Wednesday January 8 Ag News

Iowa Pork Conferences Offer Risk Management Information
Iowa pork producers are invited to learn more about preventing losses, limiting liability and conducting barn walk-throughs at the 2014 Iowa Pork Regional Conferences scheduled for late next month. They'll also hear about factors affecting operations' financial status and get updates on a variety of health and disease issues. The Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC), Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA), and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach cosponsor this annual series at different sites around the state.

This year's dates of Feb. 25-28 follow the same schedule at all four locations with sessions held from 1 to 4:30 p.m. There is no cost for those who preregister and pork operation employers, managers and staff are encouraged to attend. Walk-in registration is $5 per person, payable at the door. A link to the program brochure is available on the IPIC website at www.ipic.iastate.edu/events/2014RegConf.pdf.  To preregister, people should call IPPA at 800-372-7675 or email schristensen@iowapork.org.

Conference dates and locations are as follows:
-- Feb. 24 -- Sheldon, Northwest Iowa Community College, Building A, room 119C
-- Feb. 25 -- Carroll, Carroll County Extension Office
-- Feb. 26 -- Nashua, Borlaug Learning Center
-- Feb. 28 -- Iowa City, Johnson County Extension Office

Everyone has heard of farmers who have suffered substantial losses due to barn system failures or other management challenges. Mike Brumm, with Brumm Swine Consultancy, will walk producers through steps they can take to be better prepared to prevent these losses and limit liability issues. He'll also draw on his experiences with Midwest farms to share his view of the ideal barn walk-through.

Iowa State extension livestock economist Lee Schulz will talk about the factors affecting the bottom line, review forecasts for input costs and market hog value, and present ideas on possible profit opportunities in the coming year.

At their respective locations, ISU extension and outreach swine program specialists will provide updates on ventilation management, euthanasia techniques and antibiotic use. They'll also share upcoming educational opportunities in these and other areas, and will lead PQA Plus 2.0 training sessions for attendees from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. the day of each session. The training is free for those who preregister, so please indicate attendance for this training as well as the afternoon conference by contacting IPPA's producer education director Tyler Bettin by phone 800-372-7675 or email at tbettin@iowapork.org.



Iowa State Dairy Association and Midwest Dairy Association Begin Partnership

The Iowa State Dairy Association (ISDA) has voted to contract its operations to Midwest Dairy Association, effective May 1, 2014.  ISDA is a membership organization working on policy and industry issues, and legislative priorities, while Midwest Dairy manages the dairy promotion checkoff for Iowa and nine other states.

Under the agreement, Midwest Dairy will provide staffing and management for ISDA, tracking and segregating all ISDA costs to assure the checkoff exclusion for policy and legislative involvement is met.  Midwest Dairy’s promotion activities will continue to be funded through its checkoff authority.  All of ISDA’s policy and production-related activities will be funded through member dues and other ISDA sources of revenue. 

“This is a win-win for Iowa dairy producers,” said Larry Shover, president of the ISDA board of directors and a Delhi dairyman. “We know there will continue to be fewer dairy farms and our infrastructure within the industry needs to be as efficient as possible. These two organizations already share many of the same priorities, and a closer relationship makes sense for the dairy farmers who support both organizations through their own pocketbooks.”

“We serve the same dairy producers, and together we can capture the most value for them,” said Mike Kruger, CEO of Midwest Dairy.

Jessica Bloomberg, ISDA’s current executive director, previously announced plans to leave the organization on May 1 after five years. Consequently, Midwest Dairy has hired Sue Ann Claudon as director of industry relations for Midwest Dairy Association in Iowa, serving a dual role as ISDA executive director upon Bloomberg’s departure. Claudon was most recently with the United Sorghum checkoff program in Lubbock, Texas, and had previously served as general manager for Dairy Max, Inc., the dairy checkoff entity serving the southern U.S. She grew up on an Illinois dairy farm and graduated from the University of Illinois in animal science.

Chris Freland, the industry relations manager in Iowa, will also serve both organizations. She has been with Midwest Dairy for more than four years.

ISDA and Midwest Dairy already work closely through the Dairy Iowa initiative and on items such as issues management and dairy image communications. The new arrangement will allow both organizations to be more effective through better sharing of information about on-farm production practices, nutrition issues and research, among other topics.  ISDA will gain access to staff specialists in areas such as accounting, information technology, communications and event planning. Midwest Dairy will be able to utilize ISDA’s partner relationships and expertise in on-farm practices.

The board of directors of each organization will continue to operate separately, with each setting its own agenda and program priorities.

Midwest Dairy Association has similar arrangements with producer membership organizations in Nebraska and South Dakota.



Strong U.S. Red Meat Exports in November – Beef Sets New Value Mark

U.S. red meat exports for November were solid with beef sales setting a new value record with one month remaining in the year and pork exports posting their strongest month of 2013, according to statistics released by the USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Driven by sustained export growth to Japan and Hong Kong and the continued rebound of the Mexican market, U.S. beef exports surged 11 percent in volume and 16 percent in value compared to November 2012, putting 11-month totals at nearly 1.1 million metric tons (mt), up 3 percent from a year ago. Export value reached $5.61 billion, an 11 percent increase over last year’s pace and already ahead of the 2012 year-end total of $5.51 billion.

Pork exports also were bolstered by solid growth to Mexico and the Central/South America region, registering the highest totals for the year. Despite that, year-to-date U.S. pork exports continue to trail 2012’s record numbers by 6 percent in volume (1.95 million mt) valued at $5.5 billion, a 5 percent decline.

“Market access…product availability…relationships. There are many factors that play a role in the export marketplace,” said USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng. “We continue to see benefits from expanded market access for beef in Japan and Hong Kong. At the same time, the lack of access for U.S. beef to Mainland China and the closure of the Russian market for both pork and beef – which is approaching a year in duration – are significant barriers.”

Seng noted that other impediments for U.S. pork exports to both China and Japan have had an impact. Drought has had widespread ramifications, leading to smaller cattle numbers in the U.S. and a contrasting surge in Australia’s 2013 production, also leading to record exports of Australian beef.

November beef exports
U.S. beef exports in November reached 101,341 mt, an 11 percent hike over last year, while the value rose 16 percent to $524.5 million. Exports accounted for 14.3 percent of total U.S. beef production (muscle cuts plus variety meat) and 11 percent of muscle cuts alone compared to 12 and 9 percent, respectively, in November of 2012.

The export value per head of fed slaughter in November jumped to $267.36, an increase of $51.41 over last year.

The top-performing beef export markets in November were:
-    Japan: 17,135 mt (up 74 percent) valued at $101.2 million (up 41 percent).  Japan is the top volume and value market for U.S. beef exports, totaling 219,081 mt (up 52 percent) valued at $1.3 billion (up 34 percent) for the year
-    Mexico: 20,114 mt (up more than 62 percent) valued at $82.9 million (up more than 50 percent).  Mexico is the No. 2 volume market for U.S. beef for the year, totaling 191,984 mt (up 8 percent) valued at $819.9 million (up 8 percent)
-    Hong Kong: 15,185 mt (up 112 percent) valued at $98.1 million (up 163 percent)
-    ASEAN: 3,080 mt (up 22 percent) valued at $14.1 million (up 20 percent), led by a recovery of exports to Indonesia

November pork exports
U.S. pork exports in November totaled 192,657 mt (down 4 percent) valued at $550.7 million (down nearly 3 percent). Exports equated to 26 percent of total pork production and 22 percent of muscle cuts versus 26.8 and 23 percent, respectively, last year.

The export value per head was $57.07 for pork in November, an increase of $1.09 versus last year.

The top-performing export markets for U.S. pork for the month were:
-    Mexico: 58,678 mt (up 16 percent) valued at $124.3 million (up nearly 26 percent).  Exports are on pace to set another annual record and Mexico remains the top volume market for U.S. pork, trailing only Japan in value
-    Central/South America: 15,876 mt (up 58 percent) valued at $42.2 million (up 77 percent) and exports already set a new annual record with strong growth to Colombia, Chile and Honduras
-    Hong Kong: 7,326 mt (up 35 percent) but not fully offsetting smaller volumes to China (27,978 mt, down 15 percent)
-    ASEAN: 5,831 mt (up 25 percent) valued at $12.4 million (up 10 percent)
-    Caribbean: 4,281 mt (up 18 percent) valued at $11.2 million (up 23 percent)

Japan, the No. 1 export market for U.S. pork, continued to trail 2012 levels, down 2 percent in volume and 7 percent in value for the month, with 11-month totals at 390,388 mt (down 8 percent) valued at $1.7 billion (down 6 percent). Based on Japanese import data, smaller volumes of frozen pork from the U.S. have not been fully offset by growth in chilled pork and ground seasoned pork.

Lamb exports
U.S. lamb exports totaled 820 mt (down 10 percent) valued at $2.1 million (down 3 percent) in November. For the first 11 months of 2013, exports are up 6 percent in value ($25.8 million) on 7 percent lower volumes (11,395 mt), led by Mexico, Canada and the Middle East.



Record-Breaking Trade Show on Tap for 2014 Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville

Those attending the 2014 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 4-7 should be sure to pack their comfortable walking shoes. The NCBA Trade Show – for years, the beef cattle industry’s largest – is getting bigger, adding more than 30 exhibitors and thousands of square feet of booth space.

In 2014, there will be more than 300 exhibitors on 247,000 square feet – 5.7 acres. These exhibitors will feature everything from animal health products and ranch equipment to real estate, seed products, software, and western art. 

“The NCBA Trade Show is popular with both exhibitors and attendees,” said Kristin Torres, NCBA executive director of meetings and events. “Exhibitors like it because it consistently reaches the top cattle producers in the country – and a lot of them. Attendees like the Trade Show because it always features the cutting edge products and services in our industry. It’s estimated that about 7,000 producers will attend the 2014 event."

The success and rapid growth of the NCBA Trade Show has been noticed by the trade show industry. In 2013, the show received an award from the Trade Show News Network for being one of the top 25 fastest growing shows in the country in terms of attendance.

This coming year the Trade Show will not only be larger, but will feature more educational and entertainment opportunities for attendees. On the Trade Show floor will be two education areas, including a demonstration area with live animals to provide hands-on instruction. New this year is the NCBA Learning Lounge, which will feature 30-minute educational sessions to provide attendees valuable educational tips from industry experts in informal, face-to-face, technology-friendly classroom settings.

All three days of the show will feature fun and fellowship. The Sweet Ole Tennessee Welcome Reception, sponsored by MICRO, will kick off the 2014 show, with terrific food and music on Tuesday, Feb. 4. A Tennessee Wine Tasting Reception, sponsored by Merial, will be held Wednesday, Feb. 5, while on Thursday, Feb. 6, a Beef, Beer and Bourbon Reception, sponsored by Alltech, will provide entertainment and samples of local libations.

Lunch will also be provided to attendees every day of the Trade Show.

“Every year our NCBA Trade Show gets bigger and better,” Torres said. “The 2014 event will definitely provide something for everyone, and convention attendees tell us it’s always one of the highlights of their week. We look forward to the energy and excitement our show will bring to the entire Cattle Industry Convention in 2014.”

For more information on the 2014 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, go to www.beefusa.org.



Oil Drops on Lower Gas Demand

The price of oil fell more than 1 percent Wednesday after government data showed that demand for gasoline fell last week to the lowest level in a year.

Benchmark U.S. oil for February delivery fell $1.34, or 1.4 percent, to close at $92.33 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The Energy Department said supplies of gasoline rose by 6.2 million barrels last week, a jump of nearly 3 percent. Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill, said the data indicated that demand for gasoline was the lowest since the same week last year. Analysts surveyed by Platts had expected gasoline supplies to rise by 2 million barrels.

At the gas pump, the average price for a gallon of gasoline remained at $3.31. That's up 5 cents from a month ago and a penny higher than at this time last year.

Brent crude, used to set prices for international varieties of crude, fell 20 cents to $107.15 on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading:
--- Wholesale gasoline dropped 2 cents to $2.66 a gallon.
--- Natural gas fell 8 cents to $4.22 per 1,000 cubic feet.
--- Heating oil slipped 1 cent to $2.95 a gallon.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 1/03/2014

According to EIA data, ethanol production averaged 919,000 barrels per day (b/d)—or 38.60 million gallons daily. That is up 6,000 b/d from the week before. The four-week average for ethanol production stood at 922,000 b/d for an annualized rate of 14.13 billion gallons.

Stocks of ethanol stood at 16.1 million barrels. That is a 3.6% increase from last week.

No barrels of ethanol were imported for the 14th straight week.

Gasoline demand for the week averaged 347.5 million gallons daily, reflecting winter storm-induced reductions in travel. Ethanol input by blenders and refiners fell to its lowest point since the first week of 2013.

Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production was 11.11%, the highest in four weeks.

On the co-products side, ethanol producers were using 13.934 million bushels of corn to produce ethanol and 102,563 metric tons of livestock feed, 91,436 metric tons of which were distillers grains. The rest is comprised of corn gluten feed and corn gluten meal. Additionally, ethanol producers were providing 4.79 million pounds of corn oil daily.



U.S. Ethanol Export Opportunities Abound
U.S. ethanol exports surged to 82.4 million gallons (mg) in November, with large volumes finding their way into new or emerging markets such as China and India, as well as the Philippines, Tunisia, Panama, and Mexico, according to government data released this week.

Total exports were up 54 percent from October, reaching the highest monthly level since March 2012, which can be seen in the chart below. Canada was once again the leading importer of U.S. product, receiving 28.5 mg in November. The Philippines followed with an annual high of 14.0 mg, while India (8.1 mg), Brazil (4.3 mg), and Norway (4.3 mg) were other top destinations. For the first time since 2002, a sizable volume of fuel ethanol was exported to China (3.5 mg). Similarly, Panama imported meaningful volumes of U.S. fuel ethanol (2.0 mg) for the first time since 1992. Tunisia (2.3 mg) and Mexico (1.7 mg) are other relatively new markets that imported U.S. product in November.

Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, touted the uptick of exports to China and India as a huge opportunity for the ethanol industry and an indicator that ethanol demand is continuing to expand and grow overseas.

Dinneen noted, “U.S. produced ethanol continues to be the lowest cost liquid transportation fuel on the planet. The fact that rapidly developing countries like China and India are turning to the U.S. for fuel supply is both a reflection of that economic reality and the effort of U.S. producers to look beyond our borders to build demand. The RFA will continue working hard on behalf of American ethanol producers to grow and strengthen our export relationships with these emerging countries even as we continue to expand ethanol usage domestically.”

Dinneen continued, “But it’s not just one or two big countries where we are seeing an increase in ethanol imports. Other new markets such as Mexico, the Philippines, Tunisia and Panama are also expanding ethanol consumption. If we add onto that the volume of ethanol that the U.S. exports to Brazil, we see a huge overseas market emerging.”

The Renewable Fuels Association has worked with the U.S. government and U.S. ethanol producers to expand trade abroad. Most recently, Ed Hubbard, RFA’s general counsel, led a trade mission to Brazil through the Brazil-U.S. Business Council connecting U.S. ethanol companies with business opportunities in the northern regions of the country.

Additionally, Kelly Davis, RFA’s director of regulatory affairs, joined the U.S. Grains Council on a trade mission last May to South Korea and Japan. She visited Seoul and Tokyo, where she had the opportunity to discuss and promote the trade of ethanol and its co-products, specifically distillers dried grains (DDGS), overseas.

This week’s government data also showed exports of DDGS—the animal feed co-product from dry mill ethanol production—surged to a new monthly record in November, driven by unprecedented shipments to China. November DDGS exports totaled a record 1.08 million metric tons (mt), up 16 percent from October. China was the leading destination, bringing in 619,412 mt, or more than 57 percent of the total. Mexico (134,437 mt), Japan (35,152 mt), South Korea (34,547 mt), and Canada (34,465 mt) rounded out the top five markets for DDGS exports in November. Year-to-date exports stood at 8.72 million mt through November, implying an annualized total of 9.51 million mt—if realized, this would be a new annual record.

Dinneen concluded, “Ethanol producers are also seeing increased export opportunities for DDGS. The export of this high protein feedstock is important to ethanol producers domestically and essential to farmers abroad. It is a win-win scenario and we will continue working to expand the market for this important by-product and continue to actively fight any barriers to entry that might emerge. The RFA will again sponsor the ‘Export Exchange’ with the U.S. Grains Council this fall.”



Monsanto Profit Up 8.6%

Monsanto Co.'s fiscal first-quarter earnings rose 8.6%, as stronger herbicide sales offset a decline in its core seed business.

The St. Louis-based company also forecast its biggest soybean-seed launch ever this year and teamed up with a rival agricultural technology provider to explore connections between the two companies' systems for computer-driven farming.

"All of our indicators continue to line up to deliver mid- to high-teens" growth in operating profit on a percentage basis this year, Hugh Grant, Monsanto's chief executive, said on a conference call Wednesday. "That's no small [thing] when there is more volatility and more headwinds across agriculture than there has been in the last few years."

Farmers in the U.S. and elsewhere are confronting sharply lower grain prices after bumper crops last year in the U.S. and South America.

Monsanto, the world's largest seed company, sold $1.7 billion worth of seeds and related agricultural traits in the quarter ended Nov. 30, about 5% below the year-ago period. Sales of corn seed, Monsanto's biggest product, dipped 7% to $1.1 billion while soybean sales rose 16% to $267 million.

Softer corn sales were offset by a nearly one-quarter increase in sales of Monsanto's herbicides, including glyphosate, boosting its agricultural productivity segment to $1.5 billion in net sales.

The first quarter typically is a quieter one for Monsanto as U.S. customers are less active.

The company also said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Land O'Lakes Inc.'s WinField, one of its largest distribution partners, to explore connections between Monsanto's integrated farming systems and its recent Climate Corp. acquisition with WinField's R7 Tool.

Monsanto closed its $930 million acquisition of farm-analytics company Climate Corp. in November, a deal that enables Monsanto to offer tools including individualized weather statistics, part of a years-long effort by Monsanto to expand its range of tools offered to farmers to improve their crop yields.

David Friedberg, head of Climate Corp., has been appointed to lead Monsanto's farming technology group, reporting to President Brett Begemann, officials said Wednesday.

Such "precision farming" technology already has started to change how some farmers operate, and has attracted the interest of rivals including DuPont Co. and Dow Chemical Co.

Regarding the coming U.S. planting season, Monsanto said in a statement that the pace of its U.S. order book and strong pre-pays were tracking well with 2014 targets. The company said its upgrades and expansion in corn are on track in both Brazil and Argentina, where the company is achieving strong demand for its newest corn products.

"Commodities and acres are shifting this year more than the last few," Grant said Wednesday.

Monsanto reported a quarterly profit of $368 million, or 69 cents a share, up from $339 million, or 63 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding items, adjusted earnings from continuing operations rose to 67 cents from 62 cents.

Revenue rose 6.9% to $3.14 billion.



MONSANTO’S ANNUAL PIPELINE UPDATE PROVIDES A LOOK INTO AGRICULTURE’S FUTURE

Monsanto Company’s (NYSE: MON) annual research and development update marks the company’s largest advancement of products to date.  The agricultural company announced today a record 29 products progressed in its pipeline with five of those headed to the commercial marketplace.  Monsanto’s advancements include products across all of its platforms, including breeding, biotechnology, and new technology areas such as Integrated Farming Systems® and agricultural biologicals.

“Monsanto’s annual pipeline update provides a window into agriculture’s future – and, specifically, how breeding, biotechnology, biologicals and improved agronomics can meet the challenges of feeding a growing planet while using resources more efficiently,” said Robb Fraley, Ph.D., Monsanto’s chief technology officer. “From rural communities in America, to the plains of Sub-Saharan Africa, our scientists and breeders are working to provide farmers with innovations that can help them get the most out of every acre. I am particularly proud as this year’s advancements highlight the breadth of our R&D efforts and the truly integrated approach we are taking in order to deliver a total system of solutions that can offer additional choice for our farmer customers.”

Pipeline Highlights
-    Nearly 30 of the company’s more than 70 pipeline projects advanced phases this year.
-    A record five products graduated from the pipeline, including Intacta RR2 PRO™soybeans, FieldScripts® variable rate seeding in corn and Root-Knot Nematode Resistance within the cotton breeding pipeline.
-    Some of the most breakthrough progress was delivered from the company’s newest technology platforms, including more than 10 advancements across its Integrated Farming Systems® and agricultural biologicals platforms.
-    In addition to the 29 project advancements, Monsanto will have three projects in its Ground Breakers® on-farm testing program this year. Projects include Vistive® Gold soybeans, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend™ soybeans and Bollgard® II XtendFlex™ cotton.

         “Monsanto is headed in the right direction with science-based approaches and new technologies for farmers,” said Jeff Frank, a FieldScripts® Ground Breakers® farmer in Auburn, Iowa. “The data driven, scientific technologies Monsanto is developing are things we’ve never had before. As farmers, we have to take advantage of any opportunity we can to increase our yield potential. If we don’t think progressively, we won’t grow enough crops to feed a growing planet.”


Biotechnology Platform
         Monsanto has a pipeline of biotechnology projects in development, including next-generation insect control and herbicide tolerance agronomic trait projects as well as yield and stress work in collaboration with BASF Plant Science. This year’s nine biotechnology advancements include the launch of Intacta RR2 PRO™ soybeans and next-generation products like SmartStax® PRO corn (formally Corn Rootworm III), Second-Generation Intacta RR2 PRO soybeans, Third-Generation Herbicide Tolerant soybeans and Bollgard® III cotton.

Breeding Platform
         In addition to annual germplasm improvements, this year’s breeding pipeline advanced seven projects within the industry’s most-advanced disease resistance breeding program. Project highlights include enhanced resistance to Anthracnose Stalk Rot and Gray Leaf Spot in corn and Soybean Cyst Nematode, as well as Phytophthora Resistant Peppers, Bacterial Wilt Resistant Tomatoes and Downy Mildew Resistant Lettuce.

Biologicals Platform
         Five products within Monsanto’s agricultural biologicals platform are advancing as researchers carry on their work to increase crop health and productivity. Monsanto and the farmer customers it serves share a need to continuously meet the world’s growing demand in a sustainable way. Investing in the research and development of agricultural biological technologies is another step in that direction. Highlighted advancement in this platform include  BioDirect™ Tospovirus Control, BioDirect™ Colorado Potato Beetle and BioDirect™  Bee Health, as well as the addition of Microbials Yield and Microbials Plant Health to the pipeline’s discovery phase.

Integrated Farming Systems Platform
         Monsanto featured eight advancements in its Integrated Farming Systems® platform which is dedicated to helping farmers get more from every acre by integrating expertise in seed science, field science, data analysis and precision equipment to develop solutions optimized for the conditions of a farmer’s field. Advancing products include Variable Rate Soy FieldScripts®, Multi-Hybrid Corn FieldScripts® and Weather-Enhanced FieldScripts® as well as the launch of FieldScripts® in corn. 

Monsanto also highlighted the launch of The Climate Corporation’s Climate Pro™, a revolutionary web and mobile service that increases a farmer’s profitability through customized field recommendations that maximize yield and minimize costs.



Corn-after-Corn Management Tips

In recent years, high corn prices prompted many growers to increase the proportion of corn acres in their operations.  However, DuPont Pioneer agronomists say a continuous corn management system presents several challenges.

Below are some management tips to keep in mind when going with a corn-on-corn production system.
-    Fields with good tilth and water-holding capacity are ideal for corn-on-corn. The yield penalty for this production system is much lower in high-yield environments.
-    Hybrid selection is critical when growing corn after corn. Look for scores on stress emergence, high residue suitability, disease resistance, drought tolerance and stalk and root strength.
-    High corn residues can result in cooler, wetter soils at planting, higher disease and insect levels, nitrogen tie-up and planting challenges.  Minimizing residue and using foliar fungicides helps manage these environmental conditions.
-    Research has shown that yield reductions for continuous vs. rotated corn are often greater in stress years, probably due to a reduced root system. Managing rootworms and preventing compaction can help diminish this problem.
-    More nitrogen will likely be needed when producing corn after corn vs. corn after soybeans. Corn residues tie up nitrogen during the decomposition process.
-    Planting corn into fields with soybean stubble first in spring allows wetter continuous corn ground time to dry. This can reduce sidewall compaction that limits root growth and leads to uneven stands.



General Mills Now Selling Cheerios Without GM Ingredients

General Mills said it has stopped using genetically modified ingredients in the popular breakfast cereal Cheerios as the U.S. branded foods manufacturer hopes the move will firm up customer loyalty in the face of growing opposition to such additives.

Many activists and critics have cited studies showing that genetically modified (GM) crops are not safe for people and animals who consume them, reports Reuters.

Some activist groups opposing GM food also say the crops create environmental problems by encouraging more use of certain agro chemicals, and consumers should have the right to know what they are buying.

However, the company, which also makes Betty Crocker dessert mixes and Yoplait yoghurt, said in a blog post that its decision on ingredients was not driven by safety concerns or pressure from critics.

The Minneapolis-based General Mills said it has begun using non-GM cornstarch and non-GM sugar in Cheerios, adding that oats, the primary ingredient, is a crop that is not grown from genetically modified seeds.