The National Agri-Marketing Association just announced the winners of their annual Professional Development Awards. Yours truly was nominated! I consider that an honor and I congratulate the people who have been chosen to receive the awards which will be presented during the Tuesday dinner at the NAMA Agribusiness Forum.
Bev Larson, NK Brand/Syngenta Seeds – Marketing Communications
Janice Person, Delta & Pine Land Company – Public Relations
Dennis Gehler, Croplan Genetics/Land O’Lakes – Product/Species Management
Margaret Wallace-Oldham, Beck Ag Com – Sales
A Pioneer Dynasty
Adding to the list of new product announcements is one from Pioneer. The technology we’ve reported was in development for so many years is sure starting to show up in the products that companies like Pioneer have to offer.
Pioneer Adds Dynasty® Fungicide to Seed Treatment Lineup
Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., is expanding its offering of early-season seed protection for 2006 with the new seed-applied Dynasty¹ fungicide. The Dynasty fungicide, combined with Poncho² 250 or Poncho 1250 insecticide seed treatments (IST), offers unbeatable convenience and efficacy against a wide range of early-season challenges. “Any customer who orders Pioneer® brand hybrids with either level of Poncho insecticide will get seed-applied Dynasty fungicide as well,” says Michael DeFelice, senior marketing manager for Pioneer Hi-Bred.
World Ag Expo’s Billion Dollar Impact
I’m assuming that the economic impact referred to here is to the local economy. I’ve always believed that a big show like this one has a huge impact on local businesses. It’s interesting that the World Ag Expo has put together a report to show that impact. I think it would help with local business relationships.
According to a contingent of independent and verifiable studies,* the 2005 World Ag Expo’s total economic impact is $1.2billion.
Some other interesting facts they came up with include:
42 percent: Attendees with a gross farming income of $500,000 or more; 2,036: Number of attendees who pass by an exhibitor’s booth per hour; 89 percent: Attendees that attend World Ag Expo for technology, information or business purposes
A New Variety Bonanza From Garst
There is certainly a lot of new product news showing up all the sudden! Take this announcement from Garst. There’s a lot of new varieties available. Growers are going to have their hands full deciding what to buy for next year. I know this is the time of year they’re making those decisions but as I’ve also learned the last couple weeks, it’s also a really bad time to bother them. It’s harvest time!
Garst Seed Company announces the introduction of 18 new Garst® brand soybean varieties for the 2006 growing season. This outstanding lineup includes: 15 new varieties with the Roundup Ready1 trait — seven of which also offer resistance to soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) and one variety that offers the Roundup Ready trait and the new CystX2 technology. Three new conventional varieties also are available. A total of 77 Garst brand soybean varieties offering top yields, exceptional agronomics and proven performance are available to growers for the 2006 season. Garst will also offer 43 NK brand soybeans in 2006.
Bambi’s Dad In AgriFinance
I’ll be honest with you and say that what most attracted me to this story is the large rack on the the stag in the logo. I want to see one of those opening day this deer season! In fact, 2 years ago I at least saw a deer that looked like The Hartford stag. So I know he’s out there.
Now the well-know insurance and financial services company (195 years and going strong) is getting into agrifinance.
Hartford Investment Management Company, the investment management subsidiary of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., announced it has added an agricultural finance team located in Fresno, California. David Dunlap joined Hartford Investment Management in late July to lead the Fresno-based team of agricultural finance professionals with more than 90 years of combined experience in agricultural lending. “The AgriFinance Group, a leader in this specialty lending arena, capitalizes on its significant experience and industry knowledge to provide more complicated loan structures to finance permanent planting developments,” said Hartford Investment Management President David Znamierowski. The four-member team of agricultural finance professionals includes Dunlap, along with Mark Peterson, Ann Bridges and Karen Micheli.
CNH Reorganizes
I’m not real sure how this announcement is a departure from what the company has already been doing. I remember when CaseIH came under the New Holland umbrella and CNH was announced. We joked about seeing purple tractors (red + blue) but instead the brands have remained separate and marketed separately. They’ve even retained separate staffs to do this. So I’m not clear from today’s announcement how this is actually different but I guess we’ll see. I guess that when you see words like “underperforming” and new leadership it at least means that the HR department has been busy.
CNH Global today announced it will reorganize its operations into 4 distinct global brand structures: CaseIH and New Holland agriculture and Case and New Holland construction equipment.
“This represents an aggressive transformation agenda to invigorate our brands, whose heritages and loyal dealer networks are our most powerful asset. We’re convinced that organizing the company around the brands is a strong first step to increase shareholder return,” said CNH President and CEO Harold Boyanovsky. “CNH has been underperforming the industry and the challenge for CNH, as with all Fiat Group companies, is to achieve competitive excellence over the next two years. Realizing our growth plans requires a resolute focus for each of our brands to satisfy even more the differentiated needs of brand dealers and customers.
Four presidents with full profit and loss accountability for their global brands are appointed. Heading the agricultural business are Mario Ferla, CaseIH and Marco Mazzu, New Holland. Heading the construction equipment business are Jim McCullough, Case and Franco Fenoglio, New Holland.
The previous functions of global presidents responsible for the agricultural and construction equipment business are eliminated. Roland Sunden, Ag president since January 2004, has left the company.
Charter For Cereal Seeds
Good news for cereal eaters and growers. BASF just received registration on it’s Charter Fungicide.
Cereal Seed Treatment Controls Key Seed and Soil-Borne Diseases
With the registration of Charter™ fungicide, cereal growers in the United States have access to a new, leading-edge seed treatment technology that promotes healthier, higher yielding wheat and barley. Charter provides control of key diseases including fusarium in wheat and true loose smut in barley.
Pour Me Another Mr. Bartender
This is too good not to post. Of course beer is made out of commercially produced agricultural commodities so this is a very AgWired related story.
The folks at Engadget found this story so they get the credit. Anyway, it’s a story on NewScientist.com about two thirsty researchers in Germany who have developed an intelligent beer coaster that automatically alerts your bartender when your beer is empty. Now that’s good science and good for barley and hops growers!
Keep Up With Expo On World Dairy Diary
What kind of public relations people would we be if we didn’t do a talking news release about our own project eh? So of course we sent one out on World Dairy Diary, our very own farm show blog and the “Official blog of World Dairy Expo.” I’ll be posting here on AgWired from Expo next week but you can already see and hear plenty on World Dairy Diary!
“World Dairy Diary” will be keeping Expo attendees and non-attendees alike informed about the activities at the event October 4-8 in Madison, WI. The official blog of the World Dairy Expo at wdexpo.org is being sponsored by No-Bull Enterprises, Holstein Association USA, and the Qualisoy initiative.
“Look for commentary, pictures, audio and much more on World Dairy Diary before, during and after the Expo,” said blog manager Chuck Zimmerman of ZimmComm, Marketing and Communications. “I’ll be there for the entire event, covering all aspects of the expo.” Full Release
Chef Chili Challenge In Mid-MO
When it was time to get the word out this week about a Missouri Beef Industry Council-sponsored Chili Cookoff to benefit a regional food bank the obvious thing to do was send out a Talking News Release!
(Columbia, MO) Callling all chili chefs! The Central Missouri Food Bank will benefit from a Chef’s Chili Challenge to be held October 6, 2005 from 5:00-8:00 pm at the Holiday Inn Select in Columbia, Missouri. Enter your favorite chili recipe to win while helping this great charity. Full Release