funding or have any other interests in the study should go to  www.monsanto.com/crwknowledge for key dates and instructions on how to apply.

Audio, Corn, Research

2013 LPC Royal Gala

Chuck Zimmerman

LPC Royal GalaIt’s Royal Gala time once again for the Livestock Publications Council.

Please join us for the 10th annual LPC Royal Gala which has been appropriately named “A Diamond Event”. This year’s is extra special as a new event will debut in 2015 replacing the Gala as we know it. The new event will have many of the features of the Gala so this year’s will be the final with this format. Make plans to join us for this year’s historical event and be sure to stay tuned for the new exciting chapter!

This year’s Gala will feature cocktails and hors d’oeuvres beginning at 7 p.m. followed by the unveiling of the plaques for our 2013 Hall of Honor inductees including Headliner award winner Tom Burke, Smithville, Missouri, and Sherman Berg, Blair, Nebraska, our Hall of Fame Honoree. We’ll announce the 2014 Hall of Honor Inductees and enjoy a wonder- ful evening of fun, camaraderie and dancing! A silent auction will offer you the chance to support LPC by bidding on unique items. Limited seating is available and while invitations are in the mail you certainly don’t have to receive one to come! To get your ticket ($50/person) please contact Kaitlyn Lewis, LPC Royal Gala, Charolais Journal, 11700 NW Plaza Circle, Kansas City, MO 64153 klewis@charolaisusa.com.

Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013 • 7-11 p.m. American Royal Headquarters
1701 American Royal Court, Kansas City, Missouri Second Floor above the American Royal Adminstration Offices at the main entrance

LPC, Media

Answers About Ground Beef

Chuck Zimmerman

Ground Beef AnswersGot questions about ground beef? Cargill has answers. You’ll find all the information you need on their new website, Ground Beef Answers. If you don’t see what you’re looking for just let them know.

It seems like the consuming public has gotten over the misinformation campaign about finely textured beef which is 100% beef. But some may still have questions. That’s why Cargill has put together a resource website for the public to learn more. FTB helps make food more affordable, is completely safe and improves food sustainability. Read all about it!

Agribusiness, Beef, Food

Visit to a German Vineyard

Cindy Zimmerman

basf-germany-13-2As everyone in the United States was waking this morning to a political battle and a government shutdown, a few lucky U.S. agricultural journalists were enjoying a day in the countryside of central Germany topped by a fabulous luncheon and delicious wine that came from the vineyard we toured, courtesy of our friends with BASF Crop Protection.

Our guide for the tour of Weingut Wiesenmühle was Verena Schottle who told us that the 300 year old estate, owned by the Schilling family, has 185 hectares of vineyards and more than 200 hectares of other crops including cereals, potatoes and sugar beets.

basf-germany-13-3It’s harvest season for grapes in Germany and Verena says it was a difficult year but the grapes look good now. “Winter had been very long and very cold, then the rain starts, the springtime was also very cold, and we have rain in March, April, May and June – June it also was too cold. But we’ve had a very nice summertime, a hot July, the grapes can ripen in a very fine September,” she said.

Verena says they use fungicides 8-10 times a year to protect the crop but they use biologicals for insects.

Listen to this shared interview with Verena between me and Cyndi Young-Puyear of Brownfield Ag News. Interview with German viticulturist Verena Schottle

2013 BASF Germany Photos

Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, specialty crops

USDA Website Shuts Down with Government

Cindy Zimmerman

usda-downOkay, so the government is shut down because Congress is unable to play nice together and find compromise – but why would that shut the USDA website down?

I checked out a few other government sites – including EPA, Energy, FDA, the White House and Congress – and none of them are shut down. I can understand not updating, but shutting down? I know a little bit about websites and I’m pretty sure they that keeping the website up is more cost effective than actually shutting it down for however long it takes Congress to get its act together. Someone actually had to go to the trouble of not only shutting it down, but creating a new landing page for usda.gov to redirect – http://www.usda.gov/fundinglapse.htm.

Really? That’s just silly.

USDA

Al Gustin’s Farm Byline

Chuck Zimmerman

Al Gustin Farm BylineLike North Dakota agriculture? Then you might like a “Al Gustin’s Farm Byline: Reflections on North Dakota Agriculture 1974-2013.”

Widely considered the “Voice of North Dakota Agriculture,” Al Gustin spent 45 years as a television and radio agricultural broadcast journalist and is in his 40th year as a magazine columnist.

In this, his first book, Gustin has compiled a collection of 162 of his columns that were published in North Dakota Living magazine, formerly the North Dakota REC Magazine. The topics touch on the many issues of interest to farmers and farm families, such as crop prices, conservation, markets, changes in the dairy industry, cattle and bull merchandising, barns, drought stress, farm machinery, country neighbors, rural isolation, food security, holiday traditions, the role of government and world agriculture.

The beginning of each chapter contains a sketch by Morton County artist Scott Nelson.

You can order the book on DakotaBookNet.com.

Media

National FFA Organization Membership Explodes

Talia Goes

ffa emblemAnalysts forecast that the world’s population will grow to 9 billion people by 2050. With global needs today to fight hunger and prepare for the expected population explosion, the agriculture industry needs educated, skilled and passionate people dedicated to sustainability.

Students are answering that call, evidenced by an explosion in FFA membership throughout the U.S, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in the past year.

Membership in FFA today stands at 579,678 students in grades seven through 12. More than 22,300 new students joined FFA during the 2012-13 school year. The number of new, local FFA chapters throughout the country has grew to 7,570.

Founded in 1928, the National FFA Organization’s mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

Agribusiness, FFA

Willkommen to BASF Germany

Cindy Zimmerman

basf-germany-13-1Gutan Tag from BASF headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany!

BASF rotates media events for agricultural journalists between the United States and Germany – with the odd years being for European media with a small group from the U.S.

Organized by the incomparable Pat Morrow, the event is always first class and often includes a visit to the equally incomparable BASF Weinkeller (wine cellar). This wine connoisseur’s heaven features four floors with a MILLION bottles – some true collectors items that are even older than the cellar itself, which was founded by BASF in 1901. While the wine cellar includes over 1,000 vintages from all over the world, they are most proud of those from Germany.

Sommelier Bernhard Wolff was the guide for our tour, which began with a locally produced “best sparkling Pinot Noir of Planet Earth,” and concluded with a 1933 Chateau Mosse Rivesaltes from France. Enjoy some of Bernhard’s welcome in the video below and check out the photos in the 2013 BASF Germany album.

Agribusiness, BASF, Video