Thursday September 5 Ag News

The Nebraska Soybean Board Endows Soybean Research at UNL

The Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) is investing $3 million to create the first Presidential Chair in Soybean Breeding at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln (UNL). Renowned soybean breeder, Dr. George Graef, of UNL’s Agronomy & Horticulture department, will be the first to hold the chair. The endowment provides support for Graef’s program, which aims to improve yield and develop new soybean traits for farmers in Nebraska and other growers worldwide.

The endowment is funded from the proceeds of a recent license agreement. In May, NUtech Ventures, the technology commercialization arm of the University of Nebraska, signed a nonexclusive license agreement with Bayer CropScience (BCS). This license gives BCS access to UNL’s soybean germplasm—the genetic material used to develop new soybean varieties.

For the past 25 years, NSB provided research funding to help build UNL’s soybean breeding program. As a result of this support, they received a share of the royalties from the license to BCS, which they have decided to reinvest in the soybean breeding program.

"The non-exclusive agreement with Bayer Crop Science is generous in recognizing the needs and encouraging the broader benefits to University programs, Nebraska, and the industry as a whole," said Graef. "I feel honored to be involved in this and excited about what we will achieve. It is with that support from the soybean growers through the Nebraska Soybean Board that we have been able to develop the high-quality soybean breeding program that we have,” he said.

Nebraska Soybean Board Chairman Greg Greving said he is excited about the future of the soybean breeding program. “This is a huge success story for the Nebraska Soybean Board’s checkoff investments in the soybean breeding program at UNL. The Nebraska Soybean Board is proud to have played a key role in developing future soybean varieties for the farmers they represent. ”

Lisa Lunz, chairman of the Nebraska Soybean Board’s Research Committee said she is pleased by the results of the initial investment and is looking forward to more good things to come. “As a board, we have supported Dr. Graef and UNL's soybean breeding program. We are excited that our investment in new varieties will return real benefits to Nebraska soybean farmers. We feel that by investing money in a Presidential Chair, UNL will continue to have an exceptional soybean program.”

In addition to improving yield and developing new traits, the collaborative work will also provide additional resources and research experience for graduate and undergraduate students to better address future needs of the farmers through breeding high yielding and stress tolerant soybean varieties.

Lunz said she is proud to have been a part of this success story and looks forward to seeing the partnership with the university grow in the future. “This is a great story for the soybean checkoff. We hope this endowment provides similar opportunities for success for years to come.”



Heuermann Lecture Sept. 30 to Focus on GMOs

“Beyond GMOs to a More Honest Dialogue About Our Food” is the topic when the 2013-2014 Heuermann Lectures season begins at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30 in the Hardin Hall auditorium, 33rd and Holdrege in Lincoln.

University of Nebraska–Lincoln Professor Sally Mackenzie is the season’s first Heuermann Lecturer.  She is the Ralph and Alice Raikes Chair for Plant Science in the Center for Plant Science Innovation, for which she was the founding director, at UNL.  Her research focus areas are plant genetics, epigenetics, genomics and organelle biology, and she is an elected fellow in both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society of Plant Biologists.

Dr. Mackenzie will discuss ways the debate about genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, has obscured people’s ability to understand the true threats to the world’s future agricultural security.  Noting crop genetics developments offer potential solutions to those threats, she’ll focus on the importance of honest, factual debate to inform consumers so that they can evaluate these technologies’ merits.  She will examine how this process has gone off track, and where misinformation has hijacked the debate.

Heuermann Lectures in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UNL are made possible by a gift from B. Keith and Norma Heuermann of Phillips, long-time university supporters with a strong commitment to Nebraska’s production agriculture, natural resources, rural areas and people.  The lectures focus on meeting the world’s growing food and renewable energy needs while sustaining natural resources and rural communities.

Free parking for those attending the lecture is provided in unmetered spaces in Area A north of Hardin Hall. Area E at the north edge of the parking area is student parking and not part of the Area A free parking.  Both Area A and Area E are marked.  Parking in metered spaces requires feeding the meter.

A 3 p.m. reception in the Hardin Hall lobby precedes the lecture.  Heuermann Lectures stream live at http://heuermannlectures.unl.edu and are archived at that site shortly after the lecture.  They also are broadcast on NET2 World at a date following the lecture.



ASA's Wellman Speaks to Benefits of Biotechnology at Summit

Emphasizing the advantages of integrating biotechnology on his farm, American Soybean Association Chairman Steve Wellman of Syracuse, NE, spoke to the nearly 200 attendees of the International Biotechnology Symposium in Champaign, Ill., last week. Discussion at the event centered on the pipeline of agricultural biotechnology traits that show a promising future for crop production and quality around the world.

“The development, acceptance and growth of crops with biotech traits has led to numerous improvements in the farmer’s ability to meet the growing global demand for food, feed, fiber and fuel while adopting more conservation practices,” Wellman said. “Future traits for insect resistance or the ability to increase yield will continue to aid increasing production on a limited land base while consuming fewer resources. Biotechnology will also add value to our crops through quality traits such as high oleic or omega 3 oils or modified proteins in soybeans. I believe biotechnology is the base for how US farmers have achieved sustainable agricultural production and will continue to assist us in improving our ability to produce sustainably.”

Wellman and other participants also addressed asynchronous approval systems that threaten new product development and commercialization and other topics. “Our challenge has been and continues to be the regulatory approval process in the US and our overseas markets,” he told attendees. “Along with the delays in getting regulatory approvals we also face the stiff challenge from some consumers and their resistance to biotechnology.”



Women Caring for the Land Workshop September 17th focusing on conservation and land management for female landowners

Women who own or manage farm or ranch land in Nebraska are invited to participate in a Women Caring for the Land discussion about farming conservation options and available resources. The free program will take place at Serendipity on 408 W Locust Avenue in Plainview, Nebraska.

“Women own almost a third of farm and ranch land in Nebraska, and often want to do more to conserve their land and resources. However, many are unsure exactly how to reach their conservation goals and what resources are available to help them. Women Caring for the Land can help,” said Traci Bruckner, Assistant Director for Rural Policy at the Center for Rural Affairs.

According to Bruckner, Women Caring for the Land offers a peer-to-peer, informal discussion format to allow women landowners to talk about their individual land stewardship goals, facilitated by women conservation experts who can share resources available such as USDA cost-share programs, state loans, and other tools.

Bruckner also pointed out that all interested women are welcome to these discussions, including owners, operators and inheritors of farmland, regardless of their degree of knowledge regarding conservation. Conservation topics will include cover crops, pasture management, prairie plantings and more.

A free lunch will be provided to workshop participants at noon.

Event Location Details:
Tuesday, September 17
10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Serendipity is located at
408 W Locust Ave Plainview, NE

Please RSVP to Virginia Meyer by September 16th, virginiam@cfra.org or 402-687-2103, ext 1014.



Producers and Iowa Benefit from Forage and Pasture Education

Current trends in agriculture are forcing Iowa beef producers to raise more beef from fewer forage acres. According to the USDA Census of Agriculture, nearly 20 percent of Iowa pasture land was converted to cropland from 2002 to 2007. High grain prices from 2008 to 2012 have continued or accelerated this trend.

Beef producers must improve productivity of the available pastures through better management to increase beef production per acre of land. Producers say forage and grazing educational programs offered by beef specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are making it possible to do just that.

From 2007-2012, nearly 1,100 beef producers across Iowa attended more than 120 pasture and grazing programs sponsored by ISU Extension and Outreach. When participants were surveyed, 70 percent of respondents said they improved the amount of beef produced per acre of forage by at least 20 percent; 12 percent improved their beef production per acre by 50 percent or more.

On average, the respondents attended three educational events over five years and, as a result, made changes in their operations:
-- 15% subdivided pastures to rotationally graze livestock and 8 percent plan to subdivide pastures. (Twenty-four percent already had this practice in place.)
-- 9% said participating in the programs helped them improve pasture fertility; 6 percent plan to make fertility changes.
-- 15% started frost seeding legumes and an additional 7 percent plan to frost seed legumes.
-- 13% body condition scored cows to monitor performance as a result of attending these programs and 6 percent plan to start body condition scoring.
-- More than one-fourth of the participants made changes or plan to make changes to their watering systems as a result of what they had learned.
-- Stockpiling pasture for winter grazing was a practice 13 percent had in place when they attended the programs; another 13 percent started stockpiling after attending a forage grazing program, and 15 percent plan to start stockpiling for winter grazing.

Putting such actions in place improves productivity and is an incentive to keep marginal land in forage production. Producers said the practices they implemented as a result of the programs had provided a median economic value of more than $1,000 per operation. Increasing forage production on marginal land benefits the producer AND the rest of Iowa. It improves economic activity in rural Iowa when forage acres are more profitable, and reduces soil erosion and improves water quality when grasslands are well-maintained.



July Pork Exports Rise; Beef Exports Set 2013 High

Paced by strong performances from leading markets, both U.S. beef and pork exports continued their upward trend in July, with beef sales setting new highs for the year, while lamb exports slowed slightly for the month but remain up for the year, according to statistics released by the USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Double-digit increases to the top three markets (Japan, Mexico and Canada) helped U.S. beef exports jump 9 percent in volume in July to 118,913 metric tons valued at $622.8 million, a 21 percent increase over last year. For the year, beef exports are up a fraction in volume (661,473 metric tons) and 9 percent in value to $3.45 billion.

Strong performances by Mexico, the China/Hong Kong region and Central/South America boosted pork exports by 8.5 percent in volume in July to 178,794 metric tons valued at $502.6 million, a 7.5 increase over 2012. Through July, pork exports were down 5 percent in volume and value, at 1.23 million metric tons and $3.44 billion. Excluding Russia, which has been closed to U.S. pork and beef since February, exports were down just 1 percent from last year’s record pace.

Lamb exports dipped a modest 3.2 percent in July on 15.7 percent lower volumes, but remain up by double digits for the year.

Beef Growth in Asia
“On the beef side, we are seeing the results of further rationalization of import practices in a number of key Asian markets,” said Philip Seng, USMEF president and CEO. “Expanded access in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan has helped each of these key markets move closer to their full potential, and we are focusing our resources there to maximize opportunities to serve the growing demand in the region.”

As Seng noted, for the first seven months of 2013, beef exports are up dramatically to these three key markets:
-    Japan: up 57 percent in volume and 43 percent in value (142,875 metric tons valued at $855.8 million)
-    Hong Kong: up 102 percent in volume and 128 percent in value (60,159 metric tons valued at $368.4 million)
-    Taiwan: up 158 percent in volume and 222 percent in value (17,434 metric tons valued at $139.6 million)

Other top-performing markets for beef exports include:
-    Mexico: rebounding from a slow start earlier in the year (down 9 percent in volume and value for the year to 110,689 metric tons valued at $470.9 million), July exports rose 16 percent in volume and 26 percent in value (21,309 metric tons valued at $91 million)
-    Central/South America: up 103 percent in volume (6,636 metric tons) and 41 percent in value ($17.1 million) in July; up 27 percent in volume and 16 percent in value for the year (25,963 metric tons valued at $88 million)

U.S. beef exports in July accounted for 12 percent of muscle cut and 15 percent of beef and variety meat production versus 11 and 14 percent respectively last year. The export value per head of fed slaughter set a new record of $272.90 – up $37.72 from last July. That despite the continued closure of the Russian market, which amounted to 42,319 metric tons valued at $179 million through July last year.

Pork Growth in Spite of Challenges
Pork exports in July were paced by the continued rebound of the Mexican market, strong variety meat demand in the China/Hong Kong region and rapid growth in both Central/South America (led by Colombia) and the ASEAN region (led by the Philippines). The 8.5 percent volume and 7.5 percent value increases in July were tempered by continued access issues in Russia and heavy competition in Japan.

“We are encouraged by the positive response to USMEF’s retail pork imaging campaign in Mexico, which is in direct correlation to sales growth there,” said Seng. “On the other hand, Japan is the highest-value pork market in the world, and we are facing intensified competition. We are one of 25 countries exporting pork to Japan, and while the U.S. industry has deemphasized the priority of our promotional programs in Japan, our competitors are very aggressively working to take our market share. As a result, our share of Japan’s pork import market is down 3 percent so far this year.”

Year-to-date, Japan’s total pork imports from all sources are down 3 percent to 548,608 metric tons, but imports from the U.S. are down 7 percent (245,938 metric tons). At the same time, exports from four leading competitors (Mexico, Chile, Spain and Poland) are up by double digits for the year.

Top-performing pork export markets include:
-    Mexico: up 21 percent in volume (55,567 metric tons) and 29 percent in value ($114.3 million) in July, and up 2 percent in volume (346,368 metric tons) and 3 percent in value ($645 million) over the record pace of 2012
-    Central/South America: up 49 percent in volume (9,437 metric tons) and 48 percent in value ($23 million) in July, and up 36 percent in volume (62,774 metric tons) and 34 percent in value ($156.3 million) for the year
-    ASEAN: up 60 percent in volume (6,407 metric tons) and 53.8 percent in value ($14.4 million) in July, and up 44 percent in volume (38,079 metric tons) and 36 percent in value ($91.6 million) for the year

U.S. pork exports in July accounted for 22 percent of muscle cut and 27 percent of pork and variety meat production, similar to last year (23 and 26.5 percent respectively) with a per-head export value of $55.35, down from last year’s $56.04 total.

Lamb Exports Dip in July, But Up for Year
Lamb exports for July dipped a modest 3 percent in value on 16 percent lower volumes, totaling 914 metric tons valued at $2.1 million. For the year, exports are up 12 percent in volume (8,177 metric tons) valued at $17.7 million, a 21 percent increase. Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean remain the top three export destinations.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 8/30/2013

According to EIA data, ethanol production averaged 819,000 barrels per day (b/d) — or 34.40 million gallons daily. That is down 1,000 b/d from the week before and the lowest since 3/29/2013. The 4-week average for ethanol production stood at 835,000 b/d for an annualized rate of 12.80 billion gallons.

Stocks of ethanol stood at 16.2 million barrels. That is a 0.2% decrease from last week and the lowest since early June.

Imports of ethanol were 37,000 b/d, up from last week and a 4-week high.

Gasoline demand for the week averaged 381.9 million gallons daily. Since the beginning of July, gasoline demand has averaged 139.8 billion gallons on an annualized basis, yet refiner/blender input of ethanol has averaged just 13.24 billion gallons annualized.

Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production was 9.01%. That’s the lowest rate of the year and lowest since the week ending 8/10/2012.

On the co-products side, ethanol producers were using 12.418 million bushels of corn to produce ethanol and 91,403 metric tons of livestock feed, 81,486 metric tons of which were distillers grains. The rest is comprised of corn gluten feed and corn gluten meal. Additionally, ethanol producers were providing 4.27 million pounds of corn oil daily.



USMEF-China Opens a New Chapter in Pork Marketing

China is the bulls-eye on the world’s pork export target. As the largest importer of all things pork, China can change the pork market with any surge or decrease in its purchasing.

To keep its position as the No. 1 pork exporter to China, the United States – through the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) – is turning over every leaf to find opportunities to set American pork apart from its competitors among the 17 other nations that are selling their product in China this year.

The latest USMEF initiative – funded with support of the Pork Checkoff – found U.S. pork taking center stage at the Shanghai Book Fair, a week-long annual event which attracts more than a million book lovers. This year, the only break in the endless rows of booksellers was the U.S. pork booth where local culinary master Mr. Lai offered cooking demonstrations and samples of U.S. pork bone-in butt, spareribs, belly, boneless butts, boneless loins and sausages.

Making the event even more convenient for hungry book-lovers, USMEF partnered with distributor and e-commerce retailer Zhengpu Company Inc., to give shoppers the opportunity to purchase pork for quick delivery to their homes at the push of a button.

“Our goal was to introduce high-quality U.S. pork to this higher-income audience that is very willing to shop online,” said Ming Liang, USMEF-Shanghai marketing director. “Our partnership with Zhengpu was essential to make this work because, in China, relationships matter. They opened the doors for us to have a display and, for four of the five days of the fair, to have our cooking demonstration center stage.”

Attendees at the Shanghai Book Fair had never encountered food at the show, one of the largest book fairs in all of China, so USMEF had a captive – and very receptive – audience for its demonstrations.

“It is a long show, and the shoppers get hungry,” said Ming. “We were in the right place to get the attention of a lot of consumers who have the resources to not only make purchases on the spot, but to be able to buy high-quality U.S. pork, including some more expensive branded products.”

The presence of top chef Mr. Lai helped keep the attention of the shoppers who were eager to sample his takes on a number of local dishes prepared with U.S. pork, including traditional fried, sliced pork.

“Many of the shoppers said they were amazed by the versatility and deliciousness of U.S. pork,” said Ming. “And the participation of Zhengpu made it very easy to complete the transaction.”

Since many younger Chinese consumers prefer making purchases through e-commerce, the ability to offer them products through this channel was a convenience that can help to attract new customers. USMEF provided information on popular Chinese websites (Weiblog and Wechat) along with the app for Zhengpu’s website.

Through the first seven months of 2013, the U.S. is the leading pork exporter to China, according to the Global Trade Atlas. Even with pork exports to China down this year due to ractopamine-related restrictions, the U.S. still holds a 27.6 percent share of the market when measured by value (25.2 percent by volume) with 198,728 metric tons (438.1 million pounds) valued at $408.6 million. Germany, Denmark, Canada and Spain round out the top five exporters to China. U.S. exports are expected to benefit going forward as EU prices are on the rise and China’s import demand continues to grow.



Animal Disease Traceability Forum White Paper Released

A White Paper summarizing information presented at the Joint Strategy Forum on Animal Disease Traceability, “Bringing Industry and Regulatory Leaders Together to Create Sensible Solutions,” sponsored by the National Institute for Animal Agriculture and the U.S. Animal Health Association, Aug. 6-7, has been released.

“This Forum provided a platform for much-needed interaction between those impacted by the animal traceability rule,” stated symposium co-chair Victor Velez, California Department of Food and Agriculture,. “State, Federal and Tribal animal health officials, animal producers, veterinarians, livestock marketers and handlers and meat processors as well as state and national livestock show officials and rodeo officials openly and candidly discussed challenges of implementation—and a lot was learned from this exchange.

“The White Paper presents information delivered by speakers plus shares implementation concerns and priorities identified by participants.”

The Animal Disease Traceability Forum White Paper can be accessed online at www.animalagriculture.org. 



Chicken Production Prospects
John D. Anderson, Deputy Chief Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation

While beef production continues to decline, chicken production is really beginning to pick up steam. For the week ending August 24 (the most recent data available from last week's Broiler Hatchery report), broiler egg sets were up by 4.6%, year-over-year (y/y). This marked the third consecutive week that weekly egg sets were up by over 4.5%.   Typically, egg sets show a fairly pronounced seasonal tendency to decline steadily after around the first week of June. This year, though, integrators have held a nearly steady pace of egg sets throughout the summer. Not surprisingly, chick placements are also on the rise. Placements for the third full week of August were up a bit over 1% y/y. For the past month, chick placements have averaged over a 2.2% increase y/y.

Both egg sets and chick placements for the week ending August 24 were the highest for that week of the year since 2010, when the industry was last attempting an aggressive expansion. It's not hard to see why integrators have gotten interested in expansion this summer. Broiler prices have been strong this year. The weighted average broiler composite price topped the $1 per pound mark for the first time ever this year, reaching just over $1.13 in late-May/early-June. The broiler composite has been supported by boneless/skinless (b/s) breast prices that are much improved over the last couple of years as well as by historically high prices on dark meat cuts like b/s thighs. On the cost side of the ledger, expectations for increasing grain supplies and declining feed costs also argue for a ramping up of production.

The 2010 expansion in broiler production didn't turn out too well for the industry - or for the meat complex in general. Increased production met a tepid domestic economy and a sluggish export market. By early-2011, b/s breast prices were only a little over $1 per pound, and the broiler composite was in the low-$0.70s. Indicators are more favorable this time around. The economy may not be firing on all cylinders, but things have certainly improved since 2010. Similarly, exports have recovered steadily, if not dramatically, over the past three years. Still, expansion does entail some risk for the industry. Already, wholesale chicken prices have slipped for the past several weeks. The national broiler composite ended August at its lowest level of the year. At just over $0.90 per pound, it is still substantially above year-ago levels (by about 10%) but far below the highs of earlier this year. If prices decline further, it will be interesting to see what happens with weekly egg sets and chick placements - particularly if this is also accompanied by higher corn prices due to the late-season heat in much of the Corn Belt. For now, though, the expansion is on for broilers.



Bumper Argentina Corn Crop Seen

Argentina's corn planting kicked off this week, with expectations for a bumper crop despite dry weather that is slowing progress in some areas.

To date, farmers have planted less than a half of one percent of the 3.56 million hectares (8.8 million acres) expected to be sown with corn this season, the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange said in its weekly crop report Thursday.

The 2013-14 corn area is expected to be down 3.2% from the 2012-13 season, when farmers grew a record 24.8 million metric tons of corn, according to the exchange.

Argentina is the world's third-largest corn exporter behind the U.S. and Brazil and markets are expecting record or near record crops from all three this season. Global corn stocks in 2013-14 are set to rise to the highest level in more than a decade, which has sent prices plummeting recently, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The USDA forecasts Argentina's 2013-14 corn production at a record 27 million tons.

For now, fields are dry in many of Argentina's northern fields. That is slowing planting, but there is still plenty of time to put seed to soil, Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange chief agricultural analyst Esteban Copati said.

There is some cause for concern. Significant delays could cut into yields. Higher costs for corn seed and fertilizers, lower global prices and negotiations over field lease agreements are issues to watch and could cause farmers to fall short of early planting expectations, Mr. Copati said.

Gathering clouds bode well, however. Warm winds are expected to sweep down from the north in the coming days, bringing warmer weather and much-needed rain to many of Argentina's fields.

Those showers will also ease worries about the developing winter wheat crop, which is beginning to show signs of stress, the exchange said.

Wheat planting rose to 3.9 million hectares this season, up from 3.6 million hectares last season, according to the exchange.

However, that is still down sharply from the historical average as government export controls drove down local prices and fueled a shift to other winter crops such as barley.

Estimates for Argentina's 2013-14 crop production in millions of hectares (HA) or millions of metric tons (MT). (One hectare equals 2.47 acres):



Taiwan Goodwill Mission to Sign Letters of Intent for Wheat Purchases

The Taiwan Flour Mills Association (TFMA) will sign a letter of intent in Washington, DC, Sept. 10, to purchase up to 62.5 million bushels (1.7 million metric tons) of U.S. wheat, worth an estimated $484.5 million, over two years between 2014 and 2015.

The signing ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center kicks off Taiwan’s formal Agricultural Trade Goodwill Mission to the United States to purchase grains and other agricultural products for the people of Taiwan. The Mission will also sign letters of intent with the U.S. Grains Council and the American Soybean Association and will call on members of the U.S. Congress and policy makers in the executive branch. TFMA will then continue its part of the Mission with visits to North Dakota, Montana, Idaho and Oregon to meet with state wheat commission and government representatives before returning to Taiwan Sept. 17.

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) President Alan Tracy and Wei-Chang Chang, manager of Thai Ho Milling Co., Ltd., and executive director of TFMA, will co-sign the letter. Tracy said the U.S. wheat industry and Taiwan have a long history of mutually beneficial trade relations.

“Western Wheat Associates, one of the legacy organizations to USW, opened the first overseas marketing office in Taipei in 1966,” Tracy said. “Since that time, U.S. wheat farmers and Taiwan flour millers have built an enduring and successful partnership.”

Taiwan is the sixth largest market for U.S. wheat, purchasing 520 million bushels (14.2 million metric tons) since 1998, worth an estimated $3.27 billion. Significant hard red spring (HRS) imports reflects a need for strong gluten flour for breads, rolls and frozen dough products as well as for blending with hard red winter (HRW) flour to make traditional Chinese flour foods and noodles. Soft white (SW) imports, including western white, help meet growing demand for cake, cookie and pastry flours.



Syngenta secures Mexican and Korean import approval for Agrisure Duracade™ trait

Syngenta has received import approval from Mexican and Korean regulatory authorities for the Agrisure Duracade™ trait (Event 5307). This approval allows the import of U.S. corn grown with the Agrisure Duracade trait for food or feed use in Mexico and Korea.

"As the North American leader in corn insect control, Syngenta is pleased that the Agrisure Duracade trait has been approved by the Korean and Mexican governments," said David Morgan, president of Syngenta Seeds, Inc. and region director of Syngenta in North America. "We expect the Agrisure Duracade trait to play a vital role in managing corn rootworm, improving productivity and increasing profit potential for corn farmers."

The Agrisure Duracade trait is the first corn rootworm trait launched specifically to help preserve trait durability and corn rootworm management options against evolving insect pressure. The Agrisure Duracade trait is designed to deliver unmatched corn rootworm control and will serve as a critical component of a more effective insect management system including breakthrough trait technology, best-in-class seed care and industry-leading crop protection products.

The Agrisure Duracade trait has completed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consultation process, received registration from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is fully deregulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Agrisure Duracade trait has received import approval from Australia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Taiwan and cultivation approval from Canada.