Commodity Panel at AEM Ag Exec Forum

Cindy Zimmerman October 12, 2008

Three commodity organization representatives attempted to answer the question on everyone’s mind right now regarding commodity trends – where are we headed?

Steve Censky of the American Soybean Association, Fred Stemme with the National Corn Growers Association and Alan Tracy of US Wheat Associates all made presentations and took questions from the audience at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers AgExecutive Forum last week in St. Louis.

Steve noted the importance of biotechnology in the soybean industry and the increase in global demand for soybeans. “Global demand since 1990 for soybeans has been rising at 2x that of corn and almost 4x that of wheat or rice,” Steve said. “That is because people around the world have been improving their diets, which means more oil in the diet and more meat, which is good for the soybean industry.”

Fred started off his presentation with a flawless report on closing futures prices – sounded as good or better than any farm broadcaster I know – making bad news sound good! His presentation focused on the increase in corn yields since 1944, which can allow them to meet the feed, food and fuel needs of the world. “Who would have imagined 60 years ago that today we could produce on the same number of acres, 85 million acres, nearly four fold the size of crop,” Fred noted. “We went from about 3 billion bushels to 13 billion bushels last year.”

There was a bit of good-natured competition between the three. Alan pointed out that wheat may be losing acres to corn and beans, but he likes to remind his two colleagues that “mine is the only product that is mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer.” He noted the increase in wheat production in the Black Sea area, such as Ukraine, and he showed a graph comparing the similarities in weather between that region and the Midwest, suggesting that we “teach the Russians to grow corn and soybeans.”

Lots of good stuff in their presentations, which you can listen to here:
aem-forum-08-commodity-panel.mp3

I also interviewed Fred and Alan – listen to them here:

Fred Stemme aem-forum-08-stemme.MP3
Alan Tracy aem-forum-08-tracy.mp3

View and download photos from the AEM AgExecutive Forum here.

AEM, Audio, Corn, Soybean, Wheat

John Deere Gators Create Thunder

Chuck Zimmerman October 11, 2008

Utility tractors weren’t the only vehicles we got to ride and drive at the John Deere Drive Green product launch. We also saw the new Gators.

This one you see is a customized unit that’s got a monster sound system built in. It came out blasting a little “Thunderstruck” from ACDC (the ringer on my phone!).

It’s a good example of what you can do with one of these if you want to.

I took a ride with John Gilbeck in a Gator XUV. We went around the obstacle course with me holding the camera.

I let him explain all the new features of these great utility vehicles.

If you’d like, you can listen to my interview with John here: drive-green-08-gator-ride.mp3

You can also download it with this link: Gator Ride (mp3)

John Deere Drive Green Photo Album

Audio, Equipment, John Deere, Video

Self Image in Water

Chuck Zimmerman October 11, 2008

I really appreciate John Deere holding their Drive Green media event in Sarasota, FL. After all, it is my home town.

So, after the event was over I stayed an extra couple days to see some high school friends and family.

And no stay in Sarasota would be complete without a trip to Siesta Key Beach. The water was absolutely perfect (clear green and 78 degrees).

I’ll be on the road most of the coming weeks so this was a chance to kind of re-charge the agriblogging batteries a little bit.

Next week I’ll be at Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, GA before heading to Kansas to do some new media training at the Communications Officers of the State Departments of Agriculture (COSDA) annual meeting.

Uncategorized

Ag Equipment Execs on AG CONNECT

Cindy Zimmerman October 10, 2008

A panel of six representatives from major farm equipment manufacturers took seats on a panel at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers AgExecutive Forum in St. Louis Thursday to discuss “The Next Generation of Ag Show” – AG CONNECT expo, scheduled for January 12-15, 2010 in Orlando.

The executives, from left to right, were Doug DeVries, Deere and Company; Doug Griffin, AGCO; John Koetz, Case IH; Rusty Fowler, Krone NA; Gary MacDonald, MacDon Industries; and Dick Brown, Krause Corp. They are all very excited and supportive of the new show which promises to be a “worldwide and world-class experience; bringing the world of agriculture together in one gathering place for the benefit of exhibitors, producers, government, media, and all key industry leaders.”

We heard some of Doug DeVries comments about AG CONNECT in an earlier post, but I also had the opportunity to visit one on one with three of the other execs on the panel who have all been involved in developing the event as part of the show committee.

John Koetz of Case IH says, “What’s different here is that it’s designed around what the producers have been asking for. They are looking for more than just seeing the machines, they are looking for what are going to be the solutions, they want to interact with each other and industry experts, both here in the United States and internationally.”

Listen to John’s interview here:
aem-forum-08-koetz.MP3

Gary MacDonald of MacDon, which is a family-owned manufacturer of harvest machinery based in Winnipeg, thinks AG CONNECT will be the biggest thing to hit the industry in many years because of its global nature. “Going back 20-25 years, our market was 80 percent Canadian and 20 percent US, today the breakdown is 35 percent Canada, 35 percent US and heading toward 30 percent outside North America. So the export market has grown tremendously.”

Listen to Gary’s interview here:
aem-forum-08-macdon.MP3

Dick Brown of Krause says the show is a vision that started about 15 years ago. “We realized that equipment is just one part of a farming system and we needed to bring all of the elements of the farming system together to have a world class event.” He says the show is patterned to some extent on Germany’s AgriTechnica, but even more diverse in terms of what it offers for producers.

Listen to Dick’s interview here:
aem-forum-08-brown.MP3

You can also download the interviews for broadcast use with these links:
John Koetz
Gary MacDonald
Dick Brown

View and download photos from the AEM AgExecutive Forum here.

AEM, Audio, Equipment

What Would You Say to McCain?

Cindy Zimmerman October 10, 2008

Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain is causing quite a bit of concern among members of the agriculture and ethanol industries with his comments about farm programs and ethanol incentives. Last week in Missouri, McCain said, “My administration will reduce the price of food by eliminating the subsidies for ethanol and agricultural goods. These subsidies inflate the price of food, not only for Americans but for people in poverty across the world, and I propose to abolish them.”

During a question and answer period yesterday at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers AgExecutive Forum, I had the opportunity to ask Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer what he would say to Senator McCain about farm policy if he had the opportunity.

“What I would say to Senator McCain is this: ‘You’re flat out wrong about your agriculture policy,'” Schafer said bluntly, while noting that he needs to be careful what he says in the political arena. “I would say that both candidates leave a lot on the table to be desired for agricultural policy. I’d love to have the opportunity to get in there and say ‘this is the importance of agriculture in this economy’ and I don’t think either one of them are seeing it.”

Schafer hopes that Senator McCain gets some advisers who can help him see that “agriculture is the foundation of the economy and the strength of this country.”

Listen to Schafer’s comments here:
schafer-mccain.mp3

You can also download his comments with this link: Ed Schafer on McCain ag policy (mp3)

Download photos of Schafer and others from the AEM AgExecutive Forum here.

AEM, Audio, politics

New 6D Series Utility Tractors From John Deere

Chuck Zimmerman October 10, 2008

The other major line of utility tractor just launched by John Deere is the 6D Series. I spoke with Brett about this new tractor while we were out in the field at the media event in Sarasota, FL.

– In today’s competitive work, farm, and ranch environment, many customers are looking for an economical utility tractor with more horsepower and better performance to handle common chores and still provide a comfortable working environment for the operator. Building on the popular 6003 Series Tractors, the new 6D Series provides even more features and value for the dollar

“The top three models are powered by a 4.5L PowerTech™ E diesel engine with a high-pressure common rail (HPCR) injection system,” says Alejandro Galindo, product manager, John Deere Waterloo Tractor Works. “These efficient engines are designed to provide power when needed to handle even the toughest jobs.”

The 6100D features a field-proven, fuel-efficient 100-hp PowerTech™ engine with rotary fuel injection pump. It’s designed to deliver excellent power and lugging ability in a variety of work situations.

If you’d like, you can listen to my interview with Brett here: drive-green-08-6d.mp3

You can also download it with this link: 6D Series Tractor Interview (mp3)

John Deere Drive Green Photo Album

Audio, Equipment, John Deere, Tractor, Video

New 5 Series of Utility Tractors From John Deere

Chuck Zimmerman October 10, 2008

One of the new utility tractors that John Deere has just launched is the 5D, 5E, 5E Limited and 5M Series. To learn more about it I spoke with Blake Barnes at one of our field stops during this week’s media event.

Utility tractors ranging from 45 – 105 engine horsepower have many uses for property owners, commercial operators, governmental maintenance fleets, and livestock and farm operations. To better serve the diverse requirements of these different type customers, John Deere introduces a new line of utility tractors: the 5D, 5E, 5E Limited and 5M Series. These new tractors are designed to perform any application, with any implement, within any budget to meet the needs of any customer in the utility tractor market.

“This is the most complete line of utility tractors we’ve ever offered,” says Rex Edmunds, division marketing manager, John Deere Augusta. “We’ve designed these tractors to meet the requirements of many different customers with many different applications, and we’re providing a wide array of options to bring the optimal configuration and horsepower to their operation.”

If you’d like, you can listen to my interview with Blake here: drive-green-08-5.mp3

You can also download it with this link: Blake Barnes Interview (mp3)

John Deere Drive Green Photo Album

Audio, Equipment, John Deere, Tractor, Video

New Utility Tractors From John Deere

Chuck Zimmerman October 10, 2008

The first stop on our John Deere, Drive Green, media event was an introduction to the new utility tractors. Dan Pashke (in video, not this picture) gave us the rundown with the who/what/where/when and why. In this video clip you’ll also see some demonstrations of the machines. All the new utility tractors use the new John Deere name/numbering system.

What’s in a name? Quite a bit actually – especially when it comes to tractors. John Deere announces it’s currently transitioning to a new name and number system for its full line of tractors with the introduction of the new 5D, 5E, 5M, and 6D Series Tractors.

“The updated name and numbering system is unique to John Deere and allows for a more consistent approach to naming our equipment around the world,” says Steve Robisky, John Deere marketing administration manager. “This new system allows customers to more quickly and easily identify the engine horsepower of a tractor, its capability, and its size by looking at the hood decal,” Robisky adds.

Each new tractor model number has six available positions. The first position is a number and represents its size. The second, third, and fourth positions are numbers and denote its approximate engine horsepower according to 97/68/EC Standards. The fifth position is a letter and indicates its capability and/or price level within its family.

John Deere Drive Green Photo Album

Audio, Equipment, John Deere, Video

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort October 10, 2008

Elanco announced it has finalized the purchase of Posilac (sometribove), a supplement for dairy cows, from Monsanto. The acquisition includes complete worldwide rights, a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Augusta, Ga., and product-support operations.
Agri-Business Solutions is changing its name to Water Street Solutions. “Water” is a fundamental resource necessary for the success of agricultural producers while “Street” keeps in mind the consumer who drives the demand for crops and livestock. A project is currently underway to renovate a historic building on the Illinois riverfront as the new company headquarters.
Ceres, Inc. has named Paul M. Kuc to be the energy crop company’s Chief Financial Officer, ahead of the launch of its seed business. Kuc will oversee Ceres’ capital management and financial systems, among other responsibilities. Ceres, which is developing new crops for next-generation biofuels and biopower, plans to commercialize its first seed products under the trade name Blade Energy Crops later this year.
MGEX (Minneapolis Grain Exchange or Exchange) announced results of its annual Board of Directors (Board) election, held Oct. 2. Elected candidates include Scott A. Cordes, Country Hedging, Inc.; Scott O. Hedin, St. Croix Commodities, Inc.; Christopher T. Matzdorf, UBS Securities, LLC; and Scott D. Nagel, ADM-Benson Quinn, a division of Archer Daniels Midland. The newly elected Board members will serve two year terms, effective immediately.

Zimfo Bytes

Agri-Pulse Has an Open Mic

Chuck Zimmerman October 10, 2008

Sara Wyant and Stewart Doan at Agri-Pulse have started a new weekly audio interview program called Open Mic. Great idea since I know they talk with people “on the inside” a lot. Now if they’ll just add an rss feed for it then I can subscribe to it and get it on my computer/iPod automatically (podcast)!

Challenging times call for unique insight and perspective — the type of information that Agri-Pulse editors provide to subscribers on a regular basis. Starting today, Agri-Pulse will launch a new in-depth weekly audio interview on www.Agri-Pulse.com called “Open Mic.” Senior Editor Stewart Doan conducted the first live agricultural interview with Illinois Senator and Presidential candidate Barack Obama.

“This is the first time that Sen. Obama has taken time out of his campaign to speak with any agricultural journalist about his views on the farm bill and agriculture in general,” says Editor Sara Wyant. “It’s a fitting tribute to Agri-Pulse Senior Editor Stewart Doan, who was named the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year in 2006 and is past president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters.”

Wyant says Agri-Pulse editors will interview elected and Administration officials for this “Open Mic” feature, but also plan to talk to many CEOs and industry leaders.

“Every week, we plan to interview an individual who has a global view of some of the most important issues and trends impacting the agricultural sector today,” says Wyant. “Whether it’s a discussion about food, feed, fuel, and fiber production or rural issues in general, we’ll provide valuable insights from key decision-makers who are guiding some of the largest companies, agencies and organizations.”

The Open Mic interview is sponsored by Broadhead + Co, a Minneapolis-based marketing agency connecting the interests of urban and rural America. Visit www.broadheadco.com.

Cindy here with an addition to this post. Here is a photo of Stewart interviewing Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer yesterday in St. Louis for this new program. Unfortunately, they do not have a photo of him interviewing Sen. Obama, as the interview was done by phone – not a real exciting photo op, I guess.

How about an interview with Sen. McCain now, guys? He could use some education on the ag side. I will be posting Schafer’s answer to a question I asked him yesterday about McCain’s attitude toward farm programs later today.

Media

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