Industry Ag News 9/26

Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it is awarding $8.3 million in funding to help 11 U.S. recipients address trade barriers and expand international market access for U.S. specialty crops. The funding is provided through USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, which manages the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program. TASC helps U.S. specialty crop producers combat trade barriers, as well as promote and sell their goods internationally.
  • FAPRI-MU has released a report entitled Impacts of Selected Agricultural Provisions of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”. It is now available on https://fapri.missouri.edu.
  • The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) is proud to announce Dr. David L. Ortega, Professor and Noel W. Stuckman Chair in Food Economics and Policy at Michigan State University, as the recipient of the 2025 Borlaug CAST Communication Award (BCCA).
  • Mary Kay Thatcher, one of the nation’s foremost authorities on agricultural policy and advocacy, has joined Stratovation Group’s Board of Advisors. In her advisory role, Thatcher will provide strategic counsel through her unique public policy and grassroots advocacy lens. She continues to lead her own independent, professional consultancy business, advising organizations and clients navigating the intersection of agricultural policy, public affairs, and stakeholder engagement.
  • Three people responsible for making major contributions to the past, present and future of American agriculture – former USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, pork industry innovator Wendell Murphy and antique tractor preservationist Michael Hinton – will be inducted into the National Agricultural Hall of Fame on Oct. 23 at the National Agricultural Center in Bonner Springs, Kansas.
  • Citing near-record production costs in a low-price environment, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) recently launched a task force to identify solutions to bring costs more in line with today’s commodity prices. Corn growers nationwide are in the third consecutive year of net negative returns, with 2026 projected to be the fourth year of negative returns.
  • Cross Plains Solutions and the United Soybean Board were on hand as SoyFoam™ was honored with the prestigious Green Chemistry Challenge Award for its ability to deliver high-performance firefighting power while reducing hazardous substances, conserving resources, and supporting a more sustainable, cost-effective future. Check out the video now!
  • The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is proud to share that Commissioner Amanda Beal has been elected by her peers to serve as the 2025–2026 President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), a role that underscores both her leadership and Maine’s growing voice in shaping the future of American agriculture.
  • The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) released The Harvest Economy, a new economic impact study highlighting the vital role the U.S. grain and feed industry plays in powering jobs, tax revenues, and economic growth across America.
  • A new report commissioned by the Corn Refiners Association shows changes in state food labeling laws could cost consumers billions of dollars and hit budget conscious consumers the hardest. According to the analysis, out-of-pocket expenses faced by consumers could increase by $2,200 per household in Texas and $900 per household in Louisiana.
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    GreenLight Bio Launches RNA-Based Treatment for Varroa Mites

    Cindy Zimmerman

    GreenLight Biosciences is pleased to announce the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) registration of NorroaTM, the first-ever nature-based treatment specifically designed to combat varroa mites, the leading threat to honey bee colonies.

    The registration comes at a time when data from the Honey Bee Health Coalition reveals staggering honey bee colony losses of 1.7 million colonies and commercial beekeepers sustaining an average loss of 62% between June 2024 and March 2025. USDA researchers have discovered this alarming trend is related to the declining efficacy of existing miticides as varroa mites have developed resistance to once reliable chemical treatments.

    “The EPA registration of Norroa marks a pivotal moment in protecting honey bee colonies that are essential to our food system,” said Andrey Zarur, Chief Executive Officer, GreenLight Bio. “By harnessing the precision of our proprietary technologies, we’re providing beekeepers with an environmentally conscious solution that specifically and effectively targets one of the most devastating threats to honey bee health.”

    Norroa’s active ingredient, vadescana, leverages RNA interference (RNAi), a natural biological process that precisely targets varroa mites and ultimately stops their reproduction. It is part of the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee‘s (IRAC) Group 35, offering beekeepers a brand-new mode of action in the fight against these mites. The nucleic acids in the product are found in nature, and vadescana breaks down quickly in the environment.

    Varroa mites can double their population every 30 days and have evolved resistance to many chemical treatments. Without significant intervention, experts warn of dire consequences for U.S. agriculture, which relies on honey bee pollination for more than 100 crops valued at an estimated $20 billion annually.

    Norroa will be available for sale exclusively through Mann Lake Ltd. and its authorized dealer network. Beekeepers and agricultural professionals can learn more at norroa.com.

    AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Bees, pollinators

    Ag Secretary at Ag Outlook Forum

    Cindy Zimmerman

    U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins headlined the 11th annual Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City this week, highlighting how the Trump Administration is taking action to address the crisis in American agriculture.

    Rollins outlined the administration’s five point plan to help farmers and ranchers. “Number one, prioritizing farmers by delivering relief. Eight weeks into my tenure as Secretary, we rolled out the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, the ECAP, which is helping farmers recover from the economic hardships of 2024….and today, I’m excited to announce that the remaining $2 billion of ECAP funding will be delivered within the week.”

    Rollins’ second point is working to drive down farmer input costs. “To that end, USDA and the Department of Justice signed a memorandum of understanding…to protect American farmers and ranchers from the burdens imposed by a high and volatile input costs, such as feed, fertilizer, fuels, seed equipment, and other essential goods, while ensuring competitive supply chains, lowering consumer prices, and the resilience of U.S. agriculture and the food supply. The antitrust division of DOJ will work hand in hand with USDA, effective immediately, to take a hard look and scrutinize competitive conditions in the agricultural marketplace, including antitrust enforcement that promotes free market competition.”

    The third point is expanding markets, including through new trade agreements. “The Philippines and South Korea, for the first time, opening their markets to our ag products. The EU, finally, amongst other things, agreeing to address restrictive non-tariff barriers on American pork and dairy. Indonesia, removing 99% of tariffs on American exports, including for all agricultural products. Japan, where I’ll be next week, agreed to increase U.S. rice imports by 75% and spend $8 billion in American agricultural products…And of course, reaching the deal with the UK where we were last week, committing some great ethanol business that will move into effect very quickly (and) better access for our American beef.”

    The fourth point is strengthening domestic demand and new uses for biofuels, and fifth, secure and protect U.S. farmland. In addition, Rollins gave an update on the New World Screwworm in Mexico and the cattle inventory issue. “We are developing a robust plan to revitalize and diversify the U.S. beef industry alongside our great partners in that industry,” said Rollins. “But to be clear, and there’s been a lot of speculation about this in the news in the last couple of days, we have no current plans to offer any payment to beef producers. We see how the government getting involved can completely distort the markets. And so currently there will be no plan, no plan is even under consideration to insert ourselves through payments into the beef cattle industry.”

    Listen to Rollins’ full comments at the event presented by the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and Agri-Pulse here:
    USDA Sec. Brooke Rollins at KC Ag Outlook Forum (35:04)

    Agri-Pulse, Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio

    ADM and Alltech Form Animal Feed Joint Venture

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Two global agribusiness leaders – ADM and Alltech – signed an agreement this week to launch a North American animal feed joint venture, bringing together their decades of experience to create new advantages for customers.

    Alltech will contribute its U.S.-based Hubbard Feeds and Canada-based Masterfeeds businesses, including 18 feed mills in the U.S and 15 in Canada, and ADM will contribute its 11 U.S. feed mills. The joint venture will be majority-owned by Alltech and governed by a board with equal representation from each parent company.

    “As the animal nutrition industry continues to reshape itself to support a growing global population, Alltech and ADM are bringing together passionate teams, proven products and shared values to ensure enhanced advantages for our customers,” the companies said in a joint statement. “We’re evolving with purpose to offer an industry-leading range of products and solutions for livestock, equine, backyard and leisure animals.”

    ADM and Alltech have a longstanding relationship, tracing back to ADM being Alltech’s first customer. The new venture will offer an opportunity to align their complementary North American feed strengths, including the expertise of their teams, extensive manufacturing capabilities, deep experience in nutrition science, and well-recognized and respected existing product portfolios. The venture will be supported and strengthened by the parent companies’ leading-edge technology and R&D, broad logistical capabilities, and connections across the broader ag and feed value chains.

    AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Animal Health, Feed

    Precision Ag News 9/23

    Carrie Muehling

  • Registration is now open for the 37th Independent Professional Seed Association Annual Conference set for January 12–14, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. This year’s theme, SHIFT, is all about moving perspectives, strategies, and innovations forward in the independent seed industry. Click here to register.
  • Corn growers will soon benefit from more accurate species data that helps guide EPA’s new pesticide strategies. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is working with experts to submit new “core maps” to the EPA that show where endangered species are actually found today, not everywhere they’ve ever been seen.
  • New Holland was a winner at the 2025 Agritechnica Innovation Awards, receiving two silver medals for its Corn Header Automation and ForageCam™ – both industry-first technologies. These awards recognize the most innovative industry solutions and will be given out this November at Agritechnica, the world’s leading agricultural trade fair in Hanover, Germany.
  • Syngenta Vegetable Seeds and Heritable Agriculture announced the signing of a collaboration to harness artificial intelligence (AI) technology to determine the best vegetable varieties to offer growers. Leveraging historical data on geographical conditions and crop trialing, Heritable will use AI-tools with Syngenta’s global product portfolio, with the goal of better predicting the best-performing commercial varieties in different regions to ensure growers have the best possible product offering from Syngenta.
  • Intelinair, a leading provider of AI-powered crop intelligence, announced that it has been named the winner of the 2025 IoT AgTech Advancement Award by IoThinkTank for its innovative AGMRI platform.
  • Now in its 43rd year, Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is proud to welcome 12 new corporate members to our growing coalition of leading organizations and changemakers. They join CTIC’s coalition of 50+ member organizations, partners, and individuals who are working toward our shared mission to accelerate the adoption of conservation management practices across America’s farmlands.
  • At the Bio Innovations Midwest Event in Omaha, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) announced the winners of the Consider Corn Challenge V and the $300,000 prize pool. Three winners were chosen, each with a unique way to improve a product or process using corn to produce biobased materials.
  • Farmers put in long hours and endless dedication to feed and support their communities, and Shell Rotella is proud to spotlight these farmers with the fifth annual SuperTractors competition. Coinciding with National Farmer’s Day, the virtual event invites farmers across North America to share photos of their most impressive tractors for a chance to win prizes and recognition. Inspired by the long-running Shell Rotella SuperRigs® truck beauty contest, SuperTractors has become an exhilarating way to showcase the pride farmers take in their equipment and work. From September 15–25, farmers across North America can enter their unique farm equipment in the SuperTractors competition for a chance to win $250, 10,000 MyMilesMatter points, and a custom Shell Rotella-branded Carhartt jacket. To participate, farmers can submit a photo along with a brief explanation of why their tractor deserves to win at super-tractors.mymilesmatter.com/peopleschoice.
  • Keystone Cooperative, Inc. is proud to announce the full acquisition of the Whitesville Fertilizer Hub located in west-central Indiana. Previously operated as a joint venture between Keystone, its predecessors, and CHS Inc. for the past 14 years, this strategic move marks a significant milestone in Keystone’s commitment to enhancing service and value for its farmer-owners.
  • Biobest’s new portable mite and insect dispenser, the Entomatic™ Handheld, is engineered for precision, speed, and user comfort – offering growers an efficient new tool for targeted biological applications. Developed in partnership with Hortiworld, the Entomatic™ Handheld has been designed for use in confined or irregular growing environments. Its compact and ergonomic design makes it ideal for linear crops such as strawberries, greenhouses with narrow paths or rolling benches, ornamental nurseries with variable layouts, and small-scale operations ranging from high-tech facilities to low-tech systems.
  • John Deere will showcase its next generation of autonomous and precision ag technologies at FIRA USA 2025 October 21-23 in Woodland, California,. From orchard tractors to intelligent spray systems, John Deere is helping growers tackle labor challenges, reduce input costs and increase efficiency, all while improving productivity and profitability.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Intelinair Wins 2025 IoT AgTech Advancement Award

    Cindy Zimmerman

    AI-powered crop intelligence provider Intelinair has been named winner of the 2025 IoT AgTech Advancement Award by IoThinkTank for its innovative AGMRI platform. The award annually recognizes companies shaping the future of connected technologies that deliver measurable impact at the field level.

    “AGMRI is a category-defining, data-rich platform that clearly demonstrates how IoT and AI can drive better, faster, and more sustainable decisions in agriculture,” said Jordan Hayes, IoThinkTank Awards Coordinator. “Intelinair has delivered a solution that brings true operational clarity to the farm, and we’re proud to recognize them as the 2025 IoT AgTech Advancement Award winner.”

    AGMRI provides growers with field-level insights to make timely, informed decisions that protect yields and optimize resources. By integrating advanced IoT and AI technologies, the platform enhances efficiency and sustainability across farming operations.

    “This award underscores the impact AGMRI delivers in shaping on-farm decisions,” said Tim Hassinger, CEO of Intelinair. “By not only identifying issues but also revealing how factors like planting dates, hybrid selection, and input timing influence yield, our platform enables growers and ag retailers to fine-tune strategies and achieve stronger, more consistent results.”

    AgWired Precision, AI, Precision Agriculture, Technology

    Animal Ag News 9/17

    Carrie Muehling

  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced eligible livestock producers will receive disaster recovery assistance through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program for 2023 and 2024 Flood and Wildfire (ELRP 2023 and 2024 FW) to help offset increased supplemental feed costs due to a qualifying flood or qualifying wildfire in calendar years 2023 and 2024. The program is expected to provide approximately $1 billion in recovery benefits. Sign-up begins on Monday, September 15. Livestock producers have until October 31, 2025, to apply for assistance. A list of approved counties is available at fsa.usda.gov/elrp.
  • CattleCon 2026 registration, sponsored by Merck Animal Health, is open! Register early for best hotel selection with CattleCon’s housing blocks. Register here.
  • J. David Carlin, senior vice president of legislative affairs and economic policy for the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), recently announced his plans to retire at the end of 2025 following nearly four decades in leadership positions across the food and agriculture sector, including 11 years with IDFA. The association has begun a national search for Mr. Carlin’s successor to lead IDFA’s Government Relations team.
  • More than 100 pork producers from 20 states traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to call on Congress to deliver an urgent legislative fix to California’s Proposition 12, which is driving up costs for consumers, threatening small family farms, and disrupting interstate commerce. During their time on Capitol Hill, producers met with Members of Congress and staff to share firsthand accounts of how Prop. 12’s costly requirements are forcing sweeping changes across the pork supply chain. Producers emphasized that without federal action, family farms will be left behind, and pork prices could continue to rise. As part of the fly-in, the National Pork Producers Council rolled out a food truck on Capitol Hill, serving breakfast to lawmakers, staff, and media. Branded with the message “Breakfast is Essential. So is Fixing Prop 12,” the truck spotlighted how a patchwork of state laws, spurred by Prop. 12, threatens affordable access to everyday staples like bacon, ham and sausage.
  • The organizations within the Voice of Milk — Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, Dairy Business Association and Minnesota Milk Producers Association — along with Farmers for Sustainable Food have embarked on a new strategic plan to provide more relevant, reliable and innovative programs and resources to their members and other stakeholders.
  • The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) and American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) are excited to welcome two new staff members who will support both organizations in their respective roles. Yuan-Tai Hung, Ph.D., joins the IFEEDER team as the senior manager of research, and Marisa Halbstein joins the communications team as the marketing and program development specialist.
  • The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have started the process to rescind the illegal, Biden-era “Public Lands” rule. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) challenged the rule in a 2024 lawsuit because it violated the multiple use mandate and would have paved the way for the federal government to remove family ranching operations and other uses from these working lands.
  • The International Poultry Welfare Alliance (IPWA) invites students from aroundnthe world to submit their original research for the 2026 Student Award of Excellence, a competition designed to showcase innovation and leadership in poultry welfare.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has opened applications for spring 2026 semester internships in the association’s Colorado headquarters and Washington, D.C. office. Internships are available for public policy, producer education and sustainability, and meetings and events. All internships run from January to May 2026 and are paid positions. Applications are due by October 6, 2025. For more information and to apply, please visit ncba.org and click on the careers tab.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    California Rancher Kevin Kester Remarks at Republican Press Event

    Chuck Zimmerman

    House Republican Conference Press EventNCBA Past-President and California rancher Kevin Kester, spoke at a House Republican Conference press event yesterday on the importance of the One Big Beautiful Bill for America’s cattle farmers and ranchers. Kester thanked House Leadership and President Donald J. Trump for securing tax relief and Farm Bill provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill. The items Kester speaks to include the estate tax exemption, the death tax, the Section 197A of the Income Tax Act and 199A, as well as some farm bill provisions and the funding of conservation programs. He says that all these have helped keep his ranch viable and is good for the environment, ranchers and for tax payers.

    Kester was joined at the press conference by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and Congressman Tony Wied. California ranchers and NCBA members Tony Toso and Mike Williams, along with Iowa cattle producer Eythan Blair attended the press conference as well. You can find the full event here. Kester spoke after Congressman Wied.

    You can listen to Kester’s remarks here: Kevin Kester, California Rancher Remarks at Press Event (1:44)

    Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, NCBA, politics

    Syngenta Cropwise AI

    Carrie Muehling

    Those attending the 2025 Farm Progress Show had the opportunity to learn more about Cropwise AI from Syngenta.

    “It’s like putting a Rolodex of agronomic information about our products right in the palm of their hands,” said Justin Welch, head of agronomy for Syngenta Seeds.

    The uniqueness is around predictive product placement that will help service providers to recommend products that will best serve their customers. This technology helps protect the performance of products with real time answers to questions that will arise throughout the course of the growing season.

    “This is an integrative farm management technology platform that offers tools and services that enable you and your advisors to optimize your operation. You’re going to boost efficiency across the operation. It’s going to help you track field observations and react to economic challenges, but really it’s more than that,” said Kirt Durand, Syngenta North American Digital R&D Manager. “Cropwise is designed to allow you to make timely management decisions across your operation.”

    Durand said there are well established tools already available to growers, but the effort will be ongoing as Syngenta enhances and further develops Cropwise AI.

    Syngenta Seeds Agronomy Head Justin Welch – Cropwise AI
    FPS25 Interview with Justin Welch, Syngenta Seeds (4:36)

    Syngenta North American Digital R&D Manager Kirt Durand – Cropwise AI
    FPS25 Interview with Kirt Durand, Syngenta (4:13)

    AgWired Precision, AI, Audio, Farm Progress Show, Syngenta

    Industry Ag News 9/16

    Carrie Muehling

  • Corn production is up, while soybean and cotton production is down from 2024, according to the Crop Production report issued by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Corn production is up 13 percent from last year, forecast at 16.8 billion bushels; soybean growers are expected to decrease their production 2 percent from 2024, forecast at 4.30 billion bushels; cotton production is down 8 percent from 2024 at 13.2 million 480-pound bales.
  • More than 260 agriculture organizations, representing constituencies in all fifty states and Puerto Rico, signed a letter urging Congress to further support America’s farmers and ranchers through the passage of a Farm Bill 2.0.
  • Kim Chipman, an award-winning journalist with more than two decades of experience covering markets, companies, policy and politics with Bloomberg News, is joining Agri-Pulse as congressional editor.
  • The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) welcomes Brandon Pachman as the organization’s new Director, Government Affairs. Pachman joins ASTA from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, where he served as a Legislative Analyst.
  • National Farmers Union (NFU) concluded its annual Legislative Fly-In, which brought more than 250 family farmers and ranchers to Washington to meet with members of Congress and demand quick, decisive action to reverse the crisis in farm country.
  • Farm Credit Bank of Texas, a cooperatively owned wholesale bank for agricultural and rural financing, announced that chief executive officer, Amie Pala, has decided to retire after 38 years of dedicated service to the bank. Pala has agreed to remain in her role as chief executive officer as long as necessary to ensure a smooth and effective transition to her successor.
  • Join Colson Steber, Co-CEO of Ag Access, as he shares groundbreaking insights into the power of emotional intelligence in food marketing. The National Agri-Marketing Association webinar is called Shaping Tomorrow’s Plate: Driving Market Leadership with Emotional Intelligence Research in Food Marketing and it is scheduled for September 25, 2025 11 a.m. central. Register here.
  • Keystone Cooperative announced that Kevin Still has informed the Board of Directors of his intention to retire as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1, 2026. The Board has initiated the search for the next CEO and will consider highly qualified candidates from both within and outside the organization. Until a successor is appointed, Mr. Still will continue to lead Keystone, overseeing its strategic direction, profitability, and growth. Once a successor is named, Mr. Still will work closely with the new CEO to ensure a smooth and effective leadership transition.
  • Denali, the nation’s leading recycler of organics, announced that it collected and transformed organic materials into 12 billion pounds of high-quality agriculture-grade products, which helped build resilience for American agriculture, supporting healthy soils, nourishing livestock, and reducing dependency on synthetic fertilizers, according to its 2024 Sustainability Report.
  • From its roots in China to commercial fame in New Zealand, kiwifruit has landed in Clanton, Ala. where researchers are now digging into its potential as a specialty crop. Kiwifruit is a high-value specialty crop with great potential to work for Alabama commercial fruit producers or even small-scale cultivation. Jay Spiers, Auburn University associate professor in horticulture leads the project and has high hopes for the future of kiwifruit production in the state.
  • Sixteen farmers were recently recognized by the University of Georgia Peanut Team for their high yielding peanuts in 2024. The high yields ranged from 4,145 to 6,095 pounds per acre. The winners were recognized at a dinner in August which was sponsored by the University of Georgia Peanut Team, the Georgia Peanut Commission, American Peanut Shellers Association, National Peanut Buying Points Association, AMVAC, Bayer, BASF, Fine Americas and Nichino America.
  • Illinois Agri-Women has established the “Generations of Women in Agriculture Across America” event and awards. This nationwide initiative will honor three families involved in production agriculture and the agriculture industry for three or more generations. Monetary awards of $5,000, $2,500, and $1,000 have been established to recognize the remarkable family legacy of the best three families respectively based on their application scores.
  • Prominent national leaders in food and agriculture, including Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden, will speak at the 11th Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City Sept. 24-25. In addition, we’ve invited Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas to discuss the Make America Healthy Again movement.
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