FMC CEO Helps Ag Retailers Unmask Business Potential

Carrie Muehling

FMC has redefined itself as an agricultural sciences company positioned for growth in the North American retail market.

“It is very critical for any company to get to a place where they can define themselves as mainly belonging to one specific market,” said Pierre Brondeau, CEO. “And I think we’ve chosen a market like ag today, after 10 years. We are an agricultural sciences company, and until you get to this point, you don’t really have a company you are able to grow. And I think that’s the biggest lesson for us.”

Brondeau said the company offers a robust portfolio of products, as well as technology and scientific-based knowledge. He believes these are things that differentiate the company from others around the world. Brondeau presented at the Ag Retailers Association Annual Conference and Expo in New Orleans.

ARA19 Keynote address, FMC CEO Pierre Brondeau (42:00)
ARA19 Interview with FMC CEO Pierre Brondeau (3:34)

2019 ARA Convention and Expo Photo Album

ARA, Audio, FMC

Basse Back at ASTACSS

Cindy Zimmerman

The most popular session at the annual ASTA CSS & Seed Expo is always the agricultural economy update by Dan Basse, AgResource Company, and this year was no exception as he opened the general session for the seventh year.

Basse offered his insights on this year’s yields, impact of African Swine Fever in China, the ABU countries (Argentina, Brazil, Ukraine), and more.

Listen to his full presentation and interview with highlights below:
ASTACSS19 Remarks by Dan Basse, AgResource

ASTACSS19 Interview with Dan Basse, AgResource

2019 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo photos

ASTA, Audio

Research Shows Enogen Increases Feed Efficiency

Carrie Muehling

New research presented by Penn State University is proving the case for Enogen® Feed, showing up to a 4 percent increase in ECM feed efficiency and no negative effect on rumen fermentation.

The unique Syngenta hybrids, available from NK Seeds retailers, feature an in-seed technology that converts starch to usable sugars more quickly than other corn.

The research, results of which were presented at the 2019 American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) Northeast Branch meeting in November, was conducted by Sergio Welchez, graduate research assistant, and Dr. Alex Hristov of Penn State University’s Department of Animal Science. In their replicated experiment, they compared Enogen Feed corn silage to non-Enogen corn silage. The only difference in feed was the type of corn silage used, so the results indicate the effect of the in-seed alpha amylase technology of Enogen Feed corn.

For more information, contact a local NK retailer or visit www.EnogenFeed.com.

Learn more in this interview from the 2019 Farm Progress Show with Duane Martin: Interview with Duane Martin, Enogen

Animal Agriculture, Audio, Syngenta

Animal Ag Bites 12/9

Carrie Muehling

  • Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the final interim decision for the registered use of sodium cyanide. Working with U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, the label for this predator control tool will include three additional use restrictions to promote public awareness and decrease non-target impacts. American Sheep Industry Association President Benny Cox said this announcement is welcomed by our nation’s sheep producers.
  • ADM Animal Nutrition, a division of Archer Daniels Midland Company, has opened a new Animal Nutrition Technology Center in Decatur, Illinois.
  • The U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation and the Poultry Science Association Foundation are pleased to announce the 3rd annual, jointly sponsored Ph.D. and Vet Student Career Fair, which will be held during the International Production & Processing Expo, scheduled for Jan. 28 – 30, 2020, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
  • The American Feed Industry Association supports the Food and Drug Administration’s vision outlined in the Blueprint for a New Era of Smarter Food Safety, but is concerned about unintended consequences brought about by the requirement to adopt emerging technology for use in food tracking and traceability.
  • The National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation have filed a legal challenge to California’s Proposition 12, which imposes animal housing standards that reach outside of California’s borders to farms across the United States and beyond.
  • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Jennifer Houston issued a statement in response to Japan’s final approval of a trade deal that will lower tariffs for U.S. beef exports to that nation.
  • The holidays came early for students from North Dakota State University, Western Illinois University, University of Wisconsin at Madison, State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill, Louisiana State University and Northwest Missouri State University as they take home scholarships for being named winners of the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s College Aggies Online scholarship competition. The Alliance awarded more than $20,000 to students and clubs this year.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

ZimmCast 632 – Ag Retailers Conference Leadership

Chuck Zimmerman

In this week’s program I spoke with the leadership of the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA).
 
In the program you’ll hear from past Chair, Troy Johnson, Wilbur-Ellis, as he talks about his term leading the board. Then next up will be Rod Wells, GROWMARK, new Chair for ARA, as he talks about his outlook and plans for the coming two years. Then finally, I talked with Daren Coppock, ARA CEO, about how this year’s conference went.

You can find a lot more interviews, audio and photos from the conference in our AgNewsWire virtual ag newsroom.

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 632 - Ag Retailers Conference Wrap-up
Subscribe to the ZimmCast by clicking here.

Ag Groups, ARA, Audio, GROWMARK, ZimmCast

Closing ARA Panel Focuses on Retail Models

Cindy Zimmerman

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) concluded its annual Conference & Expo in New Orleans last week with a panel discussion on Competing Retail Models moderated by Margy Eckelkamp, editor of AgPro. The panel featured Alexander Reichert, co-founder and CEO of AgVend; Dave Thomas, executive vice president of Helena Agri-Enterprises LLC; and John Demerly, CEO of CommoditAg.

“Ag retailers are responding to how they can better serve their farmer customers with new products, services and digital interactions,” said Eckelkamp. “Technology is a tool retailers are embracing as it has the power to enhance their roles as trusted advisors.”

The interactive discussion included the presentation of recent findings from a recent AgPro study on purchasing decisions which showed 63 percent of farmers have ordered a product or service for farming from a mobile device. Attendees learned how farmer demographics, technology, and customer expectations are changing their business.

Listen to the discussion here:
ARA19 Panel on Competing Retail Models (1:01:00)

Agribusiness, ARA, Audio

Ag Retailers Association Celebrates Newest Rising Stars

Cindy Zimmerman

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) once again recognized a group of top performers and emerging leaders as “Rising Stars” during the 2019 ARA Conference & Expo last week in New Orleans.

The ARA Rising Stars program, sponsored by AGI Fertilizer Systems, is an opportunity for member organizations to nominate staff members or various experience and age to be recognized and celebrated for the work they are doing in the agricultural retail field at the premier event in ag retail. ARA knows that when employees are challenged and engaged in their own professional development, companies are more likely to retain a higher number of high achieving employees.

Nominations are accepted annually from mid-June until early September and are open exclusively to ARA members. See a full list of the ARA Rising Stars Class of 2019.

One of this year’s Rising Stars is Cameron McAnally, retail market manager for FMC in West Texas. In this interview, he talks about what participation in the program means to him.

ARA19 Interview with ARC Rising Star Cameron McAnally, FMC (2:12)

2019 ARA Convention and Expo photos

ARA, Audio, FMC

AGCO Names Mose Middleton 2019 Operator of the Year

Cindy Zimmerman

At the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) conference this week in New Orleans, AGCO Corporation named Mose Middleton of Nutrien Ag Solutions as the “2019 Operator of the Year.” The award recognizes professional operators for their hard work and commitment to their customers and their local communities. This is the 14th year for the industry award sponsored by AGCO.

Middleton, a professional applicator for more than 30 years, applies on 33,000 acres per year. Advances in technology, from covered cabs to precision application, help Middleton ensure he is applying products exactly where they need to be. “I have children and grandchildren, so being responsible with products is important to me,” Middleton explains. “Looking to the future, I would want someone to be precise when they apply, so I make sure I am precise. Today’s equipment makes that much easier than in the past.”

Listen to an interview with Middleton here:
ARA19 Interview with AGCO Operator of the Year (1:57)

2019 ARA Convention and Expo photos

ARA, Audio, Precision Agriculture

#AgRetailers19 is a Wrap

Cindy Zimmerman

The gavel has been passed and the 2019 Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) Conference & Expo is New Orleans is a wrap.

Rod Wells of GROWMARK (pictured left) was installed as chairman of the association during the closing session of conference, succeeding Troy Johnson of Wilbur-Ellis in the role.

“I am proud of the work our board of directors and ARA staff has done over the course of the last year and look forward to passing the leadership to a highly talented new chairman,” said Johnson.

In his remarks, Wells shared his plans for his term as chairman.

“I am humbled and honored to serve as chairman of the Agricultural Retailers Association,” said Wells. “I look forward to engaging with the ARA membership, board of directors, and staff to execute the current strategic plan and continue the outstanding work started by Chairman Troy Johnson, and Chairman John Oster before him.


ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock says this year’s conference and expo exceeded his expectations. “The ARA members and industry partners in attendance walked away with knowledge they can leverage to improve their customer service, streamline their operations and address the issues they face each day,” said Coppock.

“This event provided us an opportunity to reflect on the last year and renew our excitement for the coming year. I look forward to taking the information gained from our speakers and members and applying it to our work representing the ag retail industry.”

Listen to interviews with Coppock, Johnson and Wells below and find more content in the ARA conference virtual newsroom.

ARA19 Interview with outgoing ARA chair Troy Johnson, Wilbur Ellis (3:46)

ARA19 Interview with incoming ARA chair Rod Wells, GROWMARK (7:03)

ARA19 Wrap up interview with ARA CEO Daren Coppock (3:55)

2019 ARA Convention and Expo photo album

Agribusiness, ARA, Audio, GROWMARK, Precision Agriculture

EOS Crop Monitoring Case Study

Cindy Zimmerman

How to get maximum value from satellite monitoring: EOS Crop Monitoring case study
Sponsored content provided for AgWired by EOS Crop Monitoring

Finding the reason behind low field performance could be tricky. Often seems there were no pests and fertilizers properly applied, but somehow results are unsatisfactory. EOS Crop Monitoring case study illustrates how satellite data enables problem-solving on a field.

Satellite monitoring in a nutshell
Satellite crop monitoring is an online-based technology that enables ground surface analysis for vegetation levels assessment. This allows to track plant development dynamics and identify problem spots on a field without leaving the office. Other features include weather prediction tools, rainfall information, and field historical data. Insights from satellites are visualized in software platforms for efficient field management.

How to detect issues on a field via satellites
In October 2019, EOS Crop Monitoring team was requested to identify the reason behind low NDVI readings. NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) is a formula that estimates near-infrared light reflected from the Earth’s surface to assess vegetation conditions. The platform reported sparse plant performance which in NDVI spectra is visualized in shades of red. (click on image for larger version)

And in order to examine sprouts conditions, the EOS team joined up with an agronomist and traveled to the area. Pictures directly from the field confirmed low quantity and quality of the sprouts: Read More

AgWired Precision, Precision Agriculture