Friday November 8 Ag News

2013 Cattlemen's College Offers Enticing Educational Sessions

Join fellow cattlemen and women for a day of Cattlemen’s College – a short, intensive cattle producer education program designed to address relevant issues and deliver information that will improve production and profitably. Sponsored by Zoetis, the program offers a wide range of informative speakers in six educational sessions. This is an event that should not be missed.

Cattlemen’s college is held Wednesday, December 4, 2013 during the Nebraska Cattlemen Annual Convention at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney Nebraska.

The 2013 Cattlemen’s College will include the following educational sessions:
-    Defending Our Turf: Modern Ag in a Facebook Culture, Gary Sides: beef Cattle Nutritionist, Zoetis
-    Improving Beef Production Today to Protect Tomorrow, Kim Stackhouse Lawson: Director, Sustainability Research, NCBA
-    There’s An App For That, Rick Rasby: Professor & Extension Beef Specialist, UNL
-    Economics of Confined Cows and Calves, Terry Klopfenstein: Professor, Ruminant Nutrition, UNL
-    Livestock Industry Trends and Nebraska’s Role, Kate Brooks: Asst. Professor, Agricultural Economics, UNL
-    Producer Panel: Innovations in Commercial Beef Production

The Cattlemen’s College will begin at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at 4:00 p.m. Cost to attend Cattlemen’s College is $60 and registration information can be found at www.nebraskacattlemen.org or by calling the NC office at 402.475.2333.



USDA Rural Development Awards Funding to 77 Nebraska Recipients to Assist With Energy Needs

Seventy-seven Nebraska applicants have been selected to receive $1,557,923 in loans and grants.  Funds will be used to install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements that will promote energy conservation.

“Through these projects, energy consumption will be reduced, thereby making more dollars available to be kept within rural Nebraska there by assisting the state’s rural economy,” said Nebraska State Director Maxine Moul, USDA Rural Development.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack noted that funding announcements for rural water projects are another reminder of the importance of USDA programs for rural America.  A comprehensive new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill would further expand the rural economy.  He said that's just one reason why Congress must get a comprehensive Food, Farm and Jobs Bill done as soon as possible.

The funding was made available through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).  This program provides opportunities for farmers and rural small business owners to install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements, as well explore the feasibility of implementing renewable energy projects.  Additional information on the Rural Energy for America Program may be found at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/NEBusinessPrograms_Rural_Energy_for_America_Program.htm.  Examples of projects funded include (by county): 

Antelope:
Schultz, Frederick- Clearwater-$4,333 grant- Diesel irrigation engine to electric motor conversion
Rader, Lynn- Royal- $7,275 grant-Diesel engine to electric motor conversion, well re-bowl and pump replacement
Hoffman & Sons, Inc- Brunswick-$32,689 grant-Five diesel irrigation engine to electric motor conversions and two existing well upgrades

Holt:
Marcellus, Carroll-Stuart-$8,288 grant-Replace two inefficient irrigation wells with a new well
Hobbs, William-Ewing-$14,531 grant-Three diesel irrigation engines to electric motor conversions

Madison:
O’Brien & Sons- Tilden- $14,341 grant- Diesel irrigation engine to electric motor conversion

Pierce:
Krienke, Ted-Pierce- $4,174 grant- Diesel irrigation engine to electric motor conversion
Anderson, Troy-Pierce- $11,188 grant- Two diesel irrigation engine to electric motor conversions

Platte:
T&K Five Star Cattle Company, Inc- Lindsay- $17,507 grant- Installation of a 25 Kw solar panel system to power a center pivot irrigation system



The Food Dialogues are Coming to Iowa November 19

The regional Food Dialogues series will be making its fourth stop, this time in Iowa on November 19.  This Food Dialogues is following successful regional events in Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina.

The Food Dialogues: Iowa will be held on November 19, from 7– 8:30 p.m. CST at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. The panel discussion, “A Frank Discussion about Food” will explore the varying opinions of farmers, ranchers and industry leaders to help answer questions consumers have about GMO’s, local and organic foods, and everything in between. The discussion will be moderated by award winning journalist, John Bachman, and includes the following panelists:
·    Larry Cleverley, Organic Farmer
·    Wayne Humphreys, Crop and Livestock Farmer
·    Katie Olthoff, CommonGround Volunteer and Turkey Farmer
·    Dr. Wayne Parrott, professor, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia
·    John Schillinger, Ph.D., Crop Researcher

This event will stream live online for anyone to tune-in and we eencourage you and your members to watch the livestream at www.fooddialogues.com/Iowa, follow the discussion on Twitter using @USFRA and help drive the conversation by tweeting questions using the hashtag #FoodD.



Soy Growers Respond to Preliminary FDA Decision on Partially-Hydrogenated Oils

The American Soybean Association (ASA) responded today to a notice from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the agency has made a tentative determination to rescind the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status for partially-hydrogenated oils (PHO), including partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil (PHVO). The process of partially-hydrogenating vegetable oils to make them more stable for certain baking, frying, or food applications has taken place since the 1930s – a process that results in the formation of some trans fats. Due to indications that increased consumption of trans fats may negatively affect coronary health, the FDA started requiring in 2006 that food nutrition panels identify the amount of trans fats in food products. In response to today’s notice by the FDA, Mississippi soybean farmer and ASA President Danny Murphy issued the following statement:

“The vast majority of soybean oil consumed is not partially hydrogenated and is free of trans fats, so consumers can be assured of the continued safety and healthfulness of soybean oil and the many food products that contain it. It’s also important to remember that soybean oil is a very healthy oil that is high in poly-unsaturated fats and has high levels of heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.

“Since the FDA announced plans to require the labeling of trans fat content in food products in 2003, the soybean industry, food manufacturers, and vegetable oil processors all have worked to greatly reduce the amount of partially hydrogenated oils and trans fats in food products. According to the FDA’s own analysis, average consumer consumption of trans fats has fallen by more than 70 percent in the past decade. We’ve replaced the functional characteristics that some baking and frying applications needed from partially hydrogenated oils through blending of various oils, the blending of fully hydrogenated soybean oil (which does not contain any trans fats) with liquid soybean and other oils, and other processes that reduce or eliminate trans fats.

“Additionally, seed and technology companies within the soybean industry have developed soybean varieties that are high in heart-healthy high oleic fatty acids and eliminate the need for partial hydrogenation. These high-oleic soybean oil varieties enable food companies to get the functionality they desire for flavor stability, texture, and other important characteristics while avoiding the tradeoff to higher saturated fat or trans fat levels that comes with using palm oil or partially hydrogenated oil for stability. The soy checkoff is working closely with these companies to accelerate the commercialization of these high oleic soybean varieties, and we expect to have significant quantities of high oleic soybean oil available in the marketplace by 2016.

“Given that the food and vegetable oil industries have already moved to greatly reduce trans fats in food products and in Americans’ diets, we do have questions about the need for FDA to take this proposed action. Further, we have concerns that if the FDA were to finalize this determination, food processors may be pressured to replace remaining partially hydrogenated oils with those high in saturated fat such as palm or coconut oils, which would not be a good outcome for consumers. Finally, since it will take a few years to ramp up high oleic soybean production to provide an economical alternative to food processors, we believe any final FDA determination on the matter should reflect this timeframe.

"We will respond to FDA’s request for comments and continue to work with our industry partners to maintain the progress of our industry and ensure the health and safety of American consumers.”



CHS reports fiscal 2013 earnings of $992.4 million

CHS Inc., the nation's leading farmer-owned cooperative and a global energy, grains and foods business, today announced earnings for fiscal 2013 of $992.4 million, its second-highest net income in history.

Strong energy earnings led CHS financial performance for fiscal 2013, offsetting a challenging year in global agriculture. For fiscal 2013 (Sept. 1, 2012, through Aug. 31, 2013), CHS recorded net income of $992.4 million, a 21 percent decline from record earnings of $1.26 billion for fiscal 2012.

"Fiscal 2013 was a challenging year for agriculture, but once again the strength of our diverse business portfolio, along with a strong domestic and global footprint, combined to deliver economic value for the U.S. farmers, ranchers and cooperatives who own us," said Carl Casale, CHS president and chief executive officer. "Performance for fiscal 2013, combined with several consecutive years of strong earnings, enabled CHS to invest in growing our business, maintain a strong balance sheet and – most important – return direct economic value to our owners."

In fiscal 2013, based on record fiscal 2012 earnings, CHS returned a landmark $598.9 million in cash patronage, equity redemptions and dividends on preferred stock to its owners. In fiscal 2014, based on 2013 earnings, CHS expects to return an estimated $433 million in cash to its owners, bringing cash returns generated by earnings in fiscal years 2009 through 2013 to an estimated $1.9 billion.

CHS set a new mark for revenues at $44.5 billion for fiscal 2013, an increase of 10 percent over the previous record of $40.6 billion set in fiscal 2012. Fiscal 2013 was the company's third consecutive year of record revenues. The increase was primarily attributed to higher sales volumes within the company's Energy and Ag segments. Average selling prices increased for grain and oilseed products, but declined overall in the Energy segment.

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 (June 1-Aug. 31, 2013), CHS reported net income of $122.8 million, down 66 percent for the same period in fiscal 2012 and attributed primarily to a decline in refined fuels margins in the Energy segment. Revenues for the quarter were $11 billion, compared with $11 billion for the same three-month period in fiscal 2012.

Fiscal 2013 earnings for the company's Energy segment were the company's second best ever, but declined 21 percent from record fiscal 2012 performance, primarily due to reduced margins resulting from a major maintenance turnaround at the CHS Laurel, Mont., refinery. Earnings also decreased for the company's propane business, while its lubricants, renewable fuels marketing and transportation businesses reported increased income for fiscal 2013.

The severe drought that affected the 2012 U.S. crop resulted in reduced export margins for CHS grain marketing and contributed to an earnings decline of 39 percent from fiscal 2012 for the company's Ag segment. The CHS wholesale crop nutrients business also reported lower earnings compared to fiscal 2012, primarily due to lower product margins and costs associated with a feasibility study under way on a proposed nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing plant. The CHS Country Operations business — primarily local retail operations — also experienced decreased grain margins in fiscal 2013, but overall reported one of its best years on record. CHS processing and food ingredients business also reported lower earnings.

CHS reports results for its business services operations and two food processing-related joint ventures under the Corporate and Other heading. Earnings for those operations increased 14 percent in fiscal 2013 when compared to the previous year. Combined earnings for CHS insurance, risk management and financing businesses were flat in fiscal 2013 compared with fiscal 2012. CHS fiscal 2013 earnings increased from its 50 percent ownership of Ventura Foods, LLC, a vegetable oil-based food manufacturing business, and 24 percent share of Horizon Milling, LLC, the nation's leading wheat miller. Both joint ventures reported earnings increases in fiscal 2013 versus 2012.



Beef Board Chairman Remarks from International Markets Meeting
This week, Cattlemen’s Beef Board Chairman Weldon Wynn from Star City, Ark., joined the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program, at their strategic planning meeting in Fort Worth. In the following report, Wynn shares some thoughts about international marketing efforts with his fellow checkoff investors.

“The information that we’ve gotten is very important to the producer too out in the countryside. This meeting today and yesterday is going to end up ultimately making us all money. Anytime you can average $234 per head in the export market, then that’s doing good for the producer. When you saw the Operating Committee work, we voted 100% to support the USMEF and it’s certainly a benefit to us. We’re opening up new markets every day (they’re trying to), the staff with USMEF works diligently for the producer not only on the beef side but other sides of this protein market and red meat market. So we’re out there working, and you all are working and it’s certainly going to improve our bottom line.”

U.S. Beef in the Asia Pacific
Joel Haggard, senior vice president for the Asia Pacific region based in Hong Kong, for the U.S. Meat Export Federation, contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program, recently gave an update on beef activities in the region.  He says,  “I guess the most interesting phenomena is the amazing increase in the import bill in Asia for beef. So by our calculations, Asia – that’s Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, plus southeast Asia – will spend about $12 billion importing beef this year. And that’s just a massive increase from $9 billion last year, and from 2009 at $6 billion it’s a doubling. So we just see this huge increase in the beef appetite in Asia.”

Haggard explains the key drivers for strong demand for beef in Asia...  “It’s being led by several big markets – Japan, for the United States, has been a very good performer this year. I think there were many doubters that Japan could take such a huge surge in beef imports – up basically 40 percent year on year – after it reopened to cattle from 30 months to 20 months. But in fact that’s happened and the appetite there has been driven by a demand in foodservice, retail, throughout the chain. And again, it’s an example of this beef appetite that’s been happening even as the Japan currency has devalued.”

Haggard also says China’s beef exports are up 800 percent year on year so how do you increase your beef imports 800 percent in a year? Obviously it signals that not only is your beef demand just incredibly strong but it would suggest that their domestic beef production situation it just not able to match that demand. And that’s the case. The U.S. is visibly out of the market – Australia takes about 50 percent market share; Uruguay, where China has now become its main export destination, takes 25 percent; and then the other 25 percent is split between New Zealand and Canada.

For more about your beef checkoff investment, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.



Farm Policy Leaders Continue Talks, With Goal of A Deal Before Thanksgiving

Congressional agriculture leaders continued their work this week to hammer out an agreement on a 2013 Farm Bill, with the Democratic ag leaders in both chambers saying they hope to have a conference product by Thanksgiving. The farm bill conference committee met officially for the first time last week, allowing the 41 Members who are charged with finding an as-of-yet-elusive compromise to make their opening statements and offers. As was expected, negotiations are now happening in private, with discussions led by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), who is also on the pending federal budget conference committee; Senate Ag Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.); House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.); and House Ag Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-Minn.). Both Peterson and Stabenow said in the press this week they want to get a deal substantially done before the Thanksgiving break, which would give it the optimum chance of actually being completed before year’s end. That speed of progress, though, is predicated on compromises on several sticky issues, including Title I programs and nutrition spending.



Farm Bill Could Hide Farm Locations

(AP) -- Parts of the nation's $500 billion farm bill that Congress is considering would prohibit the government from disclosing some information about farmers or their employees, possibly preventing people from learning about nearby agricultural and large-scale livestock operations blamed for polluting water or soil.

The secrecy effort arose after the Environmental Protection Agency said it had mistakenly released names, email addresses, phone numbers and other personal information about some farmers and employees twice this year under the Freedom of Information Act. The EPA later determined it should not have released the information; in at least one case, an environmental group that received the data agreed to return it.

The provisions in the farm bill were intended to protect farmers who fear they would be targeted by animal advocacy groups.

The House version, now part of negotiations with the Senate, would prevent the EPA from disclosing the addresses, among other identifying information, of an owner, operator or employee of an agricultural operation. Other federal agencies could not release such information.

Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, blocked a Senate amendment similar to the House proposal.

"We must take care not to draw a veil of secrecy around important information about threats to the public's health and safety or government accountability," Leahy said.

Journalists and open government groups that want Congress to remove the proposals say federal law already bars the release of most personal information and the provisions are too broad.

"Members of the public have a right to know about agricultural and livestock operations that affect them, including where such operations are located," a coalition of 43 groups, including Society for Professional Journalists, Sunlight Foundation and Openthegovernment.org said in a letter Wednesday to House and Senate farm bill negotiators. "This information is especially critical for people who live near or share waterways with concentrated animal feeding operations."

Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., who wrote one of the proposals, said many farmers and ranchers live on their farms, so releasing corporate addresses of their companies is the same as releasing their home addresses. Crawford said farmers and ranchers should be able to provide personal information securely to the Agriculture Department, but they believe that environmental activist groups could obtain the material if it were shared with the EPA.

"Activist groups should not be able to leverage their relationship with the EPA to get this information that could pose a threat," Crawford said.

Colin Woodall of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association cited cases of people trashing farmers' property.

"There are more and more folks on the activist side that don't like what we do, and we want to protect our members," Woodall said.

An attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, Jon Devine, one of the groups that received the personal information about some farmers, said his group wasn't interested in such details and returned the information when the EPA asked for it. He said the farm bill would go well beyond limiting such personal information and could jeopardize groups from getting facts they say they need, including the locations of farms.

Craig Cox of the Environmental Working Group said he worried that the provisions could interfere with his group's ability to compile information about farm subsidies distributed every year, which the farm industry complains about. It's unclear whether the House language could be interpreted to restrict information about subsidies, he said.

His organization has run into problems from exemptions in the farm law in 2008, which prevent it from learning the names of some individuals who received subsidies through businesses.

The Obama administration last year withheld all or parts of government records more than 23,000 times under laws that prohibit the release of information under the Freedom of Information Act.

That was a decline from a four-year high of nearly 31,000 such times in 2011. The Agriculture Department has remained consistent in the number of times it cited any of 14 such different laws to withhold its records, an average of 462 times annually since President Barack Obama took office.



AgriBank Reports Third-Quarter 2013 and Nine-Month Financial Results

Today, AgriBank announced strong financial results for the third quarter of 2013 with continued growth in net income, strong credit quality, and robust liquidity and capital.

“AgriBank continues to generate strong performance, driven by growth in high-quality loan volume, solid interest rate margins and other income,” said Bill York, AgriBank CEO. “Based on the District’s expected return to normal crop yields in the current harvest and forecasted demand, commodity prices for corn, soybeans and wheat have moderated from recent highs. However, crop producers are well-positioned financially to meet this challenge. Producers and processors who purchase these commodities as inputs will see a positive impact from lower prices.”

Year-to-Date 2013 Results of Operations
Net income rose 9 percent to $420.9 million for the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2013, up from $384.8 million for the same period of 2012.

Net interest income drove substantially all of this increase, rising to $391.1 million, compared with $353.5 million for the same period of 2012. Net interest income remains strong and reflects the positive impact of our funding actions as well as the increased volume of fixed rate loans.

Loan loss provisions decreased due to loan loss reversals of $1.5 million for the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2013, primarily due to the reversal of a specific reserve on a participated credit.

Non-interest income was down 7 percent to $108.8 million from $117.5 million in 2012. The decrease was primarily due to $15.0 million of non-recurring refunds received during 2012 from the Farm Credit Insurance Corporation. This was partially offset by non-recurring losses on hedging ineffectiveness related to interest rate swaps recorded during 2012.

Non-interest expense was relatively flat at $80.6 million, compared with $79.7 million for the same period of 2012. Net impairment losses on investments have declined significantly from $14.2 million in 2012 to $1.7 million in 2013.

Third-Quarter 2013 Results of Operations
Third-quarter 2013 net income was strong at $139.6 million, compared with $121.1 million for the same period of 2012. The increase was primarily due to the increase in net interest income and reduced net impairment losses on investments.

Loan Portfolio
Total loans increased 3 percent from year-end to $71.5 billion at the end of the quarter, primarily due to increases in operating lines funded by wholesale loans to Associations. AgriBank’s loan portfolio credit quality remains strong with 99.8 percent non-adverse loans at the end of the quarter, compared with 99.7 percent at the end of last year. Nonaccrual loans declined to $43.7 million from $51.4 million at the end of last year, while the allowance for loan losses was $9.7 million at Sept. 30, 2013, compared with $13.3 million at the end of last year.

The 2013 harvest season is coming to an end with expectations of a large corn crop, and an average soybean and wheat crop. As expected, the large corn crop has significantly changed the supply / demand picture such that corn prices are significantly lower than the past several years. The soybean supply / demand situation remains fairly tight yet not as tight as the last couple of years. Soybean prices are lower than recent years. The wheat supply / demand situation has tightened but a fairly high anticipated ending-stocks-to-use ratio is anticipated at the end of the marketing season.

The current lower commodity prices, compared to the last couple of years, and the expectation for continuation of lower commodity prices for corn, soybeans and wheat (primarily corn) will have a negative impact on crop producers. However, a large majority of crop producers have built strong financial and liquidity positions from recent profitable years. Lower commodity prices generally will be positive for producers and processors who purchase these commodities as inputs in the production of beef cattle, dairy products, pork, poultry and ethanol.

Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash and investments totaled $12.9 billion at the end of the quarter, compared to $12.1 billion at the end of last year. The Bank’s end-of-the-period liquidity position represented 161 days coverage of maturing debt obligations, well above the 90-day minimum established by the Farm Credit Administration, the Bank’s independent regulator.

Total capital increased $336.3 million during the period to $4.6 billion, driven primarily by earnings of $420.9 million, partially offset by $208.4 million in patronage to Associations.

AgriBank is one of the largest banks within the national Farm Credit System, with more than $80 billion in total assets. Under the Farm Credit System’s cooperative structure, AgriBank is owned by 17 affiliated Farm Credit Associations. The AgriBank District covers America’s Midwest, a 15-state area from Wyoming to Ohio and Minnesota to Arkansas. More than half of the nation’s cropland is located within the AgriBank District, providing the Bank and its Association owners with exceptional expertise in production agriculture. For more information visit www.agribank.com.



DuPont Pioneer and John Deere Offer Next Level of Decision Services to Growers

Agriculture technology leaders DuPont Pioneer and John Deere are collaborating to deliver near real-time field level data to growers, taking Decision Services to the next level. The companies are linking Pioneer® Field360™ services, a suite of precision agronomy software, with John Deere Wireless Data Transfer architecture, JDLink™ and MyJohnDeere.

Pioneer will be among the first to leverage Wireless Data Transfer architecture, making the data exchange process faster and more convenient for growers and enabling them to make important seed, fertilizer and other input purchasing and management decisions with the latest field data. Growers can opt-in to upload their field data directly into Pioneer® Field360™ Select software from their John Deere GreenStar™ 3 2630 display through MyJohnDeere. Pioneer®Field360™ Select software also can be used to generate seeding and fertilizer prescription files and send them directly to the grower’s GreenStar™ 3 2630 displays in the field.

“Pioneer is a leader in Decision Services,” said Steve Reno, DuPont Pioneer U.S. Region vice president. “We offer timely decision tools to help farmers maximize profits, minimize risk and improve sustainability by leveraging science, technology, and customer knowledge.”

 “John Deere is committed to increasing customer success by enabling data to be available when and where needed, as well as in the customer’s agronomic software of choice,” said Pat Pinkston, vice president Technology and Information Solutions, John Deere.

Pioneer and John Deere plan to make the service widely available in 2014 to anyone who has been equipped by a John Deere dealer for Wireless Data Transfer and has subscribed to the Pioneer Field360® Select software. Each company will market their software and solutions through their existing localized distribution channels.

To learn more about Pioneer Field360 services, see your local Pioneer sales professional or visit pioneer.com/field360. For more information on Wireless Data Transfer and other John Deere FarmSight™ services, please contact your local John Deere dealer.



Insurance broker Ag States Group changes name to CHS Insurance
CHS Insurance Services, LLC is the new name for Ag States Group, the largest U.S. agribusiness insurance broker providing a full line of property/casualty insurance, surety bond products, group benefits, loss control and on-site safety programs, and employer services.

"We're certainly proud of our 75-year history in the risk management business," said Keith Illa, president of the now CHS Insurance. "But our clients have always counted on us to be looking forward for them – uncovering new business risks and bringing them creative ways to manage those.

"Our new name reflects our own growth in expanded solutions for our clients, as backed by the global reach of our parent company, CHS," Illa said.

CHS Insurance remains a full-service, independent insurance agency owned by CHS Inc. (NASDAQ: CHSCP), the nation's leading farmer-owned cooperative and a global energy, grains and foods company.

"We remain a trusted partner for our clients - one that brings unique solutions particularly to our clients in agribusiness and its related industries. That's what our people are passionate about and have deep expertise in. That's one thing that will never change," Illa added.

CHS Insurance Services, LLC (www.chs-insurance.com), the full-service insurance subsidiary of CHS Inc., is licensed across the U.S and represents major carriers in 70 markets. Considered the nation's largest agribusiness insurance broker, CHS Insurance offers a full line of commercial property/casualty insurance and surety bond products, as well as group benefits for life, health, dental and disability plans. CHS Insurance also provides customized loss control and on-site safety resources, along with employer services programs for agriculture, food processing, petroleum and related industries.