INDUSTRY DIRECTORY
May 31, 2016
News

Culver’s “Scoops of Thanks” raises $56,500 to support ag

More than 550 Culver’s restaurants across 23 states sold over 48,000 scoops of Fresh Frozen Custard during the second annual Scoops of Thanks Day on May 5, raising $56,500 for agricultural education.
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May 31, 2016
News

New Holland hires brand marketing communications manager

New Holland announced the addition of Francesca Vaughn as its new brand marketing communications manager, effective May 31.
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May 31, 2016
News

Farm Credit institutions consider merger

Three major farm credit institutions in the Midwest are considering joining forces.
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May 31, 2016
News

Government allotments, co-op structure control sugarbeet acreage

Idaho sugarbeet acreage is on the decline.
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May 30, 2016
News

Sugarbeet producers struggle with soil crusting after fast, hard rains

Spring weather can be a challenge for producers.
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May 29, 2016
News

Meatless burger bleeds beet juice

It was the steak dinners, Ethan Brown says, that changed his life.
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May 28, 2016
News

Sugar’s bad for Coca-Cola’s business

Now is not a great time to be in the sugar business.
— Read More
May 27, 2016
News

Knowledge and beliefs on GMOs vary

A new study says consumers don’t know as much about the facts of GMOs as they think.
— Read More
May 27, 2016
News

House Republicans look to cut funding for EPA

A funding bill released by House Republicans looks to cut regulatory funding for the Environmental Protection Agency.
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May 27, 2016
News

FDA views evaporated cane juice as sugar

The Food and Drug Administration said that in its view sweeteners derived from sugarcane, including those derived from sugarcane syrup, should not be called “evaporated cane juice” on food labels.
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May 26, 2016
News

Don't get trapped in a bad machinery lease

As wallets tighten, farmers are opening themselves to new options to manage their costs, such as leasing machinery.
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May 25, 2016
News

April new business volume down 12 percent

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25) showed its overall new business volume for April was $7.3 billion, down 12 percent from new business volume in April 2015.
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May 25, 2016
News

NDS announces rebranding of Agrifim and Flo Control products

NDS Inc., a leading manufacturer of stormwater management, landscape irrigation and water flow management products and solutions, announced the rebranding of its Agrifim and Flo Control products as NDS, effective immediately.
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May 25, 2016
News

Sweetener buyers want to import more raw cane sugar

The nation’s major sweetener buyers and some members of Congress are asking USDA to increase the import quota on raw cane sugar, arguing there’s been a shortage of conventional sugar to meet the growing demand for products free of genetically modified ing
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May 24, 2016
News

Monsanto to reject Bayer bid, seek higher price

Monsanto Co. will reject Bayer AG's $62 billion acquisition bid and seek a higher price, two people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
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May 24, 2016
News, Video

Pentair helps advance sustainable water reuse

The WateReuse Association, Water Environment & Reuse Foundation, and Pentair, a global leader in creating sustainable water solutions, have come together to help advance the development of sustainable agricultural practices by highlighting innovative farm
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May 24, 2016
News

Senate GMO labeling bill will need House support

The ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee says the GMO labeling bill being worked on in the Senate needs to be similar to the legislation passed in the House last year.
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May 24, 2016
News

USDA to increase raw cane sugar imports

Concerned about an inadequate supply of conventional sugar to meet demand of food processors, USDA has increased its quota for imported raw cane sugar by 200,000 tons.
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May 23, 2016
News

Stabenow and Roberts working GMO labeling?

Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow says she and Senate Ag Committee Chairman Pat Roberts have finally sat down to talk about GMO labeling.
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May 23, 2016
News

Bayer defies critics with $62B Monsanto offer

German drugs and crop chemicals group Bayer has offered to buy U.S. seeds company Monsanto for $62 billion in cash, defying criticism from some of its own shareholders in a bid to grab the top spot in a fast-consolidating farm supplies industry.
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May 23, 2016
News

NAS reaffirms safety and benefits of GMOs

The National Academy of Sciences has released (yet another) report reaffirming the safety and benefits of GMO crops.
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May 23, 2016
News

As Big Candy ditches GMOs, sugarbeet farmers hit a sour patch

Sugar, you might think, is just sugar, no matter where it comes from. But not anymore.
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May 22, 2016
News

Group offers website to help new Oregon producers

Friends of Family Farmers, an Oregon nonprofit that supports small-scale and beginning producers, will soon have a new website that will help farmers find land, advice and other support.
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May 21, 2016
News

EPA water quantity report worries farm groups

Agriculture groups are nervous that a “technical report” released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be used to justify new federal controls over water usage.
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May 20, 2016
News

ITC study predicts #TPP benefits for farmers

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) this week released a report on the expected impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on various industries and agriculture fares especially well.
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May 20, 2016
News, Video

Bayer takeover of Monsanto would be a game-changer

Bayer’s potential acquisition of Monsanto would create a giant seed and farm chemical company with a strong footprint in the U.S., Europe and Asia, combining two businesses with complementary geographical focus.
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May 20, 2016
News

The Sugar Association Statement on FDA's 'Added Sugars' Declaration

The Sugar Association is disappointed by the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) ruling to require an "added sugars" declaration and daily reference value (DRV) on the Nutrition Facts Label (NFL).
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May 20, 2016
News

ASTA has some concerns about new GE crop study

The National Academy of Science report confirming the safety of GMO crops is welcome, but the American Seed Trade Association is concerned with another part of the study.
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May 19, 2016
News

Sweet Irony: The environmental impacts of GMO sugar science denial

Candy companies are caving in to consumer demands that the sugar they consume does not come from a GMO plant.
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May 19, 2016
News

Market shift to non-GMO sugar loss for environment

Dan Charles says that US sugarbeet farmers “are thinking about going back to growing non-GMO beets.”
— Read More
May 19, 2016
News

Major Bayer investor "deeply concerned" about move for Monsanto

A top investor in German chemicals company Bayer said he was "deeply concerned" about a potential acquisition of U.S. rival Monsanto, and would prefer the firms to agree a joint venture or a nil-premium merger.
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May 19, 2016
News

U.N. committee finds glyphosate unlikely to cause cancer

The herbicide glyphosate, sold by Monsanto in its Roundup weed killer product and widely used in agriculture and by gardeners, is unlikely to cause cancer in people, according to a new safety review by United Nations health, agriculture and food experts.
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May 19, 2016
News

USDA to join U.S. panel reviewing ChemChina's Syngenta deal

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has agreed to join the U.S. government panel that is reviewing state-owned ChemChina's planned $43 billion acquisition of Swiss seeds and pesticide maker Syngenta AG, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.
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May 19, 2016
News

Verification side of food labeling debate

As the issue of food labeling garners more attention, a food policy advocate says third-party verification should continue to play a role.
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May 18, 2016
News

GMO study conflict of interest addressed

Food and Water Watch, a national advocacy group, accuses the National Research Council of conflict of interest in its new report on GMO crops.
— Read More
May 18, 2016
News

NRC finds no GMO health concern

A comprehensive study of genetically engineered crops shows no evidence of negative human health effects from consuming those crops.
— Read More
May 18, 2016
News

Despite non-GMO trend, sugarbeet growers will grow record crop

U.S. sugarbeet growers are expected to reap a record harvest next year, undeterred by a trend among some food manufacturers to favor their competitor, cane sugar that's not genetically modified (non-GMO), the government forecast on Tuesday.
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May 18, 2016
News

Judge strikes down GMO ban in Oregon’s Josephine County

The prohibition against genetically engineered crops in Oregon’s Josephine County has been struck down by a judge who ruled the ordinance is pre-empted by state law.
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May 18, 2016
News

Bayer eyeing Monsanto for possible mega-merger

Bayer AG is exploring a potential bid for U.S. competitor Monsanto Co. in a deal that would create the world’s largest supplier of seeds and farm chemicals, according to people familiar with the matter, reports Ruth David, Aaron Kirchfeld and Dinesh Nair
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May 18, 2016
News

Vilsack announces $130M available for ag research, education and extension

The USDA announced that $130 million in funding is available for research, education, and extension projects to support sustainable, productive and economically viable plant and animal production systems, including certified organic production.
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May 17, 2016
News

New Texas A&M study details importance of no-cost sugar policy

Current legislative proposals to change U.S. sugar policy may be positioned as modest reform, but they would have dire economic consequences on U.S. sugar producers, put U.S. taxpayers on the hook and leave U.S. consumers dependent on unreliable, subsidiz
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May 17, 2016
News

USDA increases FY 2016 U.S. sugar Overall Allotment Quantity

The USDA today announced an increase to the fiscal year 2016 Overall Allotment Quantity (OAQ) for domestic sugar, reassigned some of the projected surplus sugar marketing allotments among processors, and reassigned part of the surplus cane sugar marketing
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May 17, 2016
News

Kubota to acquire Great Plains Manufacturing

Kubota Corporation has entered into an agreement to purchase agricultural implement company Great Plains Manufacturing.
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May 16, 2016
News

Stakeholders wait for congressional action on GMO labeling

As the time gets closer for Vermont’s GMO labeling law to take effect, there’s still no word whether the U.S. Senate is any closer to passing a measure to supersede individual state GMO labeling statutes.
— Read More
May 16, 2016
News

House Ag Committee seeks EPA explanation

House Agriculture Committee leaders have asked EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy why the EPA took down its reports on glyphosate and atrazine from its website.
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May 16, 2016
News

Record amount of sugar expected to be harvested from beets

The USDA expects a record sugarbeet crop in 2016, but as more food companies opt out of GMO ingredients, demand is starting to soften.
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May 16, 2016
News

Hershey expands Learn to Grow program to Belize sugar industry

The Hershey Company announced a new partnership with the Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute to expand its Hershey Learn to Grow sustainable farming program to sugar suppliers in northern Belize.
— Read More
May 16, 2016
News

We need an EPA rooted in sound science

Trust the science and play by the rules.
— Read More
May 16, 2016
News

Loftness offers 2 new fertilizer spreaders

Loftness Specialized Equipment has launched its FertiLogix line of products, including two new 8-ton fertilizer spreaders.
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May 13, 2016
News

Sugar sweetener of choice for over half of U.S. households

More than half of U.S. households use only sugar as their household sweetener, according to Mintel data, providing further evidence that sugar is still the Gold Standard for many American families.
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May 12, 2016
News

U.S. traders reject GMO crops that lack global approval

Across the U.S. Farm Belt, top grain handlers have banned genetically modified crops that are not approved in all major overseas markets, shaking up a decades-old system that used the world's biggest exporting country as a launchpad for new seeds from com
— Read More
May 12, 2016
News

West Fertilizer blast blamed on arson

The fire that led to the deadly explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. plant in April 2013 has been determined to be arson, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
— Read More
May 12, 2016
News

Study: Half of corn/soybeans lost if no weed control

A research team has calculated the cost of corn and soybean losses if there were NO herbicides or other weed management tools…and that loss is big.
— Read More
May 11, 2016
News

Children playing with lighter caused sugar plant fire

Eastern Idaho authorities say three children playing with a lighter caused a fire that destroyed a structure at an unused sugar factory in Idaho Falls.
— Read More
May 11, 2016
News

Brandt buys Utah specialty fertilizer company

Brandt, a leading agriculture retailer and manufacturer of specialty ag products, has acquired a majority interest in Baicor, L.C.
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May 11, 2016
Video

Idaho sheep video gets 262,000 YouTube views

A 23-minute video about Idaho sheep has generated a lot of attention on YouTube and nobody is quite sure why.
— Read More
May 11, 2016
News

Fire destroys old Idaho sugar factory

An old sugar factory in Idaho Falls, Idaho, was destroyed by a fire reported at 7:45 p.m. April 27, according to the Idaho Falls Fire Department.
— Read More
May 11, 2016
News

Syngenta board appoints new CEO

Syngenta announced the appointment of J. Erik Fyrwald, currently president and CEO of the U.S. chemistry distribution company Univar Inc., as CEO effective June 1.
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May 11, 2016
News

Idaho research station gets state-of-the-art cold storage facility

Researchers at the University of Idaho’s Parma experiment station now have access to a state-of-the-art cold storage facility.
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May 10, 2016
News

Michigan certifies fertilizer applicators

The Michigan Agri-Business Association says more than 450 ag professionals have enrolled in the state’s first certified fertilizer applicator program.
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May 10, 2016
News

First monthly ag trade deficit since 2006

U.S. agriculture registered a $35 million trade deficit in March, according to the latest ag trade data from USDA’s Economic Research Service.
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May 10, 2016
News

Willowood USA hires product development manager

Willowood USA announced the hiring of a product development manager to further expand its product portfolio and market expansion.
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May 08, 2016
News

USDA makes $8.7M available in Risk Management Education Funding

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency announced $8.7 million in cooperative agreements for risk management education and training programs.
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May 07, 2016
News

USDA announces Conservation Reserve Program results

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the enrollment of more than 800,000 acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through the program's 49th sign up period.
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May 06, 2016
News

ASGA selects 2016 Cleavinger Intern

Jack Brainard has been selected as the 2016 Cleavinger Intern for the American Sugarbeet Growers Association.
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May 05, 2016
News

USDA increases fiscal year 2016 Specialty Sugar TRQ

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced an increase to the fiscal year 2016 tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for specialty sugar and the establishment of the fiscal year 2017 TRQs for raw cane and refined sugar.
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May 05, 2016
News

Make sure fertilizer works efficiently

An ag specialist in the fertilizer industry says farmers’ management practices have changed in recent years—because of both environmental concerns and commodity prices.
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May 04, 2016
News

Monsanto: EPA again confirms glyphosate safety

Monsanto company says the EPA has reinforced the fact that glyphosate does not cause cancer.
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May 04, 2016
News

Minn. farmer says TPP limits opportunities

A Minnesota farmer says he opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership because it would create more barriers for beginning farmers like him to overcome.
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May 03, 2016
News

Monsanto, Harvard collaborate to stay ahead of insect resistance

Research published through a collaboration between Monsanto and Harvard is what Monsanto calls a breakthrough in crop insect control traits.
— Read More
May 02, 2016
News

ELFA outlines 5 steps for small businesses seeking equipment

During National Small Business Week, May 1–7, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) is sharing five important steps for small businesses to get started leasing and financing the equipment they need.
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May 02, 2016
News

Campbell’s plans to label in favor of GMOs

A spokesman for Campbell’s Soup says the state of Vermont has brought the GMO labeling debate front and center.
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May 02, 2016
News

Mitas releasing Powerpull tire for North American market

The special tractor pulling tire Mitas Powerpull has been released for sale in North America.
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May 01, 2016
News

Culver’s to fund trips to FFA Convention

FFA members across the United States–all 629,367 of them–will have the opportunity to win money toward a trip for their chapter to the 2016 National FFA Convention & Expo Oct. 19-22 in Indianapolis.
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