Bayer Committed to More Sustainable Food System

Cindy Zimmerman

Farmers, industry experts, journalists and other stakeholders are in Monheim, Germany this week for the Bayer 2019 Future of Farming Dialogue to engage in a collaborative discussion on the future of agriculture.

“Agriculture needs to feed a growing world without starving the planet”, said Liam Condon, member of the Bayer Board of Management and president of the Crop Science Division. “Breakthrough innovations are needed so that farmers can grow enough food for a growing world population while preserving natural resources.”

Under the theme “Tomorrow belongs to all of us” the event gathers speakers and participants from around 40 countries for two days of robust panel discussions, talks and interviews on issues and opportunities facing the industry. Topics discussed include the need to find a balance between production of food and preservation of our planet; consumer demands to have a healthy diet with no negative impact on the environment; and the importance of crop protection tools for sustainable agriculture.

Condon shared that Bayer is introducing three ambitious commitments to address some of the most pressing challenges our world is currently facing by 2030:

1. Reduce the environmental impact of crop protection by 30 percent by developing new technologies that help farmers to scale down crop protection product volumes and enable a more precise application.
2. Reduce field greenhouse gases emissions from the most emitting crops systems in the regions Bayer serves by 30 percent.
3. Empower 100 million smallholder farmers in developing countries around the world by providing more access to sustainable agricultural solutions.

Listen to Condon’s comments here: Liam Condon, President, Bayer Crop Science Division

2019 Bayer Future of Farming Dialogue Photos

AgWired Precision, Audio, Bayer, Sustainability

BASF a New Market Leader in Canada

Carrie Muehling

The past year has brought a number of changes for BASF in Canada as the company is now the market leader in that country. That includes a new headquarters location in Calgary and a new distribution model, as well as the opportunity to rename themselves as an agricultural solutions company instead of an agricultural products company.

“That really drives us toward the 2030 strategy that we’ve been here discussing today which is how we fuse digital, seed and chemistry together, bringing superior solutions to growers and thinking more from a cropping system standpoint versus just a product to product standpoint,” said Jon Sweat, Vice President of Business Management, BASF Canada Agriculture Products.

Sweat said BASF is now developing hybrid wheat and also innovating new hybrids and traits in canola, which are both important crops for the Canadian market. The company is also focusing research on how climate affects the cropping system, which is important for Canada as the climate there is more dynamic than it is even in the United States.

Listen to Cindy’s interview with Jon here: Interview with Jon Sweat, BASF Canada VP of Business Management

2019 BASF Global Media Event Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, BASF

FMC Advice for 2020 Fall Preparation

Cindy Zimmerman

The record number of prevented plant acres around the country this year means a lot of weed fields for growers to manage this fall for the 2020 season.

FMC Technical Service Manager Drake Copeland says the problem is that some of those fields have already gone to seed. In this interview from the Farm Progress Show, Copeland shares some FMC advice on fall field prep this year.

Interview with Drake Copeland, FMC Technical Service Manager


AgWired Precision, Audio, Farm Progress Show, FMC, Video, weed management

Animal Ag Bites 9/30

Carrie Muehling

  • As of September 1, there were 77.7 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, up 3 percent from September 2018, and up 3 percent from June 1, 2019, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) wants to set the record straight when it comes to recent claims by the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM). NCBA CEO Colin Woodall assures members of the organization that NCBA does not use checkoff funds for lobbying or policy work. Read his complete response here.
  • The Meat Industry Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards Ceremony is coming up January 27, 2020. Co-located with the International Production & Processing Expo, this social event is the perfect way to kick off the week in Atlanta. Register today to help honor the Class of 2019!
  • Randy and Judy Acker of Acker Farms in Middleton, Wisconsin and Kyle Levetzow of Model Dairy Farms in Dodgeville, Wisconsin both will compete on Tuesday, October 2, in the standard corn silage category for the Annual World Forages Analysis Superbowl. Both farms work with Insight FS and submitted samples using InVISION DairySelect FS 61SX1 Hybrid.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

Ethanol Report on Crappie Masters Championship

Cindy Zimmerman

2019 has been another winning year for the partnership between ethanol and crappie fishing.

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) just wrapped up a third year as co-title sponsor of the Crappie Masters All American Tournament Trail with the national championship in Grenada, MS, concluding September 28. Missouri Corn Growers and the National Corn Growers Association have also both been closely involved with this event for many years.

In this podcast interview, RFA Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White talks about how they have working with this family-oriented fishing event has been for promoting the use of E10 in boat engines and how it is getting even bigger.

Ethanol Report 9-27-19

Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes

Audio, Corn, Ethanol, NCGA, Podcasts, RFA

Sustainable Cotton, Wheat Hybrids and More from BASF

Carrie Muehling

BASF continues to innovate in a number of agricultural spaces, including a sustainable cotton program. Working with Wrangler and other companies, products like blue jeans branded as “Rooted” can be documented as being grown through sustainable practices.

“All this cotton is grown by a system of documented sustainability which we help growers with. They, through a farm management system, record all their production steps that prove it is sustainable so therefore Wrangler can say that these were produced sustainably,” said Rick Turner, Sr. Vice President of seeds and traits, BASF.

The jeans are identified as “Rooted” on the front left pocket with the identification of the grower on the front right pocket. Turner said there are currently five growers in the program. BASF has a network of around 40 different apparel companies looking at these types of sustainability programs for cotton.

The company continues to make strides in other crops, as well, including wheat, canola and vegetables. Stronger hybrid programs for both wheat and canola are improving yields and making those crops more economically successful for growers. The company is also getting ready to launch a new, tearless onion, which could be game changing for consumers.

Listen to Cindy’s interview with Rick here: Interview with Rick Turner, BASF Senior VP Seeds and Traits

2019 BASF Global Media Event Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, BASF, Cotton, Vegetables, Wheat

Zimfo Bytes 9/27

Carrie Muehling

  • AGDAILY has launched a free and comprehensive guide to undergraduate agriculture education in the United States. Nothing like this is currently available to the tens of thousands of students who enter colleges and universities seeking to get a degree in one of the diverse array of agricultural programs offered.
  • Farm Foundation is pleased to announce that Shari Rogge-Fidler will be joining the organization as president and CEO.
  • American Farmland Trust is recognizing farmers markets that made an impact. After months of participation and voting from thousands around the nation, the markets that received the most endorsements from their communities and shared stories of their impact on their local food system now have their deserved spotlight. Visit markets.farmland.org to read more about the celebration and participating markets.
  • The Yield Lab Institute is proud to announce Brandon Day as the new Chief Operating Officer effective September 13th, 2019.
  • In conjunction with its Fall Legislative Fly-In earlier this month, National Farmers Union hosted its first Raising Voices event for young agricultural leaders. Thirty-three FFA and Professional Agricultural Student members hailing from 14 states traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in an educational session and gain hands-on advocacy experience.
  • This year’s class of HungerU ambassadors prepared to launch the college tour portion of the program during a day of educational presentations in Washington D.C. This year’s ambassadors, Tyheim Brown, Lona Strader and Meagan Miller, asked probing questions, showing intense interest in subjects from sustainability’s relationship to landownership to addressing the importance of ethanol in producing feed and fuel, during a multi-hour presentation by National Corn Growers Association Communications Director Cathryn Wojcicki.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, will accept applications for the 2020 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge through Oct. 14. Competitors can apply online at http://fb.org/aginnovationchallenge.
Zimfo Bytes

Japan Deal is Good for Grains and Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S.-Japan trade agreement signed by President Donald Trump this week “will solidify our longstanding partnership for the future and create a platform for growth into new sales and new sectors, including the potential for sales of U.S. ethanol,” according to the U.S. Grains Council (USGC)

Japan is one of the largest and most loyal U.S. corn customers, having bought more than $2 billion of U.S. corn in the most recent marketing year. It is an important market for food and feed barley and sorghum. And as a country looking to improve the environmental impact of its fuel, it is an important future market for U.S. ethanol products.

USGC chairman Darren Armstrong, a farmer from North Carolina, was on a grower panel at the BASF Agricultural Solutions Media Event this week and he talked about the impact that trade negotiations have had on farmers over the past two years, but said the Japan agreement and USMCA are bright spots in the picture, and so is ethanol.

“There are so many new markets that we can move ethanol in that would really use up a lot of corn, and that’s what we’re after,” said Armstrong.

This interview with Armstrong was done the day before the Japan deal was signed, but he said they were looking forward to it because Japan has been a good customer in the past and they were hoping to increase ethanol exports under the agreement.

Interview with USGC chair and NC farmer Darren Armstrong

BASF Ag Solutions Media Event photos

Audio, BASF, Ethanol, Exports, Grains, USGC

Ag Groups Cheer Japan Agreement

Cindy Zimmerman

Representatives for farmer and rancher organizations were present for a meeting with President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Abe in New York City as the two signed a trade deal Wednesday worth billions for U.S. agricultural producers.

Under the market access agreement, Japan will open the market to approximately $7 billion in American agricultural exports, eliminating or significantly lowering tariffs for U.S. beef, pork, poultry, wheat, cheese, wine, certain nuts and berries, cherries, ethanol, and more. “So it’s a tremendous trade deal. It’s a very big trade deal,” said President Trump.

Agricultural group leaders in attendance were invited by President Trump to make comments. While National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Jennifer Houston was busy testifying about the current state of the cattle industry before the Senate Agriculture Committee, President-Elect Marty Smith of Florida was speaking to the president on behalf of beef producers. “We asked for a level playing field, and you delivered that to us, and we thank you for that,” said Smith. “And it’s a great day too for, we think, for the Japanese people. This will enable them to buy more American beef, more American agricultural products.”

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said that farmers and ranchers are thankful for the new agreement “and what we need in the future is more agreements like this all around the world.”

National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President David Herring of North Carolina, said the agreement provides new opportunities for the 60,000 pork producers across the country. “We’ve seen market share declines in Japan, historically our largest value export market, since the start of the year when international competitors gained more favorable access through new trade agreements. Once implemented, the agreement signed today puts U.S. pork back on a level playing field with our competitors in Japan.”

The Japanese Parliament is expected to approve the agreement later this fall and it could be implemented as early as Jan. 1, 2020.

Listen to these comments and those from others present at the meeting below – watch it on the White House YouTube channel.
President Trump, farmers and ranchers on Japan deal

White House transcript

AFBF, AgWired Precision, Audio, Beef, Biofuels, Corn, Ethanol, NCBA, NPPC, Pork

Precision Ag Bytes 9/25

Carrie Muehling

  • Farm Market iD’s updated, in-season data now includes this season’s “lost acres”. In total, 17.4 million crop production acres have been lost in key broad-acre states compared to 18 million acres reported by USDA in the same states. Lost acres include fields and acres that are normally planted and now have a failed crop, were never planted or contain a cover crop.
  • New and emerging mycotoxins can now be analyzed by the Alltech 37+® Laboratory. In total, five new mycotoxins have been added to the testing panel, bringing the total number of detectable mycotoxins to 54.
  • SVG Ventures and Forbes announced SwineTech, an Iowa-based startup, and BinSentry, a Canadian-based startup, are both winners of the THRIVE Midwest Challenge and recipients of the 2019 THRIVE-Forbes Innovation Icon Award at the Forbes AgTech Summit in Indianapolis.
  • Registration is now open for AgGateway‘s Annual Conference, November 4-6 at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans. More information is available on AgGateway’s 2019 Annual Conference webpage, found under “Events” at www.AgGateway.org.
  • BRANDT, a leading manufacturer of agriculture specialty products, helped Randy Dowdy break the world record for soybean yield at 190.23 bushels per acre using BRANDT’s proprietary nutritionals. This surpasses his previous record of 171 bushels per acre in 2016.
  • The Yield Lab Institute announced Brandon Day as the new Chief Operating Officer effective September 13th, 2019.
Precision Ag Bytes