INDUSTRY DIRECTORY
June 29, 2015

Corn syrup's D.C. attack on sugar could hit Minn. beet industry

An unexpected declaration of war by corn syrup makers against sugar refiners in the nation’s capital will likely resonate in Minnesota’s Red River Valley.
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June 28, 2015
News

Agren introduces new sustainability solution for agribusiness

Agren, Inc., the leading provider of sustainability technology to agriculture, unveiled their three-tiered Sustainability Solution for ag retailers.
— Read More
June 27, 2015
News

Mahindra ad campaign highlights women in ag

Adding to the mix of the Come Rise With Us advertising campaign, Mahindra USA introduces a new spot focusing on the important role women play in agriculture and recognizing their contributions.
— Read More
June 26, 2015
News

Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages works!

One of the arguments the soldiers of Big Soda—and sometimes, their well-meaning compatriots—have used against taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages is that they won’t change consumer behavior.
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June 26, 2015
News

Owyhee Irrigation District increases its water allotment

The Owyhee Irrigation District has increased its 2015 water allotment to 1.6 acre-feet and the bleak irrigation situation facing farmers who get their water from the district has improved ever so slightly.
— Read More
June 25, 2015
News

Kinze announces layoffs; Deere brings some back

Farm equipment maker Kinze Manufacturing of Williamsburg, Iowa, is laying off 215 workers due to a slowdown in ag equipment sales.
— Read More
June 25, 2015
News

Monsanto still wants Syngenta

Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant is clear that the company still wants to acquire Syngenta.
— Read More
June 25, 2015
News

TAA on its way to president

The House passed Trade Adjustment Assistance.
— Read More
June 25, 2015
News

Experts: Dry soils will impede drought recovery

The ongoing drought has highlighted the need for increased water supplies in Oregon, but low soil moisture poses a major impediment to water storage, experts say.
— Read More
June 25, 2015
News

Washington plans shutdown of ag and ecology programs

If legislators haven’t passed a budget by July 1, the Washington State Department of Agriculture will suspend some services, while the Department of Ecology will stop almost all functions, including its drought response.
— Read More
June 24, 2015
News

Syngenta Drive to Thrive 10 finalists announced

Syngenta announced the 10 finalists in its Drive to Thrive contest.
— Read More
June 24, 2015
News

Syngenta’s Demaré on rejecting Monsanto offers

The chairman of Syngenta’s board of directors says the company is worth more than Monsanto’s offer, and Michel Demaré says there’s too much down-side risk.
— Read More
June 24, 2015
News

Senate approves TPA

The Senate has approved Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) by a vote of 60 to 38.
— Read More
June 24, 2015
News

Hood River Seed introduces new cover crop line

There are now new products on the market to help bring value to your crop.
— Read More
June 24, 2015

Coca-Cola to Expo Milano 2015

The Coca-Cola Corporate Pavilion built for Expo Milano 2015 celebrates the company’s tradition, in line with the Theme of the exposition Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.
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June 24, 2015
News

Hail causes damage in Idaho’s Pleasant Valley

Growers in the Pleasant Valley area of southeast Idaho say potatoes and sugarbeets are beginning to rebound from a June 15 hail storm, but wheat losses will be more acute.
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June 24, 2015
News

New Holland supports North America’s heroes

In honor of the bravery, service, and sacrifice of America’s and Canada’s military and first responders, New Holland has announced the expansion of the True Blue Salute Military and First Responder incentive program.
— Read More
June 24, 2015
News

National GMO labeling efforts gain bipartisan support

The House Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee held a hearing Thursday on the bipartisan H.R. 1599, Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, which aims to create a uniform, process-based national standard for labeling food products made with biotech ingred
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June 23, 2015
News

Underground water disappearing fast around the world

Underground aquifers around the world are being dramatically depleted of fresh water, according to two new studies by U.S. researchers.
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June 22, 2015
News

Researchers target glyphosate-resistant kochia weeds

Researchers are now certain that kochia weeds found growing in two sugarbeet fields in Eastern Oregon and Southwestern Idaho last year were resistant to glyphosate, the active ingredient in the popular weed killer Roundup.
— Read More
June 22, 2015
News

California farmers told to stop irrigating seek court order

Some California farmers say they face financial ruin under orders to stop pumping river water to irrigate their crops this summer amid the state’s relentless drought, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.
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June 22, 2015
News

State Department resumes issuing guestworker visas

After a nine-day delay, the U.S. State Department began issuing visas again for Mexican farmworkers stranded at the U.S.-Mexican border wanting to head north for jobs.
— Read More
June 22, 2015
News

Logger dies while topping tree in Washington

A self-employed logger from Ridgefield has died after he fell from a tree in the Castle Rock area.
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June 22, 2015
News

Woman bitten, knocked down in pig attack

A woman has been attacked by a pot-bellied pig in Nampa.
— Read More
June 22, 2015
News

FAA expects to clear U.S. commercial drones within a year

U.S. commercial drone operations could take flight on a large scale by this time next year, as federal regulators finalize rules allowing widespread unmanned aerial system use by companies, according to congressional testimony on Wednesday.
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June 22, 2015
News

Monsanto claims accelerated innovation by combining with Syngenta

Monsanto’s message to the agricultural industry, including farmers and ag retailers, is that its acquisition of Syngenta would lead to “accelerated innovation.”
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue
Phillip Hayes

Another Vote, Another Victory: Big Candy lobby fails to pass sugar amendment

During a focus group I observed earlier this year, the feeling that Capital Hill staff have about the 2014 farm bill became crystal clear.
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June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue
Sue Roesler

Beet Storage Pile Losses Cost Millions: MSU researchers seek better ways to manage beets

When sugarbeets are stored in piles, managing the beets is vital to prevent storage losses.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue

Crompion International Brings Sweet Solutions to Beet Industry

Sugarbeet producers spend precious time and resources each year performing grueling, expensive maintenance operations.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue
Laura Rutherford

Doing More With Less: Greater efficiency drives today's growers

The annual sugarbeet institute in North Dakota is a place where dreams come true, said Dr. Mohamed Khan, extension sugarbeet specialist and professor at North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue
Laura Rutherford

Idaho Family Shares Workload: Dry conditions pose concern this season

There’s no Xbox at the Samples farm in the Magic Valley of eastern Idaho.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue

Mitas Expands Tire Sizes

Mitas announces a range extension of its Agriterra 02 and Agriterra 03 flotation radial tires.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue

Pentair Launches Diaphragm

Pentair announces the launch of its Hypro 500 and 700 series poly diaphragm pumps.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue

Sugar is an Easy Target: Blaming sugar is an oversimplified approach to the complex problem of obesity

The dilemma of the low-hanging fruit has plagued mankind since the beginning of time.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue

Apply Now for "Taking Root" College Scholarship

In an effort to help bright and promising young students to fulfill their dreams of entering careers in the arboriculture industry, Arborjet is seeking applicants for its 2015 “Taking Root” Scholarship Program.
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June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue
Allen Thayer

Consumers Misunderstand GMOs

A market research company called the NPD Group conducted a survey of 2,100 primary grocery shoppers across the country to gather consumer attitudes and perceptions of Genetically Modified foods or GMOs.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue

EFC Buys Ag Junction Cloud Services Division

EFC Systems Inc., a leading provider of solutions for agribusiness retailers and wholesalers, has signed an agreement for the purchase of AgJunction Inc.’s Cloud Services division.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue

Farmers Edge Appoints Chief Product Officer

Farmers Edge announced the appointment of Patrick Crampton as chief product officer to assist in the leadership of the precision agriculture company’s product innovations.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue

Montag Introduces GEN II System

This new product provides agriculture producers a valid way to reduce costs.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue

New Solutions for Beet Growers

SipcamAdvan introduces Minerva and Minerva Duo, two new Cercospora Leaf Spot solutions for the 2015 sugarbeet season.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue

Spectrum SpecConnect Works With Any Crop

Spectrum Technologies introduces SpecConnect, an advanced web portal cloud solution for crop environmental monitoring using wireless networks.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue
Luther Markwart | Executive Vice President

U.S. Cane Refiners Appeal ITC Decision

On April 27th, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) granted standing to the Imperial Sugar Co. and AmCane Sugar LLC in the antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) cases filed last year against Mexico’s sugar industry.
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue

Women in Agribusiness Adds to Advisory Board

In support of its mission to develop leaders, increase industry knowledge and inspire action, the Women in Agribusiness Summit National Advisory Board added three new executives who exemplify these objectives through their leadership at their respective c
— Read More
June 20, 2015| Published in the June 2015 issue

YaraVita Procote Helps Yield

Yara North America introduces YaraVita Procote, oil-based micronutrient liquid suspensions that evenly coat each fertilizer granule. Procote is available in the elements zinc, copper, manganese, boron and their combinations.
— Read More
June 19, 2015
News

Healthy soil is underground insurance in extreme weather events

Healthy soil can protect us from drought and flood impacts, saving farms, rural communities and even the American agriculture industry, according to a new report from the National Wildlife Federation.
— Read More
June 18, 2015
News

NFU disappointed in TPA “end-around”

The U.S. House has passed the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill without Trade Adjustment Authority (TAA) and Chandler Ghoule, with the National Farmers Union, says NFU is disappointed.
— Read More
June 18, 2015
News

Crops and Weed Field Day at MSU Post Research Farm

This year the annual crops and weeds field day will be held at Montana State University's Post Research Farm, six miles west of Bozeman, on Tuesday, July 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
— Read More
June 18, 2015
News

USDA announces sugar tariff rate quotas for fiscal fear 2016

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the fiscal year 2016 raw and refined sugar tariff-rate quotas (TRQ), and an increase in the fiscal year 2015 specialty sugar TRQ.
— Read More
June 18, 2015
News

In-season nitrogen recommendations

Consistent and excessive rainfall can impact in-season nitrogen uptake.
— Read More
June 18, 2015
News

Vote to reconsider TAA is delayed

The House has decided to hold-off on reconsidering Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for a while.
— Read More
June 18, 2015
News

Cuba produces best sugar harvest in 11 years

Cuba's sugar harvest grew 18 percent this year to 1.9 million tonnes, the most for the beleaguered industry in 11 years and the best performance since the state sugar company Azcuba was founded in 2011, official media said on Friday.
— Read More
June 17, 2015

California water wasters beware: Drought shaming on the rise

Pssst. Ready to water that beautiful lush lawn of yours? The one that’s the envy of the entire neighborhood.
— Read More
June 16, 2015
News

ARC/PLC enrollment begins June 17

U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the enrollment period for the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs.
— Read More
June 16, 2015
News

California’s largest lake threatened by water transfer

Once-bustling marinas on shallow water in California’s largest lake a few years ago are bone-dry. Carcasses of oxygen-starved tilapia lie on desolate shores. Flocks of eared grebes and shoreline birds bob up and down to feast on marine life.
— Read More
June 15, 2015
News

Valley Irrigation launches new mobile website

As smartphones become more integral in farm management and increasingly prevalent among growers, it’s essential for agriculture companies to provide useful mobile tools.
— Read More
June 14, 2015
News

Washington climatologist already foresees warm winter

A strengthening El Nino suggests Washington will have another warm winter, possibly deepening the state’s drought, State Climatologist Nick Bond said Monday.
— Read More
June 13, 2015
News

San Francisco lawmakers try new tacks to curb soda drinking

San Francisco lawmakers are taking another stab at curbing soda consumption of sugary drinks seven months after local voters rejected taxing sugary drinks in the name of public health.
— Read More
June 12, 2015

Crystal Pepsi might be making a comeback

One man's quest for a Crystal Pepsi comeback has turned social media activism into soda media activism.
— Read More
June 12, 2015
News

Despite early planting, most beets made it through cold nights

By Thursday, May 21, Red River Valley sugarbeet farmers had a pretty good idea if they were going to have to replant.
— Read More
June 11, 2015
News

Farm exemption to paid sick leave bill rejected

The Oregon Senate rejected a last-ditch effort to exclude farms from a bill that requires employers to provide workers with paid sick leave.
— Read More
June 11, 2015
News

Idaho coping with "snow drought"

BOISE—Idaho water experts are using the term “snow drought” to describe the state’s water year to date.
— Read More
June 11, 2015
News

AFBF unhappy with WOTUS final rule

The most vocal opponent of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule is clear about its displeasure with that agency’s final draft.
— Read More
June 11, 2015
News

UI research tours to help growers weather weed, insect and disease issues

An explosion of weeds sparked by recent downpours across Idaho make this year’s University of Idaho Snake River Pest Management Research Tours in Kimberly and Aberdeen timely for farmers and others, said UI Extension weed scientist Don Morishita.
— Read More
June 11, 2015
News

Mother Nature gives farmers the cold shoulder

— Read More
June 10, 2015
News

Sugar beet co-op shows water quality improvements

The Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative is continuing to meet water quality objectives and even gaining some recognition for it.
— Read More
June 09, 2015
News

Oregon faces summer with little water to spare

If there were any doubt, the final snowpack report of the year from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service shows Oregon has little water to spare going into the height of summer.
— Read More
June 09, 2015
News

Farm Service Agency county committee nomination period begins June 15

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that the nomination period for local Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees begins Monday, June 15.
— Read More
June 09, 2015

Steady: Healthy food sales growing

A report from the Hudson Institute released today found that lower-calorie foods and beverages drove the bulk of sales growth for supermarket chains between 2009 and 2013, making up 59 percent of growth, compared to just 41 percent for their higher-calori
— Read More
June 09, 2015
News

Sugar does not make children hyperactive, claims psychologist

For any parent who has witnessed the manic mayhem of a children’s birthday party, it might come as something of a shock, but sugar does not make children more hyperactive, according to experts.
— Read More
June 08, 2015
News

CLA: Final WOTUS rule lacks clarity

CropLife America (CLA) is concerned that the final Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, renamed the Clean Water Rule, creates onerous, inconsistent standards that will reduce farmers’ ability to produce and will not advance clean water goals.
— Read More
June 08, 2015
News

Monsanto plots pricey Syngenta comeback amid skepticism

U.S. agrochemicals firm Monsanto Co and its advisers are working flat out to accommodate Syngenta's qualms about regulatory hurdles to a deal whose perils may well outweigh the rewards.
— Read More
June 08, 2015
News

Mobile farmers’ market brings produce to Boise neighborhoods

BOISE—The Boise Farmers Market is teaming up with the city of Boise on a program that will make fresh produce more affordable and available to people in low-income neighborhoods.
— Read More
June 08, 2015
News

PepsiCo looking to launch "craft" fountain sodas

PepsiCo is looking to launch a line of "craft" fountain sodas made with sugar in hopes of appealing to people who may shun big soda brands.
— Read More
June 07, 2015

All of Idaho in drought conditions

According to a United States Drought Monitor report, all of Idaho is now in a drought.
— Read More
June 06, 2015
News

Washington farmers, wildlife managers prepare for drought

With Washington state experiencing the worst mountain snowpack in decades and a drought emergency declared two weeks ago, farmers, growers and wildlife managers are preparing for a tough summer as conditions are expected to worsen.
— Read More
June 05, 2015
News

OTA asks for organic checkoff

The Organic Trade Association has petitioned USDA to create a national organic checkoff.
— Read More
June 04, 2015
News

Farmers could receive student loan forgiveness

A bill introduced into the House this week would include young farmers in the student loan forgiveness program.
— Read More
June 03, 2015
News

Idaho governor announces first-ever AgriTech summit

Gov. Butch Otter has announced a first-ever AgriTech summit, where leaders of Idaho’s agricultural and technology sectors will explore ways to work together to innovate and create jobs.
— Read More
June 03, 2015
News

Jackson County GMO ban litigation shifts gears

Litigation over the genetically engineered crop ban in Oregon’s Jackson County is now expected to focus on whether the government took farmers’ property without just compensation.
— Read More
June 03, 2015
News

Save date for 2015 Irrigation Show

The Irrigation Show & Education Conference will make waves in California this fall, so plan to join us in Long Beach, Nov. 9-13!
— Read More
June 02, 2015
News

Opposition to the WOTUS rule going strong

Although members of congress and agricultural industry groups admittedly have not fully digested the nearly 300-page Waters of the U.S. rule issued May 27 by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers, opposition to the rule was i
— Read More
June 02, 2015
News

Webinar to assist potential applicants for conservation funding

An upcoming webinar on the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) will help potential applicants as they seek available funding.
— Read More
June 01, 2015
News

Sen. Donnelly disappointed with EPA ruling

Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly says he’s disappointed with EPA’s final ruling on the Clean Water Rule (formerly Waters of the U.S.).
— Read More
June 01, 2015
News

New York considering GMO labeling

New York’s state Legislature is the latest to consider a GMO-labeling bill.
— Read More
June 01, 2015

UI readies to host state FFA gathering

University of Idaho agricultural education faculty expect a record turnout of more than 900 FFA members on the Moscow campus Tuesday through Friday, June 2-5, for state career development events.
— Read More