Thursday April 2 Ag News

WORLD FOOD PRIZE LAUREATE TO SPEAK AT HEUERMANN LECTURE

Monsanto Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Robert Fraley will speak at the final Heuermann Lecture of the 2014-2015 season at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln April 21.

Fraley, a 2013 World Food Prize Laureate, will speak at 3:30 p.m. at the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center, 2021 Transformation Drive.

The lecture topic is "2050: Agriculture's Role in Mitigating Global Challenges."

The population is expected to reach 9.5 billion people by 2050. That number includes about 3 billion people who will be entering the middle class who will want access to a balanced meal for their family. As climate patterns, planting zones, plant diseases and pest pressures fluctuate and shift, further strains are put on natural resources including water and its availability. These issues could become the greatest challenges for food security in the history of agriculture.

Fraley and other agriculture leaders are exploring new innovations that can help farmers produce more food on less land, while also identifying ways to improve soil health and the environment.

Fraley is one of the pioneers in agricultural biotechnology and has been involved in ag research since the early 1980s. He has been with Monsanto for more than 30 years and currently oversees the company's global technology division, which includes plant breeding, plant biotechnology, ag biologicals, ag microbials, precision agriculture and crop protection.

Heuermann Lectures in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UNL are made possible through a gift from B. Keith and Norma Heuermann of Phillips. The Heuermanns are longtime university supporters with a strong commitment to Nebraska's production agriculture, natural resources, rural areas and people. Lectures stream live at http://heuermannlectures.unl.edu and are archived at that site soon afterward. They also air on NET2 World at a later date.



Local Control Prevails

Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) hailed the successful first round legislative efforts that gutted LB106, the Priority Bill of Sen. Dan Watermeier as a clear victory for local control.  The amendment adopted struck all the original language and replaced it with the authority for the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to develop a completely voluntary livestock siting matrix.   “LB106 in its original form was a clear assault on local control in its efforts to impose a mandatory state controlled matrix that would have shifted the ultimate authority for local decision making to the state level.  The Legislature wisely derailed that anti-local control effort.  All the “shalls” are gone,” said John Hansen, NeFU President.  “This was a major victory for local control.”

Hansen praised the combined efforts of their organizational partners including the Center for Rural Affairs, Nebraska Sierra Club, Nebraska Women Involved in Farm Economics, and Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska.  He also praised the efforts of local government officials, including county commissioners and planning and zoning leaders despite NACO support for the Bill.  Hansen also noted that in addition to Farmers Union, Center for Rural Affairs, Nebraska Sierra Club members and many others who worked hard to call their State Senators to oppose LB106, he thanked all the rural residents who helped defeat LB106 in its original form, including many county Farm Bureau organizations.  He also praised the many rural State Senators who worked so hard to amend and defeat LB106 that lead to the massive overhaul it received.

“For our organization, we understand that when it comes to local planning and zoning decisions, it is the local officials who best know the natural resources and the desires of the local people as they chart the course of their county.  Local people, unlike state officials, are more likely to make the right zoning decision for the local community.  And, if a mistake is made, they have a vested interest to fix it because they actually live with the consequences of their decisions.  The thrust of LB106 was to replace local control with state control and a one size fits all state grid system called a matrix,” said Hansen.  “That would have been a terrible mistake for our local communities and our livestock operations who need to live and work together.”

“While we do our best to work together with the organizations that represent rural interests, we were in strong conflict and disagreement with the Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Cattlemen, Nebraska Association of County Officials, Nebraska Pork Producers Association, Nebraska State Dairy Association, and Smithfield, the Chinese government owned pork producing and processing company.  Fortunately, the folks back home in the country supported our position and made this big win for local control possible,” concluded Hansen. “The grassroots ruled on this issue.”



New FieldNET® Pivot Control upgrades nearly any brand pivot

Lindsay Corporation, maker of Zimmatic irrigation systems, announces FieldNET® Pivot Control, the industry’s first solution for upgrading almost any brand pivot to full remote irrigation control and monitoring capabilities.

Many growers today manage multiple brands of irrigation systems. This requires operators to understand various types of pivot control panels, which takes time to learn and could lead to operator error. Pivot Control can change the way growers manage their irrigation by providing a single consistent irrigation experience. “It is simple, it is very intuitive.  And the ability to basically tap into any system and have this product as kind of plug-and-play on there, that’s great. You can take a 30-year-old pivot and bring it right up to date with this unit,” said Jared Gardner, a grower in Rocky Ford, Colo. who tested the product on his Zimmatic pivot and two other brands.

Unlike other remote irrigation control products, Pivot Control mounts at the pivot point and combines with GPS at the end of the pivot for increased precision and greater flexibility.  Growers can operate their pivot in the field at the control box or remotely using FieldNET—both elements automatically update together--minimizing the chance for user error.  From a smartphone, tablet, or computer, growers can control their pivots and equipment, including pumps, injectors, and monitor sensors for pressure, flow, soil moisture, rainfall, temperature, and other devices in the future.  “Making all my pivots universally controlled through one device is great and having pump control is crucial,” said Gardner.

The system will send alerts to the growers’ phone to notify them of any irrigation issues. “I water out of a canal and get lots of error alerts in water flow, and power flickers,” says Gardner. “Being able to power back up from my phone is essential. It saves me hours of drive time and wear and tear on my vehicle.”

Pivot Control comes standard with 360-sector variable rate irrigation (VRI), offering twice the number of sectors available on most basic VRI products. Growers working with agronomists and crop specialists to analyze their unique field conditions can upload custom prescriptions to FieldNET with a touch of a button.  “Once the prescription is created it takes less than a minute to upload,” said Agronomist Lamar LaPorte. “The biggest advantage is being able to scale the concept of VRI over a whole farm or multiple farms efficiently.  By eliminating the time consuming process of having to change each sector, it is a huge benefit.” 

Gardner says he has researched VRI and sees it as a next step. “Our inputs just keep getting more expensive so if we can utilize VRI to grow, that’s the next step,” says Gardner.

Pivot Control takes over the existing pivot, giving the grower full access to precision irrigation control and convenient monitoring. “There’s really nothing else like it on the market.  Pivot Control provides growers an affordable and easy way to own features that can more effectively and conveniently manage irrigation resources,” said Reece Andrews FieldNET business manager.



Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report

Favorable conditions in March prompted farmers to spread manure, complete some spring tillage, and seed oats and alfalfa according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Although soil temperatures in parts of northern Iowa were still too cold, operators in the southern two-thirds of the State have been able to begin anhydrous applications.

As March came to a close, topsoil moisture levels rated 2 percent very short, 19 percent short, 77 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus.  North Central Iowa reported the highest moisture levels with 89 percent in adequate to surplus. 

The State saw an increase in grain movement from February, with March grain movement rated 26 percent none, 41 percent light, 28 percent moderate, and 5 percent heavy. Reports ranged from having lines waiting at the elevator to little grain movement due to soft yards and poor prices. With the Mississippi River open, grain is moving from farm to elevator to barge.

Availability of hay and roughage supplies was 1 percent very short, 8 percent short, 82 percent adequate, and 9 percent surplus. Livestock conditions were described as good for the month of March with the mostly dry weather aiding calving conditions.



IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist
Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

General Summary.
Iowa temperatures averaged 36.8° or 0.9° above normal while precipitation totaled 0.59 inches or 1.56 inches below normal.  This ranks as the 53rd warmest and 7th driest March among 143 years of records. A drier March and a drier first one-quarter year was last recorded in 1994.

Temperatures.
The very cold weather pattern that dominated most of February continued into the first six days of March. The coldest day in many areas was the 5th with morning lows down to -17° at Stanley in Buchanan County while Maquoketa, Oelwein, Stanley and Postville recorded daytime highs of only 9°. An extended period of warmer and drier than normal weather prevailed from the 7th through the 22nd. The year’s first 70 degree readings were recorded over much of southwestern Iowa on the 10th while Sioux City and Little Sioux were the first Iowa locations to exceed 80 with 81° maximums on the 15th. Temperature soared higher still with Sioux City reaching 90° on the 16th. This reading came six days earlier in the year than any previous 90° temperature in Iowa (old record 92° at Clarinda on March 22, 1910). Another spell of cold weather prevailed from the 23rd to the 28th with Cresco reporting a low of 8° on the morning of the 27th. Finally, mild weather returned for the end of the month with Little Sioux reaching 81° on the 30th and 80° on the 31st. A larger range in monthly temperature extremes from -17 to +90 has been recorded only three times during March (1943, 1959 and 1962). There was also a fairly strong gradient in temperatures across Iowa during March with the month averaging about 5 degrees warmer than normal over the far northwest to about 2 degrees below normal along the Mississippi River.

Heating Degree Days.
Home heating requirements, as estimated by heating degree day totals, averaged 4% less than normal and 22% less than last March. Degree day totals for the heating season (since July 1, 2014) are running 3% more than normal but 10% less than last season though the end of March.

Precipitation.
Most of Iowa has been unusually dry since the major snow storm of January 31-February 1. There has been a statewide average of only 0.88 inches from February 2 through the end of March compared to a normal total for the period of 3.14 inches. A particularly dry period occurred from March 4th through the 21st when a statewide average of only 0.01 inches of precipitation fell during this 18-day period. Most of March’s precipitation came in two events during the fourth week of the month. Heavy snow fell across far northeast Iowa on the night of the 22nd with a foot of wet snow reported at McGregor. The largest event came on the 24th when rain fell statewide. Rain totals exceeded an inch at a few western locations with a maximum total of 1.32 inches reported near New Market in Taylor County. Some of the precipitation fell in the form of freezing rain and snow over northern sections of the state. This event also brought the first thunderstorms of the year to portions of the state. Monthly precipitation totals varied from 0.03 inches at Guthrie Center to 1.77 inches at Monona. No measurable snow fell over much of western and central Iowa during the month while 12.5 inches was reported eight miles east-northeast of Decorah. The statewide average snowfall was 0.9 inches while normal for the month is 4.7 inches. This was the lowest March statewide average snowfall since 1994 and ranks 9th lowest among 128 years of records.

The Return of El Niño.
Indications of a new El Niño event on the way first began last spring. However, it was not until last month that conditions finally met National Weather Service criteria for an El Niño event. What does El Niño mean for Iowa? Historically there have been 22 El Niño events documented since 1950 with the last one centered over the winter season of 2009-2010. In Iowa the strongest correlation with previous El Niño events is for above normal temperatures through the initial year of the event. In regards to precipitation the historical odds just slightly favor greater than normal amounts in Iowa during the first year of the event, but strongly turn toward the drier end of the spectrum for the second year (2016 in this case). We ended the 2014 growing season with soil moisture levels well above seasonal normal over much of central, west central and southern Iowa. Nevertheless, soil moisture going into this past winter was still better in the drier northern and east central areas of Iowa than was the case in the previous three years. Much of Iowa, the upper Midwest, and the central and northern plains states have been very dry over the past five or six months. However, in Iowa just ‘normal’ rains in April and May should put us in a favorable moisture situation for the beginning of the 2015 growing season.



Search Begins for America’s Pig Farmer of the Year

America’s Pig Farmer of the Year award program, announced by the National Pork Board in early March, is accepting applications from now until May 17 at americaspigfarmer.com. The award honors the U.S. pork producer who best excels at raising pigs using the We Care ethical principles and wants to share how he or she does that with the public.

“This new award brings to life the National Pork Board’s new strategic plan by building consumer trust through on-farm transparency and accountability,” said Brad Greenway, National Pork Board vice president and pig farmer from Mitchell, S.D. “The ideal candidate will have a focus on environmental sustainability, as well as animal welfare, production efficiency, the adoption of best practices and a commitment to continuous improvement.”

“The intent of this new recognition program is two-fold,” said Mike King, director of science communications for the Pork Checkoff. “The contest is designed to find the producer who best demonstrates the We Care principles on the farm. Additionally, the ideal candidate will excel at sharing their story in a way that connects with today’s consumers.”

Objective, third-party judges, including Iowa farmer and celebrity Chris Soules (The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars ), will help determine the final award recipient, with the winner announced during National Pork Month in October. The public will also have an opportunity to vote on the winning pig farmer through the Pork Checkoff’s social media outlets. In September, short video clips of the finalists will be displayed at americaspigfarmer.com, where people can vote for their favorite farmer.

“I encourage pork producers to consider applying or to encourage others who would be great candidates to do so,” Greenway said. “This new award will showcase what we do best – raise pigs in an ethical, responsible and transparent way.”

All U.S. pig farmers are welcome to apply April 1 to May 17, with instructions and frequently asked questions found at americaspigfarmer.com or via the link on pork.org. Specific details also will be available through state pork associations.



Beef Quality Assurance Free Certification Period Deadline Approaching

Through April 15, producers and those affiliated with the cattle industry can take advantage of free Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) online certification, courtesy of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) and the BQA program, funded by the beef checkoff. Visit bqa.org/team to receive your certification today!

BQA helps increase consumer confidence in the beef industry by demonstrating that the industry strives to produce a safe, wholesome product. All segments of the industry can benefit from becoming BQA-certified, including producers from cow-calf, dairy, stocker and feedlot operations, and anyone affiliated with those segments. With an overall focus on animal handling and disease treatment and prevention, online certification modules are customized to meet each segment’s needs.

“It worked great to break up the training modules and complete them over a two-week period. It fit my schedule,” says Keith York, dairy producer from Lake Geneva, Wisc., and 2014 Dairy BQA Award winner. “It was not only helpful for me to review some of the new animal handling information, but it was also a great tool for my employees. It was an effective way to manage and train the employees so they all knew where we stand on cattle handling and animal welfare issues. It’s a great tool to reaffirm best management practices.”

Beyond reinforcing industry best practices for cattle production, obtaining BQA certification can be a useful tool in an ever-changing industry landscape where consumers want to be assured they are receiving a product raised in ways that align with BQA.

More than 16,000 have enrolled in the BQA free certification program since BIVI partnered with BQA in 2013 — an impressive number that reflects both beef and dairy producers’ commitment to producing a quality beef product.



EU Common Market in Food Threatened By Biotech Proposal

Reports surfaced Thursday that the European Commission is considering a policy that would allow member states to “opt-out” of importing food and feed products containing biotechnology events approved by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA).

If enacted, a national opt-out for import approvals of biotechnology-derived products for food and feed uses would be disruptive and counter to international obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The EU food and feed markets are highly integrated, and the EU’s nominal goal has long been a common market based on transparent, scientific standards and a high-integrity regulatory system. National opt-outs would also result in fragmentation of the internal market for imported commodities and pose a serious threat to the principle of a single market.

The importation opt-out proposal is the latest concern about the EU’s stance toward biotechnology. The Commission has undertaken a de facto moratorium on the approval of new biotechnology events since November 2013, with 13 EFSA-approved events now awaiting final approval by the Commission despite having long ago passed all scientific tests. These events have been pending for 69 months and counting on average despite EU laws and regulations that stipulate an 18-month time period for a decision.

“The EU continues to practice a de facto moratorium on biotech approvals, contrary to its obligations under international law,” said U.S. Grains Council Chairman Ron Gray, a farmer from Illinois.

“It is important to emphasize that we are discussing events that have been tested and approved not only by ESFA, the EU’s own scientific watchdog, but also by the U.S. and other major import markets like Japan, Canada, Taiwan and Mexico that have sophisticated regulatory systems with high scientific integrity.”

Important elements of the EU agriculture value chain are warning that the balance of their food and feed supply is threatened when regulation is not science-based or timely. Experience has demonstrated that undue delays in market authorizations for biotech events result in higher costs along the EU value chain – including for EU consumers – which undermines the economic growth and competitiveness of the EU food, feed, breeding and livestock sectors.

“The question is simply whether Europe wants to have a functioning, science-based system and will respect its own laws and treaty obligations, or will it allow political pressure to trump everything else,” Gray said.



NCGA Applauds Introduction of Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act

The National Corn Growers Association applauds Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Rand Paul (R-KY) for recently introducing the Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act, a bill that would ultimately increase the availability of E15 in the marketplace.

A key component of the Grassley/Paul bill is the extension of one pound waiver to E15 fuel.

"Consumers should have access to higher blends of clean, renewable fuel year-round. This legislation would remove a regulatory hurdle to that access, and give consumers more choices at the pump," said NCGA President Chip Bowling, a farmer from Maryland.

Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) measures the evaporation rate of gasoline.  EPA has granted a 1 p.s.i. waiver to E10 blends allowing year-round sales throughout the country.  Although E15 has a slightly lower RVP than E10, EPA refuses to grant E15 the same waiver.  Without this waiver, approximately 60 percent of the country can only fuel FFVs with E15 from June 1 - September 15.  If the bill passed, NCGA expects far more retailers would offer E15 since they can sell it to all customers year-round.

"We applaud Senators Grassley and Paul for their leadership on this issue, and we urge Congress to pass this bill," said Bowling.



Survey: Pork Producers Optimistic About State of Industry

Since 2002, the National Pork Board has conducted an annual survey of pork producers to gain insight to the condition of the industry, general attitudes about pig farming and their support of the Checkoff. The most recent survey was conducted last fall and shows great optimism.

For the fifth consecutive year, producer support for the Checkoff increased. In this last survey, support reached 89 percent, up 2 percentage points from last year’s results. Meanwhile, opposition to the Checkoff declined 1 percentage point to a low of 5 percent. The results are the most positive in the survey’s history.

Other highlights include:
    Right direction/wrong track: 83 percent of producers feel the industry is heading “in the right direction,” growing from a 2013 score of 75 percent. Of those surveyed, 9 percent feel the industry is “on the wrong track,” dropping from a 2013 score of 13 percent.

    The biggest overall challenge facing pork producers is managing hog health and disease. A recently announced $15 million investment in the Swine Health Information Center directly addresses this concern.

    The most important thing the Checkoff can do to help producers’ operations is to educate consumers about the safety of pork.
    “Educating consumers about the safety of pork is a shift from previous years’ results when top-of-mind desires were focused first and foremost on advertising and marketing pork,” said Dale Norton, president of the Pork Checkoff and a producer from Bronson, Mich.
    “This change stems from the increasing conversations people are having about food production,” he said.

    That sentiment also was evident in embarking on the recent five-year strategic planning process. The survey found the stated goals of the new plan resonate with producers. On a 10-point scale:
    “Build consumer trust” rated a mean score of 8.85, the highest result and growing to 9.05 among large producers.
    “Grow consumer demand” rated a mean score of 8.39.
    “Drive sustainable production” rated a mean score of 7.86.

“This tells the Pork Board that the development of our strategic plan is in sync with the concerns, interests and thoughts of producers,” Norton said.

The survey is based on phone interviews with 550 pork producers in November 2014.



USDA February 2015 Dairy Production Production Highlights

Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 884 million pounds, 3.9 percent above February 2014 but 9.5 percent below January 2015.  Italian type cheese production totaled 394 million pounds, 5.4 percent above February 2014 but 7.4 percent below January 2015.  American type cheese production totaled 349 million pounds, 2.5 percent above February 2014 but 12.0 percent below January 2015.  Butter production was 156 million pounds, 4.8 percent below February 2014 and
13.1 percent below January 2015.

Dry milk powders (comparisons with February 2014)
Nonfat dry milk, human - 148 million pounds, up 5.4 percent.
Skim milk powders - 32.4 million pounds, down 8.3 percent.

Whey products (comparisons with February 2014)
Dry whey, total - 78.0 million pounds, up 25.7 percent.
Lactose, human and animal - 81.3 million pounds, down 9.2 percent.
Whey protein concentrate, total - 38.8 million pounds, down 8.0 percent.

Frozen products (comparisons with February 2014)
Ice cream, regular (hard) - 58.8 million gallons, up 0.4 percent.
Ice cream, lowfat (total) - 30.9 million gallons, up 4.1 percent.
Sherbet (hard) - 3.25 million gallons, down 3.1 percent.
Frozen yogurt (total) - 4.84 million gallons, down 14.3 percent.



NFU President Urges Consumers and Producers to Be Leery of Trade Deals, Insists All Future Trade Agreements Should Have Primary Goal of Reducing U.S. Deficit

National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson today cautioned the American public – rural and urban alike – to be very leery of the rhetoric being used to sell upcoming trade deals and to insist that any agreement signed by this country has the primary goal of reducing the overall trade deficit.

“Trade is neither inherently good nor is it inherently bad,” said Johnson. “And the string of deals that have been signed into law over the past decade, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the more recent Korean trade deal have failed to deliver prosperity and instead have exported good American jobs while growing the overall trade deficit,” he said.

Johnson noted that in 2014, the trade deficit increased to $505 billion, representing nearly 3 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and slowing growth for the overall economy. “Yes, the positive trade balance of U.S. agriculture trade is good news – but it is massively overshadowed by the alarming overall U.S. trade deficit,” he said. “And all family farmers and ranchers should take note of that,” he said.

Johnson said that Congress should deny the request of the president, and any president in the future, who asks for Trade Promotion Authority -- also known as Fast Track.

“Fast Track allows the president to negotiate these agreements in secret and then present them to Congress for an up or down vote, with any and all amendments forbidden. Trade agreements that lack transparency should raise everyone’s eyebrows,” said Johnson.

As in the past, another enormous and mysterious deal being considered, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), has been negotiated behind closed doors with little input from the public or Congress. “The lack of transparency in negotiating TPP is particularly egregious, considering its expansive scope,” said Johnson.

“Several countries involved in the TPP negotiations are known currency manipulators including Malaysia, Singapore and Japan,” said Johnson. 

Recent reports noted that the U.S.-Japan trade deficit reached nearly $80 billion in 2013, and currency manipulation was the most significant cause of the deficit. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that this trade deficit with Japan resulted in 896,600 jobs eliminated in the U.S., in nearly every congressional district.

Another massive agreement in the works with Europe, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), offers more of the same.

“Although many of these deals have benefitted family farmers and ranchers, they have done so at the cost of the loss of millions of American jobs and higher trade deficits for our children,” he said. “And this growing drag on the U.S. economy will eventually drag rural America down with it,” noted Johnson, since U.S. consumers are by far the largest market for the goods from family farmers and ranchers,” he noted.



Informa: Brazil Soy Crop at 93 MMT

Private analytical firm Informa Economics has released updated global crop projections, including boosting Brazilian soybean production to 93 million metric tons and lowering Argentina's production to 57.5 mmt.

Last month, USDA forecast Brazil would produce 94.5 mmt of soybeans and that Argentina would produce 56 mmt. The latest report from USDA's attache in Brazil lowered his estimate of Brazilian production to 93 mmt.

Informa forecasts Brazilian corn production at 74.7 mmt. That's up 2.4 mmt from Informa's last forecast, but just shy of USDA's current 75 mmt estimate. Informa said yields on the main corn crop in Rio Grande do Sul are higher than previously estimated, while winter corn acreage is expected to increase from previous estimates.



UK Company takes legal action against Bayer CropScience for patent infringement

Exosect Ltd, a leading provider of enabling technologies, has commenced legal proceedings against Bayer CropScience Inc. for infringement of its Canadian patent (CA2861526), granted on 3rd February 2015.

The patent relates to, among other things, the use of synthetic waxes, such as polyethylene wax, as a lubricant/fluency agent to improve the flowability of plant seeds and reduce the risk of dust drift. This technology brings forward significant improvements in seed flow lubricants.

In Canada, the majority of corn and soybean crops use a neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatment. Such treated seeds must be applied using seed flow lubricants such as those in the Exosect patent, which replace talc and graphite. Talc and graphite are no longer permitted because they were found to detach easily from the seed to create insecticide-containing dust.

This legal action has potential implications for the broader supply chain as such uses of the product in question may infringe the patent.



Farmers Mutual Acquires John Deere Insurance Company

Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa (FMH) announced it has completed the closing on the acquisition of John Deere Insurance Company and John Deere Risk Protection, Inc.

"The combination will take two very reputable, well respected mid-tier companies and create a top-tier company with a national footprint and enormous potential," said Ron Rutledge, FMH Chairman, President and CEO.

Headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, FMH has served America's farmers since 1893 with a combination of financial strength, personal service, and Midwestern values. A leader in the crop insurance industry, the company has been managed by the same family for over 120 years, and has a reputation of building lasting relationships that benefit their employees, business partners, and customers. FMH provides comprehensive risk management solutions, including private and federal crop insurance, reinsurance products and services, as well as farm and ranch insurance that includes auto, property, and liability coverage.

Deere had been involved in the crop insurance business for 9 years, during which John Deere Insurance Company had become a top-10 provider of crop insurance with national distribution and a product portfolio of both government-backed multi-peril crop insurance (MPCI) coverages as well as private crop insurance products such as crop hail protection



Dow AgroSciences, Radiant Genomics Announce R&D Collaboration

Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), and Radiant Genomics today announced a research and development (R&D) collaboration agreement to discover novel natural products for application in crop protection products. The collaboration combines proprietary metagenomic and engineering-biology technologies from Radiant Genomics with Dow AgroSciences’ industry-leading natural products discovery and product development capabilities to deliver new products from naturally derived chemistries.

Dow AgroSciences is an industry leader in discovering and commercializing natural and semi-synthetic crop protection products. For example, spinosad (Entrust® SC Naturalyte® Insect Control, Conserve® SC speciality insecticide, Tracer® insecticide, and Success® Naturalyte® Insect Control) and spinetoram (Radiant® SC, Delegate® WG, Exalt™ SC, and Endure™ insecticides) are two market-leading active ingredients in the spinosyns family of chemistry that are derived through fermentation and are important tools for controlling insects in many crops around the world.

“This  collaboration will allow us to combine the expertise and capabilities within
Dow AgroSciences with Radiant’s proprietary technologies to accelerate our industry-recognized natural products discovery program, building on our commitment to sustainable solutions,” said Daniel R. Kittle, Vice President of Research and Development at Dow AgroSciences.

The technology employed by Radiant Genomics will enhance Dow AgroSciences’ natural product lead generation and optimization process. Working together, the combined expertise can help to bring new crop protection products to the market sooner.

“Radiant is delighted to be working with Dow AgroSciences and is looking forward to combining our leading-edge metagenomic natural product discovery platform with Dow AgroSciences’ world-class expertise and infrastructure in search of novel crop protection products,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kim, Chief Scientific Officer, Radiant Genomics, Inc.