Following a mediation scheduled months ago by the parties, Koch Agronomic Services, LLC and Eco Agro Resources LLC jointly announced an agreement that settles litigation between the companies. The parties have been engaged in litigation since 2014 concerning claims brought by KAS with respect to one of its patents and counterclaims brought by Eco Agro. Financial and other terms of the agreement are confidential and were not disclosed.
Full Release here.
Agri-Pulse Open Mic this week features Jeff Swanhorst, chief credit officer for AgriBank.
Lower farm income is already affecting farm balance sheets and raising concerns about operating loans. This interview includes tough questions and straight answers on the sufficiency of the new farm bill and crop insurance to help farmers manage risk, the outlook for farmland prices, and how lower commodity returns could force a shift in crop acreage. Jeff Swanhorst says the industry has entered an ag efficiency cycle that will likely include further producer consolidation.
Click here to listen to Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Jeff Swanhorst, AgriBank.
Fifty agricultural trade associations, farmer co-ops and agribusinesses want the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enforce buy American provision when it comes to school lunches. After an investigative report showed some school districts were spending tax dollars on imported Chinese canned fruit, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives urged Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to strengthen enforcement of the “Buy American” provision for participants in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
“Our organizations are deeply concerned that the Buy America Act requirements of the National School Lunch Act are not being adequately monitored and enforced,” the groups wrote to the Secretary. “Our concerns were amplified with the Sacramento City Unified School District’s recent acknowledgement that they have been purchasing canned peaches, pears and applesauce from China. Since there is currently no transparency regarding school purchases of imported products, we must assume there are other districts throughout the country purchasing imported food products.”
Secretary Vilsack and the Department should focus on ways in which the Buy American provision can be better enforced. Suggestions included more closely monitoring procurement specifications and contractor performance.
You can read the full letter here.
Back by popular demand for the fifth year, AgResource Company president Dan Basse presented his economic outlook for agriculture at the opening general session of the ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo on Tuesday.
In his fact-filled 90 minute presentation, Basse talked about a “world awash in grain” with record global wheat and soybean crops and second largest corn crop. “We were very impressed with the last crop year,” said Basse. “When you look at the kind of flooding we had in Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri and to then come up with a record U.S. soybean yield…is really testament to the seed genetics and agronomic benefits that we now have.”
With too much grain, however, has come lower prices for farmers and 2015 saw the biggest drop in farm income since 1932, and Basse expects grain and livestock prices to remain relatively cheap. “In fact this will be the first period since the 1970s in which net farm income in the U.S. will slump for three consecutive years,” he said. “So it’s not a very rosy picture – all farmers can do is somehow manage their costs to the best of their ability.”
As far as the seed industry is concerned, Basse noted that for farmers “seed is like their first born son.”
“All of us go to the fields every spring and we have high optimism for yields and production and profitability,” he said. “The one thing everyone can agree on is that genetics in seed has been a tremendous advantage over the past couple of years … so the investment that we farmers make in seed will probably continue.”
Lots more in this interview with Dan: Interview with Dan Basse, AgResource Company
ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo Photo Album
and 
The American Agricultural Editors’ Association has created the perfect stocking stuffer. The AAEA Professional Improvement Foundation is offering a desktop calendar featuring beautiful, award-winning photographs. Each photograph comes with its backstory printed behind the page.
The calendar is provided as a “thank you” gift for new and renewing members. Additional copies may be purchased for $14, shipping included. Proceeds support the work of the Professional improvement Foundation.
For more information about the 2016 calendar, contact Den Gardner at the AAEA office –aaea@gandgcomm.com or phone: 952/758-6502.
Palm Desert, CA is a place you really have to want to go to. It is beautiful but can take some effort to travel to. But apparently a lot of Agricultural Retailers Association members really wanted to attend their annual conference. According to Daren Coppock, ARA President/CEO, attendance was strong. Much stronger than they even hoped for.
In my last program we got a preview of the ARA Conference & Expo. This week Daren gives us the wrap-up. One of the highlights on the social agenda for the conference was the Pinot & Politics ARAPAC fundraiser. This dinner and wine tasting included a silent and live auction. My favorite auction item (I lost) was a day with Daren as my employee. I think that’s a very cool idea and he went for some big money compared to my budget.
In our wrap-up Daren discusses ARA legislative priorities as well as services and benefits the organization brings to its members.
The Conference Wrap-up is here: Daren Coppock, ARA President/CEO
Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here.
Brian Manolovits, ag operator for Wilbur Ellis hailing from Mott, N.D., was selected as the 10th Annual Operator of the Year. Manolovits earned the top honor at the 2015 Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) Conference and Expo held Dec. 1 through Dec. 3 in Palm Desert, California.
“I am honored to be selected as AGCO’s Operator of the Year from among so many top operators across the country,” stated Manolovits. “I work hard at my job and enjoy it, but I never expected to be recognized like this.”
With nine years of application experience, Manolovits typically applies about 20,000 acres each year. However, this year he successfully completed 30,000 acres in just three months. He serves as the head of the Environmental Health and Safety program at his branch and continuously goes above and beyond expectations.
Manolovits , who owns a motorcycle of his own, received a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle as part of the grand prize package, and his nominator, Derek Mayer of Wilbur Ellis, will receive 100 hours free use of either an AGCO TerraGator® self-propelled high-flotation applicator or RoGator® self-propelled sprayer.
“AGCO Operator of the Year winners are outstanding leaders in the industry and deserve to receive as much recognition as possible for all that they do. Without them, farmers would have a difficult time achieving high yields with their busy schedules,” stated Conor Bergin, tactical marketing manager of AGCO Application Equipment. “This year, we received a lot of great nominations for outstanding operators, and it was a tough decision. Brian works hard to make sure that everything is applied precisely and his equipment is maintained and in good working order to ensure precision. He continually strives to do his best at work, at home, and in the community.”
Manolovits is a member of the Mott Volunteer Fire Brigade, serving as the training officer, helped organize the Pee Wee football program in his community, and has organized several motorcycle ride benefits for families going through difficult times. He also was a member of the North Dakota National Guard for more than nine years and served 15 months overseas in Operation Iraqi Freedom II.
The Operator of the Year program was designed to recognize custom applicators in North America who spend hundreds of hours in the field every year, operating sophisticated equipment, like a RoGator or a TerraGator, to apply fertilizer and crop protection products on millions of acres of crops.
To hear more of Chuck’s interview with Brian: Interview with Brian Monolovits, Operator of the Year
Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What’s your opinion of EPA rule for biofuels volumes?”
Last week the EPA released a final rule for biofuels volumes under the Renewable Fuels Standard for 2014-2016, which increased the obligations for refiners to use ethanol, biodiesel and advanced or cellulosic biofuels. It looks like voter opinion is all over the place. Many still fill the increase in levels wasn’t enough and others think it was a good compromise.
Here are the poll results:
Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, Do we need any more gun control laws?
The latest Islamic terrorist tragedy which occurred here in the United States is being used by many politicians to call for more gun control. But do we need it? According to a CNN story about a Pew Research study gun homicides have declined drastically in the last twenty years. Coincidentally, gun ownership is way up. When we are “at war” with terrorism does it make sense to reduce gun availability for law abiding Americans? What about our constitutional rights? The rhetoric seems to be at a fever pitch with lots of misinformation floating around on social media. Of course that’s nothing new to those of us involved in agriculture!
This soybean grower is not using the LibertyLink system (yet). But when he listens to Cindy on Bayer CropScience’s LibertyLink Real Yield Radio it has him thinking. Real Yield Radio is the radio portion of the current Bayer CropScience campaign airing nationally.
The grower is Greg Anderson, Nebraska soybean grower and industry leader. Greg is currently serving on the National Biodiesel Board and Nebraska Soybean Board. I visited with Greg during the recent NAFB convention in Kansas City where I learned that he was really enjoying Real Yield Radio. He says he has heard, “literally dozens of farmers” talk about their success with LibertyLink soybeans. He likes to insert his voice over the farmer’s voice when he answers questions to voice his answer. When it comes to trying Liberty Link soybeans himself he says, “I think Cindy will talk me into it.”
You can listen to my interview with Greg here: Greg Anderson, NE Soybean Grower
Sponsored Post
Bill Tomson is being welcomed to the editorial team at Agri-Pulse. He will be working with the firm as a contributing editor.
Tomson has been writing for Politico, covering food and agricultural issues. Prior to that he was employed by Dow Jones and worked as a reporter for their flagship publication, the Wall Street Journal. Tomson’s career began in the 1990s in Sao Paulo, Brazil where he covered the massive expansion in soybean production.
“Bill is an experienced writer and loves to break news as well as dig into complex topics,” said Agri-Pulse Editor Sara Wyant. “We are delighted to have him on board as we continue to expand our editorial coverage.”
Tomson earned his bachelor’s in journalism from Central Michigan University. Originally from D.C., he now lives in northern Virginia with his wife, Marica, and daughter Chloe.
