Industry Ag News 3/21

Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the appointment of Dr. Jaye L. Hamby as the Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). As Director, Dr. Hamby will lead USDA’s efforts to advance agricultural innovation, community outreach, and fostering the next generation of agricultural leaders.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that starting on March 19 farmers can apply for the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program. Corn growers are eligible for the program with a payment rate of $42.91 per acre for the 2024 crop year.
  • Stine® Seed Company is proud to announce that March 27, 2025, will be officially proclaimed Women in Agriculture Day in Iowa. For the sixth consecutive year, Stine has helped secure a proclamation honoring the contributions and accomplishments of women in agriculture. This year’s proclamation recognizes the more than 50,000 women leading, managing operations and making key decisions across Iowa’s 85,000 farms and those whose impact extends far beyond the farm. These women excel in agribusiness, research and development, education, international trade, advocacy, and community engagement, shaping Iowa’s agricultural success.
  • Bayer announced the opening of a new maize seed facility in Kabwe, Zambia. Through the 32-million-euro facility alongside further investments in organization and the grower network, Bayer triples its existing capacity for high-quality maize seed production in the country in 2025.
  • Kenny Kuhn has joined Stratovation Group as Vice President of Insights. He will play a pivotal role in expanding the firm’s capacity in agricultural marketing and stakeholder research, consulting and strategic communications.
  • CNH announces the appointment of Cameron Batten as Chief Communications Officer effective March 31, 2025. Mr. Batten will join the Company’s Global Leadership Team (GLT), which is empowered to carry out the fast and effective delivery of CNH’s strategic priorities for profitable long-term growth.
  • The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) announced the results of a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) showing significant progress in the sustainability of U.S. wheat production. The study highlights substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, water usage, land use, and soil erosion on a per-bushel basis over the past several decades.
  • The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture announced the hiring of Logan Moss as Associate Director Public Policy. As Associate Director, Moss will lead NASDA’s Animal Agriculture and Natural Resources and Environment Policy Committees.
  • Farm Credit Administration Board Member Vincent Logan will retire from federal service effective March 31. Mr. Logan was appointed to the board by President Joseph Biden on Oct. 3, 2022, and was named chairman a few weeks later, on Oct. 21. He led the agency as board chairman and CEO until Jan. 20 of this year.
  • Farm and ranch families from across the nation donated 34.8 million pounds of food and raised $658,606 to help fight hunger and assist in other community service outreach in 2024 through Farm Bureau’s “Harvest for All” program. Combined, the monetary and food donations totaled the equivalent of 29 million meals.
  • The application window is now open to apply for 2025 NAFB Foundation scholarships. This year, the NAFB Foundation will offer five $7,500 college scholarships and one $10,000 scholarship (the latter sponsored by the Robert E. & Patricia A. Schmidt Foundation). Applicants must be a college junior, senior, or graduate student for the fall 2025 semester and enrolled in or transferring to an agricultural communications curriculum. Strong consideration will be given to candidates with concentration and/or application in broadcast media (includes internet/online media distribution). Applications for 2025 scholarships are due Monday, June 2, 2025. No late applications will be accepted.
  • Global demand for food, feed, fiber and fuel continues to grow, meaning that innovative solutions have never been more important for agriculture. To clearly represent the value that we deliver, Crop Protection and Seeds are uniting under one brand – Nufarm. Nufarm will continue to deliver through specialized Seeds and Crop Protection teams, bringing innovation across multiple categories while maintaining depth of expertise. Nuseed moves forward as Nufarm, operating the Seeds platform, while the Crop Protection platform continues to supply solutions to its full range of segments, spanning broad acre and specialty crops, vegetation management, turf and ornamentals.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    USDA Farm Production and Conservation Leaders Announced

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Key presidential appointments to the USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area were announced today.

    Brooke Shupe Appleton is already serving as the Deputy Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. Previously, she served as Vice President of Public Policy for the National Corn Growers Association. She spoke in place of Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins Tuesday during National Ag Day at USDA.

    Bill Beam will serve as the Administrator for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) within Farm Production and Conservation. Bill is from Elverson, Pennsylvania where he owns and operates Beam Farms Inc. with his family.

    Pat Swanson will serve as the Administrator for the Risk Management Agency (RMA) within Farm Production and Conservation. Most recently, Pat has served as a director for the American Soybean Association (ASA) and completed her term on the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board.

    Aubrey Bettencourt will serve as Chief of the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Aubrey is a prominent leader in agriculture, water, and sustainability, most recently serving as the Global Director of Government Relations and External Affairs for Netafim, an Orbia Company. Bettencourt spoke on a panel at the Agri-Pulse Ag and Food Policy Summit earlier this week on the topic of transforming agriculture productivity through AI and new technologies.

    Aubrey Bettencourt

    “I think one of the great things that you heard from every panelist was we have to be driving innovation in tech for ag from the farmer back up,” said Bettencourt during an interview at the event. “I think that bottom up influence, the power of data as these new technologies come on board, making sure the farmers are armed with that data in the marketplace and in the regulatory space is going to be really, really important and something I’m very passionate about because these are voluntary investments farmers are making to produce more with less inputs on less land as we’ve seen the continued decline of productive agricultural land. If we want to see a stable food system and food security in the United States we’re going to have to figure out how to grow more with less.”

    Aubrey Bettencourt, Netafim 4:03

    Ag Day, Ag Groups, Agri-Pulse, Audio, USDA

    Feeding the Economy Report

    Cindy Zimmerman

    In conjunction with the National Ag Day celebrations this week, 36 food and agriculture groups released the ninth annual Feeding the Economy report, a farm-to-fork study of the entire agricultural supply chain that analyzes the economic contributions of one of America’s most essential industries to U.S. jobs, wages, economic output, and taxes.

    The 2025 report confirms the agriculture industry is at the heart of the U.S. economy, generating more than $9.5 trillion in economic value, which amounts to 18.7% of the overall national economy. While these findings highlight the enormous impact of the agriculture industry, this is a modest decrease compared to 2024, when agriculture contributed more than $9.6 trillion to the economy, about 20% of total economic output.

    The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture was one of the many organizations that support the annual report. “The annual Feeding the Economy report alongside National Ag Day illuminates the essential contributions of farmers, ranchers and all food producers, driving economic growth and stability for the entire nation,” NASDA CEO Ted McKinney said.  

    McKinney was at the Agri-Pulse Ag and Food Summit in Washington D.C. this week where we got a brief interview with him.
    Ted McKinney, NASDA 3:33

    Ag Day, Ag Groups, Audio

    Precision Ag News 3/20

    Carrie Muehling

  • Save the date for the Soil Health Institute’s 10th Anniversary Meeting Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in St. Louis, Missouri, where we’ll exchange ideas, spark new collaborations, and shape the future of soil health.
  • The Renewable Fuels Association submitted formal comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Energy and Environmental Policy regarding the interim rule on Technical Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agriculture Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstocks. RFA commended USDA for its efforts to support climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and emphasized the importance of policies that empower farmers while ensuring a robust and efficient renewable fuels market.
  • The fifth cohort of Cultivo® Virtual Academy hosted by America’s Cultivation Corridor® launched on Feb. 18, 2025. Nine companies from the United Kingdom will participate in the six-week virtual program with sessions facilitated by Iowa business and university leaders. The ground-breaking program provides entrepreneurs with mentorship and interaction with Iowa’s agricultural leaders and a curriculum focused on U.S. market entry, regulatory and financing systems, and customer perspectives.
  • National Farmers Union announced the launch of the Farmers Capital Fund, a $25 million investment initiative dedicated to supporting early- and growth-stage companies that accelerate agricultural productivity while advancing the economic success of family farmers and ranchers.
  • Agmatix, a leading provider of AI-powered agronomic solutions, announced a strategic collaboration with BASF, one of the world’s largest chemical and agricultural solutions companies, to develop a cutting-edge digital solution for detecting – and predicting – the presence of soybean cyst nematode (SCN). This collaboration started through AgroStart, an open innovation and partnership platform by BASF, that aims to empower soybean growers with real-time, scalable insights to mitigate yield losses caused by SCN, one of the most damaging and often invisible soybean pests.
  • As leaders in agrochemicals and AgriTech meet in Shanghai at the 2025 China International Agrochemical and Crop Protection Exhibition (CAC), Clariant has unveiled its next-generation solutions for biologicals and innovative approaches to sustaining plant health by optimizing soil water management.
  • With the market for agricultural drones and related farm-level services rapidly expanding, Stratovation Group is launching a farmer-centric research study to cut through the hype and deliver the farmer perspective on drone adoption, trusted advisors, challenges, and opportunities.
  • Pivot Bio, one of the world’s leading innovative agtech companies, announced that it has launched a new product in its line of innovative ag solutions for growers in the U.S. Pivot Bio PROVEN® G3 will join the company’s notable Pivot Bio PROVEN® 40 nitrogen-fixing solution, which has been successfully used by growers on millions of acres to date. PROVEN G3, the company’s third-generation nitrogen solution for corn, will be commercially available in 2026, pending state registrations. This marks a major advancement in nitrogen innovation, as PROVEN G3 is the first PROVEN product with multiple modes of action and significant benefits to American farmers, who work hard to feed, clothe and fuel the world.
  • Indoor Ag-Con, Inside Grower magazine and presenting sponsor BPGrower.com are proud to announce the winners of the inaugural CEAs — Cultivating Excellence Awards. This prestigious new awards program was designed to recognize and celebrate excellence, innovation, and leadership within the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) sector, spotlighting achievements across three categories Operational Excellence, Good Stewardship, and Product Innovation.
  • Syngenta, leader in technology and innovation in agriculture, and PepsiCo, global leader in food and beverages, are working in collaboration with the aim of boosting regenerative and traceable agriculture in the food industry value chain in a transparent and verifiable way. During the first year of joint work, Syngenta provided PepsiCo with 4,000 tons of sunflower oil from fields of farmers in the province of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis and Santa Fe, who applied regenerative agriculture practices.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Celebrating Ag Day Every Day

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Old and young alike celebrated National Agriculture Day yesterday in the nation’s capitol with the theme “Together We Grow.” The annual event at the start of spring brought together students interested in agriculture careers and those who have been in the industry their entire lives, like American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall.

    “The future lies in the the lives of these young people who are here today and the innovation and hard work that they’re going to bring back to the farms so that we can continue to be sustainable,” said Duvall. “Let’s celebrate National Ag Day every day, every time we pick up a fork or spoon to enjoy something. Let’s think about some hard working farmer. He or she works so hard to provide that for us and for our families.”

    2025 Ag Day Zippy Duvall remarks 18:44
    2025 Ag Day Zippy Duvall interview 5:07

    The student panel discussion for National Ag Day included:
    Taylor Rogers, National Grange Youth Ambassador
    Lance Williams, AFA advisor
    Caroline Groth, FFA Eastern Region Vice President
    Matias Habib, National 4H

    Listen to their conversation here:
    2025 Ag Day Student Panel Discussion 19:42

    2025 National Ag Day Activities Photo Album

    AFBF, Ag Day, Audio

    National Agriculture Day at USDA

    Cindy Zimmerman

    It is officially National Agriculture Day in Washington D.C. and leaders across the industry are gathered to celebrate this morning at the USDA.

    Deputy Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Brooke Appleton greeted attendees at the department Tuesday morning with the news that Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins would be making a big announcement.

    “Secretary Rollins will be announcing that USDA is expediting up to 10 billion dollars in direct assistance payments through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program for the 2024 crop year,” said Appleton. “That means relief is coming and farmers will have the resources necessary to manage rising expenses and secure financing for next season. President Trump and Secretary Rollins have made it clear we are cutting through the red tape and getting these payments out the door as quickly as possible. Farmers and ranchers need certainty, and we’re making sure they have it so you can focus on what you do best, feeding, clothing and fueling America.”

    2025 Ag Day - remarks from Brooke Appleton, USDA 5:52

    Ag Day, Audio, USDA

    Animal Ag News 3/17

    Carrie Muehling

  • The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), in collaboration with the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and North American Renderers Association’s (NARA) research arm the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF), announced a new report that quantifies the amount of feed consumed by America’s major livestock, poultry and aquaculture species. In 2023, U.S. livestock, poultry and farmed aquaculture consumed approximately 283.6 million tons of feed, according to the IFEEDER report.
  • After more than a decade of innovation labs that have helped feed the world and improve global food systems in partnership with the U.S. federal government, Kansas State University will suspend the operation of its two current Feed the Future Innovation Labs on April 12. Due to the recent federal transition, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service issued stop-work orders in late January on various grant funded projects, which included Feed the Future Innovation Labs and other international projects at several land-grant universities across the U.S. Under these and other federal orders, related grant-funded research at these universities was paused, including at K-State. In late February, many stop-work orders became grant terminations, pausing or suspending various research on crop resilience and other projects.
  • Kendall Snyder, North Carolina State University, was awarded the Frank Perdue Scholarship Student of the Year during the USPOULTRY Foundation College Student Career Program, held in conjunction with the 2025 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE). This scholarship pays tribute to Frank Perdue’s commitment to mentoring young individuals pursuing careers in the poultry industry. Perdue was a dedicated supporter of the College Student Career Program, actively participating in student interviews for many years. Ella Taylor and Matthew Hughes, both from Auburn University, were recognized in second and third place.
  • The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) elected new officers and board members to lead the organization through the 2025-2026 term. These seasoned leaders will continue to advocate for policies benefiting U.S. pork producers, ensuring the industry’s growth, sustainability, and resilience on a national level.
  • The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is proud to announce the induction of Dr. Howard Hill into the NPPC Hall of Fame during the 2025 National Pork Industry Forum (NPIF). This prestigious award recognizes individuals who have dedicated their lives to advancing the pork industry.
  • Applications are being accepted for college scholarships that are awarded by America’s dairy farmers and importers through the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB). Eleven scholarships worth $2,500 each will be awarded, in addition to a $3,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship to one outstanding recipient. NDB funds, in part, Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff program. Applications can be found at dairycheckoff.com/about-us/scholarship.
  • Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative will once again offer $10,000 in secondary education scholarships to its membership, the cooperative announced. Edge is proud to award the children of its members who exemplify the voice of milk through their education, career aspirations and future goals. Two $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to current students pursuing a degree in a four—or two-year program, and three $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors. The application portal will remain open until April 18, and applications must be submitted by that date.
  • The National Milk Producers Federation announced the creation of the Dr. Peter Vitaliano Legacy Scholarship as part of the National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program. The award will be used to help support a student who demonstrates attributes exemplified by Dr. Vitaliano to honor his longtime commitment to the success of U.S. dairy producers and cooperatives.
  • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association‘s (NCBA) Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart issued a statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) release of guidance for implementing the “continuous surface connection” definition under the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule: “For years, NCBA has worked across the federal government – educating members of Congress, participating in agency rulemakings, and fighting for cattle producers in federal court – to secure a WOTUS definition that protects both our nation’s natural resources and Americans’ property rights. We are proud of the Trump Administration’s effort to further conform the WOTUS definition to the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA. Today’s guidance is an important step toward refocusing the Clean Water Act to its original purpose. NCBA thanks EPA Administrator Zeldin for his work to finally close a decades-long chapter of severe regulatory whiplash.”
  • One of the most widely consumed proteins in the world, goat is gaining traction in the U.S. market. Goat from Australia – the main supplier of goat meat to the U.S. – is high in protein, low in fat and cholesterol, free range, Halal certified and has no added hormones or antibiotics – key claims sought by a growing number of Americans. Thomas Foods International (TFI), USA, the leader in the goat meat market, will highlight its growing portfolio of goat products, including brand-new, value-added options, at the Annual Meat Conference (AMC), March 24 – 26 in Orlando. The protein’s expanding availability from TFI, a trusted supplier of proteins to U.S. retail and foodservice, furthers goat’s desirability as an in-home and out-of-home culinary option.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Industry Ag News 3/17

    Carrie Muehling

  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. have announced their continued work on the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and are committed to releasing the final Guidelines ahead of its statutory deadline of December 31, 2025. Moving forward beyond 2025, HHS and USDA are looking to make holistic process improvements to ensure transparency and minimize conflicts of interest.
  • With the March 17 deadline approaching for farmers to purchase crop insurance for spring seeded crops like corn and soybeans, National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) released results of a near-record year in 2024. Farmers and ranchers spent more than $6 billion from their own pockets in 2024 to purchase 2.4 million crop insurance policies, which provided $159 billion in protection against weather and market losses, according to NCIS. Nationwide, 543,753,123 acres of farm and ranchland were covered in 2024 – or nine out of 10 eligible acres. That’s up dramatically from just five years ago, when fewer than 379 million acres were insured.
  • According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, corn is expected to pull acres from soybeans, spring wheat, cotton and grain sorghum when the spring planting season gets under way. Corn prices have been buoyed by tight global stocks, strong export demand and record ethanol production. Profitable feeding margins in the livestock and poultry sectors are also supporting corn demand.
  • Since about 60 percent of U.S. Soy is exported, predictability of delivery to international customers remains top on the list. To maintain our competitive advantage, U.S. agriculture relies on dependable bridges, open highways, accessible railroads and usable waterways. Receiving this year’s Tom Oswald Legacy Award from the United Soybean Board is Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC). He’s spent nearly 20 years improving the integrity of America’s infrastructure, ensuring U.S. soybean farmers can drive demand in the international marketplace.
  • The American Soybean Association recognized Gunnar Lynum, president and CEO, SMD Products Company Inc., with its top honor during an awards ceremony at the Commodity Classic trade show in Denver.
  • Meister Media Worldwide has been named a regional finalist in five categories for the Azbee Awards of Excellence for editorial content. The American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) announced the finalists on March 11, which included MMW brands American Vegetable Grower, CropLife Media Group, and Greenhouse Grower recognized for content innovation, state of the industry coverage, special issue coverage, podcast feature and single topic coverage.
  • The National Cotton Council (NCC) recently recognized Thomas Smith, a former NCC president and chairman of the board, with the Oscar Johnston Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024. In addition, Larry McClendon, a former chairman and vice chairman for the National Cotton Council received the 2024 Harry S. Baker Distinguished Service Award. They were honored at the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) 2025 annual meeting last month in Dallas, Texas.
  • National Farmers Union (NFU) honored former U.S. Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa with the 2025 Award for Meritorious Service to American Agriculture, its highest distinction, at the opening banquet of the 123rd Anniversary Convention.
  • At National Farmers Union’s (NFU) 123rd Anniversary Convention, the organization awarded KC Sheperd of Radio Oklahoma Ag Network with the 2025 Milt Hakel Award for Excellence in Agricultural Journalism.
  • The United States Peanut Federation (USPF) leaders combined advocacy with service during their March 2025 Washington, D.C. Fly-in. The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC), in conjunction with USPF, proudly partnered with Peanut Proud, the peanut industry’s humanitarian relief organization, to donate 5,760 jars of peanut butter to serve the Nation’s Capital and surrounding areas. This donation was made to recognize and celebrate National Peanut Month in March.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    Pivot Bio Unveils PROVEN G3

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Agtech leader Pivot Bio just launched a new product in its line of innovative ag solutions for growers in the U.S.

    Pivot Bio PROVEN® G3 joins the company’s Pivot Bio PROVEN® 40 nitrogen-fixing solution, which has been successfully used by growers on millions of acres to date. PROVEN G3, the company’s third-generation nitrogen solution for corn, will be commercially available in 2026, pending state registrations. Corn farmers had a chance to learn about the new product at the recent Commodity Classic in Denver.

    “Built to enhance our industry-leading and proprietary gene-edited nitrogen-fixing technology, PROVEN G3 adds an exclusive microbe blend that increases nutrient uptake and nitrogen-use efficiency. PROVEN G3 consistently drives improved nitrogen production, seamlessly enhancing farmers’ current nitrogen programs and yield potential,” said Ryan Van Roekel, Ph.D., commercial agronomy leader for Pivot Bio.

    “Pivot Bio realizes every farm presents unique challenges, including varying soil types, field conditions and nutrient-management approaches,” said Van Roekel. “PROVEN G3 was designed by some of the top scientists and agronomists working side by side with growers to adapt to these differences, allowing farmers to customize timing and placement to maximize efficiency, productivity and profitability across their diverse acres. As a weatherproof and most efficient source of nitrogen per pound, PROVEN G3 seamlessly integrates into current fertility programs.”

    Listen to an interview with Ryan Van Roekel from Commodity Classic.
    Classic 25 - Ryan Van Roekel, Pivot Bio 3:09

    2025 Commodity Classic Photo Album

    AgWired Precision, Corn, Precision Agriculture, Soil, Technology

    Ireland Ambassador Kicks Off Agri-Pulse Summit

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Ireland’s Ambassador to the United States Geraldine Byrne Nason kicked off the annual Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit at the National Press Club this St. Patrick’s Day morning in Washington, D.C., welcoming all celebrating her country’s national holiday.

    “As we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we’re also reminded that the story of Irish and American agriculture is also entwined,” said Nason, who was in the Oval Office last week when Ireland’s premier Micheal Martin presented President Trump with a bowl of shamrock. She stressed the importance of trade relations between the two countries.

    “Ireland remains committed to the principles of free trade, which have underpinned our economic success,” she said. “We believe that free trade brings economic opportunities, creates well-paid jobs, fosters innovation and builds economic resiliance. And that’s all done, as we see it, best with certainty and a degree of forward planning within the framework of a rules-based international trading system. And we will continue to work with our colleagues, certainly at the European level and with the government here in the United States, to advocate for fair and free trade for agricultural communities.”

    Irish Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason 13:14

    Agri-Pulse, Agribusiness, Audio, Exports, Trade