Basse was Back at #ASTACSS

Cindy Zimmerman December 5, 2018

Dan Basse, Ag Resource, returned to the ASTA 2018 CSS and Seed Expo for the 6th year in a row to deliver his insights on the intersection of economics and agriculture.

Some of Basse’s comments included:
Population growth slowing – 9 billion people now about 2054
When you look at population growth, it’s all about Africa
Black swan event for 2018 in grain markets was US trade sanctions on China
World debt record large, and growing
China ethanol production is global demand driver, expects they will start importing corn in 2021-22
US corn and soybean costs estimated to be 2-4% higher in 2019

“Our future is tied to unfettered trade throughout the world going forward,” Basse said. “I’m not trying to be political but free trade helps the world going forward.”

Listen to his entire presentation here:

ASTACSS18 Dan Basse, Ag Resource, presentation

In my interview with Basse, one of the questions I asked was what has changed most in the six years he has been presenting at ASTA CSS:
ASTACSS18 Interview with Dan Basse, Ag Resource

2018 ASTA CSS and Seed Expo

ASTA, Audio, Corn

Precision Ag Bytes 12/5

Carrie Muehling December 5, 2018

Raven Industries, Inc. announced the release of AutoBoom® XRT, the latest advancement in boom control.
Solinftec, a digital agriculture company that grew quickly in Latin America by making sugar cane and row crop operations more efficient, announced plans to establish operations at its U.S. headquarters near Purdue University to bring high-tech solutions to American farmers, creating 90 jobs in 2019 and up to 334 high-wage jobs by 2022.
Many farmers are considering the use of corn with the Enlist™ trait to control yield-robbing volunteer corn by applying a FOP herbicide in 2019.
AgXplore is pleased to introduce Microcoat™, a blend of five essential micro and secondary nutrients, including magnesium, sulfur, manganese, molybdenum and zinc, with a proprietary delivery package.
The Soil Health Partnership has tapped Dr. Maria Bowman, a notable and experienced agricultural and resource economist, for the new position of Lead Scientist.
AirBoard Inc. introduces AirBoard AGRO – an aerial platform for pesticide spraying in steep and mountainous vineyards. Built for pesticide and fertilizer spraying with a capacity of 60 liters, it is 50 times faster than manual spraying and twice as cost effective than using a helicopter service.
CNH Industrial N.V. has launched the AGXTENDTM brand, focused exclusively on aftermarket precision farming technology solutions.
BASF partners with the National Agricultural Aviation Association and presents “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” scholarships to support future aerial applicators. This year, Parker Gore of Cleveland, Mississippi, and Emory Lobley of Dalhart, Texas, receive scholarships of $5,000 each.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of Matthew J. “Matt” Lohr to serve as Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

Major Seed Companies after the Mergers

Cindy Zimmerman December 4, 2018

The past two years have seen major changes in the agricultural seed industry and some of the traditional companies have different names and different players. That’s why the “Majors after the Mergers” panel was a big hit at the ASTA 2018 CSS and Seed Expo this week.

Dan Basse, Ag Resource, moderated the panel which consisted of Jim Collins, Corteva; Scott Kay, BASF; Jeff Rowe, Syngenta; and Lisa Safarian, Bayer.

It was a long and very interesting panel, so we split up the audio into opening remarks and panel discussion.

Opening remarks ASTA Majors after the Mergers panel

ASTA Majors after the Mergers panel discussion

2018 ASTA CSS and Seed Expo

AgWired Precision, ASTA, Audio, BASF, Bayer, Seed, Syngenta

AMVAC Offers Smart Solutions for Growers

Carrie Muehling December 4, 2018

AMVAC has been growing its portfolio of products with a focus on giving growers more flexibility while still providing excellent crop safety. Products like Impact and ImpactZ herbicides have a wide window of application, from weed emergence up to 45 days before harvest.

“The last two seasons have been such that you’ve not had wide open spraying or planting windows,” said Jim Lappin, AMVAC crop marketing manager for corn and soy. “We believe Impact has set the standard for crop selectivity and gives you that confidence that regardless of the program I use, if I use a product like Impact I’m going to have that crop safety but yet I’m still going to get the performance I need on the key grasses and broadleaves.”

Lappin said AMVAC is again offering the Buy 2, Save 3 program in 2019, where growers who use a granular or liquid soil-applied insecticide along with Impact or ImpactZ hericide can save three dollars per acre on qualified products. Lappin was at the 2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention in Kansas City.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jim here: Interview with Jim Lappin, AMVAC

2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention Photo Album

AMVAC, Audio, Crop Protection, Herbicide, Insecticides

ZimmCast 604 – ARA Conference & Expo

Chuck Zimmerman December 4, 2018

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. Thank you to our sponsor, GROWMARK, Locally Owned, Globally Strong.

Last week the Agricultural Retailers Association held its annual conference and expo in Boca Raton, FL. Yes, that’s where you want to be this time of year. Once again ZimmComm worked with ARA to produce a virtual ag newsroom via our AgNewsWire service. So, in this week’s program I want to share a couple of interviews I hope you’ll enjoy.

The first one is with Melisa Augusto, ARA’s Director of Communications and Marketing. Melisa talks about her job and how she will be supporting the efforts of ARA’s new strategic planning initiative. She also offers some advice for people considering a career in agricultural marketing and communications.

Next in the program is one of the key sponsors of the ARA conference and expo – FMC. The company sponsored the charging station for all our mobile devices with a place to sit down and relax. I spoke with Christina Coen, FMC’s North America Marketing Director. We talked about what she is doing and one of her favorite marketing initiatives, the FMC Freedom Pass.

Besides these interviews you’ll find many more in the ARA Conference virtual ag newsroom. Just go to AgNewsWire.com to find it. All ag media are welcome to use the content rights and cost free.

That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 604 - ARA Conference & Expo

The ZimmCast

sponsored by

Locally owned, globally strong.

ARA, Audio, FMC, ZimmCast

FMC Focusing on Research & Development

Chuck Zimmerman December 3, 2018

FMC’s Hilary Winn, Communications Manager, spent a few minutes talking to me about the message for farm broadcasters at the NAFB Trade Talk session in Kansas City.

She says the acquisition of branded products from DuPont has been a smooth process and it’s hard to believe it has been a year now. More focus on research and development is also something that Hilary is excited about as are FMC customers. The company has several new products moving from discovery into development now.

You can hear more in the video below.

2018 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by

FMC, NAFB, Video

Animal Ag Bites 12/3

Carrie Muehling December 3, 2018

Six college students and three collegiate clubs from Oklahoma State University, University of Georgia, Mississippi College, Western Illinois University and Northwest Missouri State University are taking home scholarships for the holidays for being exceptional advocates for agriculture. To learn more about CAO, visit http://collegeaggies.animalagalliance.org.
Cargill is opening a new headquarters of its North American protein operations. The new state-of-the-art building was created as a destination to retain and recruit top talent and immerse customers in innovative culinary and food sensory experiences. The headquarters connects Cargill’s 800 Wichita-based employees with 28,000 additional colleagues across North America and more than three dozen protein production facilities in the U.S. and Canada.
Sanderson Farms, the third-largest producer of chicken in the U.S., announced this morning that it will eliminate the use of antibiotics considered medically important for humans for disease prevention in its live poultry operations. Sanderson is the last of the country’s four major chicken producers to move away from routine use of medically important antibiotics.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Kevin Kester issued the following statement in response to the signing of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA): “With the signing of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, U.S. beef producers are one step closer to knowing that unrestricted, science-based trade will continue in North America. The agreement brings the trading relationship with our neighbors into the 21st century – and clearly rejects the failed beef and cattle trade policies of the past. Open markets have helped U.S. producers flourish and created billion dollar markets for U.S. beef. We look forward to working with Congress to get USMCA passed into law as quickly as possible.”
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association will host its annual Poultry Market Intelligence Forum at the 2019 International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta.
Beef was a hot commodity in Lancaster, PA, at the area’s premier food festival, attracting consumers who enjoy the pleasures of eating and entertaining with food. The TASTE! Lancaster Festival of Food, Wine & Spirits 2018 welcomed nearly 8,000 guests to the Lancaster Convention Center on November 16 & 17. Chef Barry Strand, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, was on-site to demonstrate the new culinary craze of Beef Poke, sharing its trendy appeal to the millennial and foodie crowd.
Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin has named Suzanne Fanning as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Wisconsin Cheese.

AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

Biofuels Stakeholders React to Final RFS Rule

Cindy Zimmerman December 3, 2018

Most biofuels stakeholder organizations expressed disappointment in the final rule for required renewable fuel volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for 2019, and biomass-based diesel for 2020, released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday.

The rule maintains the 2019 conventional biofuels (corn ethanol) level at 15 billion gallons, while biomass-based diesel, advanced, and cellulosic categories all were increased slightly. However, the main disappointment comes from the agency declining to take any action on reallocating Renewable Identification Numbers (RINS) to make up for small refinery hardship exemptions granted by EPA.

Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor says they are pleased to see the final numbers were released on time by the November 30 deadline. “But the latest EPA rule is also a missed opportunity to correctly account for billions of gallons of ethanol lost to refinery exemptions,” said Skor. “Until these are addressed properly, we’re still taking two steps back for every step forward.”

Listen to or download Skor’s reaction here: EPA RVO final reaction from Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper is hopeful that means EPA is not intending to issue any small refiner waivers at all in 2019. “We urge Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler to faithfully and strictly enforce the 15-billion-gallon conventional renewable fuel requirement in 2019, rather than allowing the standard to be eroded through the use of clandestine small refiner waivers as former Administrator Pruitt did,” said Cooper.

Audio with Cooper here: EPA RVO final reaction from RFA CEO Geoff Cooper

American Coalition for Ethanol CEO Brian Jennings says not compensating for the gallons lost is causing real economic hardship for rural communities. “On paper, EPA appears to be resisting refiner demands to reduce conventional biofuel blending in 2019 below the statutory 15-billion-gallon level. However, in reality, as long as EPA fails to reallocate the over 2 billion gallons worth of blending obligations waived for ‘Small Refineries,’ renewable fuel demand will remain flat causing farmers and rural biofuel producers to continue suffering the consequences.”

Listen to Jennings’ comments here: EPA RVO final reaction from ACE CEO Brian Jennings

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) criticized EPA for continuing to set the advanced biofuel and biomass-based diesel volumes lower than what the agency acknowledges will be produced. “The industry regularly fills 90 percent of the annual advanced biofuel requirement. Nevertheless, the agency continues to use its maximum waiver authority to set advanced biofuel requirements below attainable levels,” said NBB CEO Donnell Rehagen. “The method is inconsistent with the RFS program’s purpose, which is to drive growth in production and use of advanced biofuels such as biodiesel.”

Listen to Donnell’s comments here: EPA RVO final reaction from NBB CEO Donnell Rehagen

ACE, Audio, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Ethanol, RFA

AGCO Presents 13th Operator of the Year at ARA2018

Cindy Zimmerman December 3, 2018

AGCO Corporation presented its 13th Annual Operator of the Year award to Jerry Born of Fairmount, North Dakota at the 2018 Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) Conference & Expo last week in Boca Raton, Fla. The award recognizes the value of the hard work professional applicators do caring for crops and customers across the country, as well as their involvement in their communities.

Along with the title, Born was presented with the grand prize, a new Harley-Davidson® motorcycle. “I’m still shocked. When they told me I was a finalist I thought no way this is real and then to be selected as the winner, I couldn’t believe it,” said Born. “Being an applicator allows me to be out in the country every day and see different terrain. It’s always something new.”

Professional applicators spend long hours in the field every season, using technologically advanced application machinery like a RoGator® or a TerraGator®, to accurately and efficiently apply fertilizer and crop protection products on millions of farm acres, helping farmers achieve their best possible yield.

Listen to the presentation here: ARA18 AGCO Operator of the Year

2018 ARA Conference & Expo Photo Album

AgWired Precision, ARA, Audio, Equipment

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