Industry Ag News 6/19

Carrie Muehling

  • Syngenta Group Co. Ltd. announced the official launch of Syngenta Group, a new global leader in agricultural science and innovation. Under a single entity, it unites the strengths of Syngenta AG, headquartered in Switzerland, ADAMA, based in Israel, and the agricultural businesses of Sinochem, based in China. The new entity, headquartered in Switzerland, has 48,000 employees in more than 100 countries, and had sales of US$23 billion in 2019.
  • Representative Sanford Bishop, Chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, Representative Jeff Fortenberry, Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, and Representative K. Michael Conaway, Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, issued a statement regarding the recent court ruling on the use of dicamba.
  • A coalition of national grower trade associations that represents farmers, ranchers, and their families nationwide is urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to reject an NGO call to invalidate EPA’s dicamba existing stocks order for three dicamba products whose registrations were immediately vacated by the court earlier this month.
  • The National Corn Growers Association’s Corn Board elected Chris Edgington to become the organization’s first vice president for the next fiscal year, which begins October 1.
  • The National Corn Growers Association is kicking-off summer with a new contest, focusing on the benefits of using corn in the feed ration. The contest started Monday, June 15, 2020, and runs through Monday, November 2, 2020.
  • Growers Edge Financial, Inc., a provider of data-backed financial technology solutions for the agricultural industry, announced the appointment of Tracy Linbo as executive vice president and chief commercial officer.
  • The American Soybean Association is pleased to hire Scott Gerlt, who will be the first person to join the organization in the role of economist. Gerlt, who lives in Missouri, starts July 20 and will be based out of the St. Louis office.
  • The Environmental Protection Agency has appointed American Soybean Association Chairman Davie Stephens, a soybean grower from Kentucky, to its Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture received a proposal from the National Pecan Federation requesting the establishment of a research and promotion program to strengthen the position of pecans in the marketplace, maintain and expand markets for pecans and develop new uses for pecans.
  • Western Growers is pleased to announce the addition of De Ann Davis, PhD, as Senior Vice President, Science. Davis brings extensive expertise to the leadership team with more than 25 years of experience in the development and execution of technical global programs, including food safety, quality assurance and regulatory compliance.
Zimfo Bytes

Alltech ONE Virtual Experience – Health & Wellness

Chuck Zimmerman

Alltech ONE Virtual ExperienceThe highly successful Alltech ONE Virtual Experience continues with new content. It’s the June Edition – Health & Wellness. You can find the agenda here.

Our health and well-being are universally important, particularly in light of COVID-19. Join us for an exploration of topics that include boosting immunity, supporting the mental health of your teams in a WFH environment and the pioneering field of science that could change the way we eat and produce food.

I got a preview of the two day event next week from Alltech’s Nikki Putnam-Badding, who is a registered dietician and Chair-person for the Health & Wellness Session. Nikki describes sessions and presenters and says that if you haven’t registered for the on-going Alltech ONE Virtual Experience, you still can. Besides the new session presentations you’ll still be able to also see all the content from the very start.

You can listen to my interview with Nikki here: Interview with Nikki Putnam-Badding, Alltech

Alltech, Audio

Corn and Sorghum Groups Urge Aid for Ethanol Industry

Cindy Zimmerman

Members of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus held a virtual town hall Wednesday to discuss the challenges currently facing the ethanol industry and what can be done to help.

Caucus members participating in the meeting were including Reps. Collin Peterson (D-MN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Dave Loebsack (D-IA), and Rodney Davis (R-IL) as well as ethanol and agricultural group leaders.

House Agriculture Committee Chair Peterson says while the Senate has yet to vote on the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, he will not vote for any bill that provides no aid for biofuels producers – and he is still hopeful USDA could yet find dollars for producers in the previous legislation.

Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) on help for biofuels producers 4:45

Commodity and ethanol group leaders participating in the meeting included National Sorghum Producers (NSP) CEO Tim Lust who talked about the importance of the ethanol market for sorghum farmers.
Biofuels Caucus Town Hall NSP CEO Tim Lust 3:05

National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) CEO Jon Doggett discussed revenue losses this year for corn farmers and why EPA needs to support the Renewable Fuel Standard and not allow any more small refinery exemptions.
Biofuels Caucus Town Hall NCGA CEO Jon Doggett 5:15

Audio, Biofuels, Corn, Ethanol, NCGA, NSP, sorghum

FMC Announces New Arc™ Farm Intelligence Platform

Chuck Zimmerman

FMC Corporation Arc™ Farm Intelligence PlatformFMC Corporation just announced the launch of Arc™ farm intelligence, an exclusive precision agriculture platform that enables growers and advisors to more accurately predict pest pressure before it becomes a problem.

Arc™ farm intelligence is the first mobile platform to use predictive modeling based on real-time data to help ensure the right crop protection products are applied precisely where and when they are needed to improve sustainability, optimize crop yield and enhance grower return on investment (ROI).

I spoke with Brian Angeli, FMC Chief Strategy Officer and Treasurer, about the new platform. We talk about what makes it a first in the ag industry and how it will integrate with other FMC precision offerings in the future as well as other ag applications. The platform is focused on insects first with plans to expand in the future. You can learn more about the new offering in our interview.

You can listen to my interview with Brian here: Interview with Brian Angeli, FMC

AgWired Precision, Audio, FMC, Insecticides, Precision Agriculture

Precision Ag News 6/17

Carrie Muehling

  • Share the story of how conservation is part of your farm operation and you could be recognized with a Conservation Legacy Award. The awards recognize farm management practices of U.S. soybean farmers that are both environmentally friendly and profitable. The Conservation Legacy Awards are sponsored by the American Soybean Association (ASA), BASF, Bayer, the United Soybean Board/soybean checkoff and Valent U.S.A. All applications must be submitted by Sept. 1, 2020.
  • To help growers face another challenging year, Syngenta will share the latest crop management technologies and best practices at Grow More™ Experience and Golden Harvest® Agronomy in Action sites across the United States. Updates from sites across the country will be posted on KnowMoreGrowMore.com in the Field Trials section.
  • The newest issue of New Ag International is now online.
  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement on Secretary Perdue Statement on Dicamba Plaintiffs’ Attack on EPA Order: “USDA supports the actions taken by the EPA to respond responsibly to the decision of the Ninth Circuit regarding Dicamba. At a time when the security of the food supply chain is paramount, the Center for Biological Diversity and its allies seek to cripple American farmers and further limit their ability to feed, fuel, and clothe this nation and the world. The Ninth Circuit should not allow plaintiffs’ hostility against the American farmer to cloud the fact that the EPA’s actions follow both legal precedent and common sense.”
  • The Soil Health Institute is accepting submissions for a virtual Video Poster Session during its 5th Annual Meeting, July 30-31, 2020. Video poster submissions must be no longer than three minutes, self-contained, self-explanatory, and relevant to soil health. The submission period will remain open through 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time, Tuesday, June 23, 2020.
  • Overall unit sales of agricultural tractors and self-propelled combines in May 2020 rose in the U.S. according to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, with smaller machine sales growth overpowering declines in the bigger segments and combines.
  • Leading soil scientist Dr. Rattan Lal was announced as the 2020 World Food Prize Laureate for developing and mainstreaming a soil-centric approach to increasing food production that conserves natural resources and mitigates climate change. The 2020 Laureate Announcement Ceremony featured pre-recorded remarks from the U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue with World Food Prize Foundation President Barbara Stinson announcing the name of the Laureate.
  • The GROWMARK System is pleased to recognize the 2020 Endure Advocate award winners. The Endure Advocate award is given to FS Crop Specialists who engage in 4R Nutrient Management and Sustainable Farming Practices with their grower customers.
  • New self-service features on farmers.gov will help farmers and ranchers manage their conservation activities online. Farmers now be able to view, download, and e-sign documents, request conservation assistance, view technical references and submit questions, access information on current and past conservation practices, and view detailed information on all previous and ongoing contracts, including the amount of planned and received cost-share assistance.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services – Episode 4

Chuck Zimmerman

Welcome to Episode 4 of the Field Notes podcast series from Koch Agronomic Services, where we break down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less. Crop science experts and others in the agriculture industry will discuss topics ranging from nitrogen loss and soil health to ways growers can increase operational efficiencies.

The Decision-Making Process

In this podcast, two retailers discuss the decision-making process that agronomists walk growers through each year. Field Notes from Koch Agronomic ServicesDonnell DeLosh, agronomy production supervisor for Country Partners Cooperative, and Thad Russell, field sales agronomist with Central Valley Ag, talk about the information most important to growers when deciding how to protect their nitrogen investments. Discover how and when they start those conversations and what products are working for their growers.

You can listen to the program here: The Decision-Making Process

And to make sure you don’t miss an episode, choose an option to subscribe

For Spotify on your computer download the desktop app.

Audio, Koch Agronomic Services, Podcasts, Soil

Virtual is the New Reality

Chuck Zimmerman

Virtual is the new reality for 2020.

As events continue to be cancelled or postponed this year, it’s becoming obvious that conferences and meetings going forward will have at least some component of virtual content to provide for people unable to make it in person.

ZimmComm has been doing virtual meetings and conferences since 2005 – it’s really our specialty.

When we go on-site to a conference, creating audio, video and photo content for media, attendees, and others, what we have have been doing is creating a virtual experience of the meeting for people who can’t be there, or those who want to see or hear it again. It’s why we call AgNewsWire the “virtual newsroom” for agricultural news and events.

Here are a few examples:

Virtual newsroom on AgNewsWire
2019 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo
Customized blog for conference
National Biodiesel Conference blog since 2006
Customized webpage for conference
Cattle Industry Conference
Interviews to supplement virtual conference
Alltech ONE Virtual Experience
Exhibitor content to share from trade show
AMVAC at 2019 Commodity Classic

Companies are restricting travel – we can help create a virtual experience for a trade show. Reporters are also being restricted in their travel, so what we do is even more important to increase your media exposure at events. We are brainstorming lots of ideas with clients so give me a call 573-230-3024 to see how we can help you.

ZimmComm Announcement

Animal Ag News 6/15

Carrie Muehling

  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue applauded the safe reopening of critical infrastructure meatpacking facilities across the United States. As of June 9, across the cattle, swine, and broiler sectors, processing facilities are operating more than 95% of their average capacity compared to this time last year. In fact, beef facilities are operating at 98%, pork facilities are operating at 95%, and poultry facilities are operating at 98% of their capacity compared to the same time last year.
  • Ag Property Solutions announced it has entered into an agreement with Agrimesh Technologies, a Canadian livestock production and technology equipment provider, to distribute its Seelow product, a laser sensor Feed Monitoring System.
  • Select Sires is excited to announce the hiring of Skylar Buell as communications specialist. A native of Temperance, Mich., Buell graduated from The Ohio State University in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communication and a minor in dairy science.
  • USPOULTRY’s Women’s Leadership Conference, scheduled for Aug. 13-14 at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida, showcases the experiences of successful women in all levels of the industry who will share their perspectives and insights on effective leadership. As USPOULTRY is currently planning to move forward with the seminar, the health and safety of everyone who attends is a top priority. Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local governments regarding COVID-19 will be followed, and regular updates will be provided to all stakeholders if the situation warrants.
  • Cheese organizations and entrepreneurs across the U.S. are banding together in an unprecedented effort to save small cheese companies from financial ruin and to prevent the collapse of a beloved staple of the American diet. Under the banner Victory Cheese, several industry organizations, thought leaders and entrepreneurs have joined forces, including the Oldways Cheese Coalition, Culture Media, the Good Food Foundation , American Cheese Education Foundation and the Specialty Food Association. The task force also includes representatives of many leading producers, distributors and retailers as well as influential organizations from the largest cheese producer states, like the California Artisan Cheese Guild, Vermont Cheese Council, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and other state cheese guilds.
  • The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association will present a webinar titled Raising the Bar on Passive Transfer on Thursday, June 18, at 1:00 p.m. Central time. Dave Cook, technical services manager for Milk Products, and Adam Geiger, research nutritionist – dairy and colostrum, for Zinpro Corporation, will share the keys to achieving passive transfer in calves.
  • Vaxxinova US (formerly Epitopix) announces Vaxxon® SRP® Klebsiella as the new name for KLEBVax SRP, a mastitis vaccine recently marketed by Huvepharma USA.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 6/12

Carrie Muehling

  • Beck Ag, Inc. is bringing its U.S.-recognized experience and expertise for creating and executing data-driven go-to-market strategies in the agriculture space north of the border. The announcement from Beck Ag CEO Richard Bettison coincides with the appointment of David Webb as the General Manager of Beck Ag Canada.
  • Alabama Peanut Producers Association donated 14,400 jars of peanut butter to the Alabama Food Bank Association to assist eight regional food banks with feeding their communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a strain on hunger-relief efforts around the state, and peanut butter is a favorite item for food banks.
  • At its monthly meeting, the Farm Credit Administration board received a quarterly report on economic issues affecting agriculture, together with an update on the financial condition and performance of the Farm Credit System as of March 31, 2020.
  • Leading soil scientist Dr. Rattan Lal was announced as the 2020 World Food Prize Laureate for developing and mainstreaming a soil-centric approach to increasing food production that conserves natural resources and mitigates climate change.
  • The National Cotton Council is grateful for EPA’s quick action enabling cotton producers to use existing stocks of three dicamba formulations this season following the recent court decision to vacate the products’ registrations.
  • Joshua Bell, cotton grower from West Texas, is recognized for his idea in response to an invitation from BASF for cotton growers to share their best on-farm innovations. The idea was first inspired by the chemical tank blocking the tractor headlights and making it difficult to work at night. Bell decided to use material he already had on the farm to make a brace to mount on the tractor weight instead of changing the tractor lights. The innovation also gives him the ability to “grab and go” with a chemical tank – significantly decreasing the amount of time needed to change tanks or using one specific tractor for a particular job.
  • National Farmers Union Foundation announced the 2020 recipients of the Hubert K. & JoAnn Seymour and Stanley Moore Scholarship awards. Applications for the 2021 scholarship awards will be available through NFUF in December 2020. More information about the scholarships is available on the NFU website at NFU.org/education/scholarships.
  • The arrival of Coronavirus/COVID-19 changed the outlook of conferences and meetings for 2020. Soon after people started getting seriously ill and the WHO declared a pandemic in early March, events started to rapidly change into virtual formats. Join Hannah Thompson-Weeman (Animal Agriculture Alliance), Kristy Mach, (Gardner & Gardner Communications), and John Blue (Truffle Media Networks) for an Agricultural Relations Council webinar to learn about how events handled the shift and how events through early 2021 will most likely have some form of virtual included.
  • Agriculture investment platform Harvest Returns has reached the milestone of raising over $5 million in global private placement farming opportunities.
  • Glen Albert Brandt, founder of BRANDT, Inc., passed away peacefully at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, IL early Sunday morning. He was 94.
  • In one of the first nationwide seed giveaways of its kind, HiLo Seed Co. will award 1 million hemp seeds to U.S. farmers by the end of 2020. The first round of winners were selected on March 31, and each will receive at least 15,000 HiLo Autopilot 1.0 hemp seeds. HiLo Seed Co. was an exhibitor in the inaugural Hemp Pavilion at the 2020 World Ag Expo® in Tulare. To enter the Million Hemp Seed Giveaway or to see a list of winners, visit hilohempseed.com/million-hemp-seed-giveaway.
  • An overwhelming majority of Midwest producers are choosing propane for grain drying compared with other energy options, according to a new survey from the Propane Education & Research Council. The survey also revealed the widespread use of propane among producers on their farm and in their homes.
  • Farm Journal announced the launch of a major new “COVID-conscious” farm show experience called Farm Journal Field Days, set for Aug. 25-27, 2020, on farms in eastern Iowa and northwest Ohio. The interactive Farm Journal Field Days includes a three-day Virtual Pavilion that runs concurrent with full-day on-farm demonstrations and programming.
Zimfo Bytes

COVID Cuts Revenue Prospects for Corn Crop

Cindy Zimmerman

A new analysis from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is projecting a drastic drop in 2020 revenues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic with impacts persisting into 2021.

NCGA President Kevin Ross says the latest analysis projects a $59 per acre average revenue decline for the 2019 corn crop and an $89 per acre average revenue decline for 2020, compared to pre-COVID-19 projections. “It equates to the lowest crop revenues since 2006 for corn farmers,” said Ross.

The analysis was conducted by Dr. Gary Schnitkey of the University of Illinois using projections for 2019, 2020, and 2021 for pre-COVID and post-COVID scenarios. It follows previous analysis built on market numbers to date, along with estimates of state-level impacts, conducted as part of NCGA’s efforts to better understand the economic impact of the global pandemic on the corn industry and work to create solutions to help corn farmers and their customers recover from the financial impacts of this crisis.

The analysis was shared with Congressional leaders this week to help them in the development of future legislative efforts to mitigate the pandemic’s impact and help farmers and their customers recover.

Ross commented on the analysis during a press call with the Renewable Fuels Association about the one year anniversary of President Trump’s visit to an Iowa ethanol plant.

NCGA president Kevin Ross on revenue loss analysis for corn crop 1:33

Audio, Corn, Ethanol, NCGA