Thursday July 27 Ag News

SOYBEAN MANAGEMENT FIELD DAYS SET FOR AUG. 8-11 AT FOUR LOCATIONS

The 19th annual soybean management field days, scheduled for Aug. 8-11, will focus on staying competitive in a global marketplace, increasing profits and meeting the world's growing food and energy needs starting in Nebraska. The field days will offer producers research-based information to improve their soybean profitability.

The field days are sponsored by the Nebraska Soybean Checkoff in partnership with Nebraska Extension and are funded through soybean checkoff dollars. The efforts of the checkoff are directed by the United Soybean Board.

The event consists of four stops across the state, each with replicated research, demonstration plots, lunch and time for questions. Producers can obtain ideas and insight about the challenges they face in producing a quality crop at a profitable price in today's global economy.

Presenters include specialists and educators from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and industry consultants. Topics include early season crop stress effects on production, insects and seedling diseases; maturity group and traits, cover crops and weed management; spraying new herbicide formulations in soybeans; marketing and policy outlook; and impact of tillage on seeding rates, evapotranspiration and soil factors affecting yield.

Agronomists and plant disease and insect specialists will be available to address production-related questions. Participants can bring unknown crop problems for identification.

The field days begin with 9 a.m. registration and conclude at 2:30 p.m. Free registration is available the day of the event. Dates and locations are:
> Aug. 8, West Central Research and Extension Center, 402 W. State Farm Road, North Platte
> Aug. 9, Tad Melia Farm near Ord
> Aug. 10, Jim Gerdes Farm near Auburn
> Aug. 11, Tim Gregerson Farm near Tekamah

For more information on the field days and driving directions to the sites, visit http://ardc.unl.edu/soydays or contact the Nebraska Soybean Checkoff at 800-852-BEAN or Nebraska Extension at 1-800-529-8030.



OATS FOR FALL PASTURE OR HAY
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               It’s almost August and fall is just around the corner.  Could you use some extra pasture or hay in late September and October?  Oats might be your answer.

               Oats may be one of our most under-used fall forages.  That's right.  Plain old dull oats.  It grows fast, thrives under cool fall conditions, has good feed value, and can produce over 2 tons of hay or pasture yet this year.  Plus, it dies out over winter, so it protects soil without causing planting problems next spring.

               To plant oats, drill about 3 bushels of oats per acre in early August for maximum yield potential.  A fully prepared seedbed usually is best, but you can plant oats directly into wheat stubble or other crop residues if weeds are killed ahead of planting.  Even flying oats onto corn or bean fields severely damaged by weather or to be chopped early for silage can work, although rye tends to work better for flying on seed.  Avoid fields with herbicide carryover, and topdress 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre unless the previous crop was heavily fertilized.

               With good moisture, oats will be ready to graze about 6 to 8 weeks after emergence.   Calves and yearlings can gain over two pounds per day.  But be careful to avoid grass tetany on lush oat pasture; ask your veterinarian if you should supplement with magnesium.  Also, don't suddenly turn livestock out on oat pasture if they have been grazing short or dry pastures.  Sudden respiratory problems can occur.

               For hay, cut oats soon after plants begin to dry out following a killing freeze, or cut earlier if plants reach a desirable growth stage.  Oats can accumulate nitrates, so test hay before feeding.

               If you have good soil moisture, give fall oats a try.  Some of your best forage growth may still be ahead of you.



New additive makes biodiesel the cleanest liquid fuel in the U.S.

The California Air Resource Board announced July 20, 2017 that they have certified a biodiesel additive that will make B20 blends in California the cleanest proven and tested diesel fuel with the lowest emissions profile available anywhere in the U.S.

“Biodiesel has been a key to help California meet its intense carbon reduction goals. With this announcement, America’s Advanced Biofuel will continue to deliver a cleaner burning, American made alternative under the state’s low carbon fuel standard,” said Donnell Rehagen, National Biodiesel Board CEO. “This success wouldn’t have been possible without the strategic funding partnership of the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB).”

The additive takes already clean-burning biodiesel and ensures it reduces every measurable regulated emission, including NOx (nitrogen oxides), when blended with California’s unique diesel formulation called CARB diesel. NBB led the initial research and development into the additive with funding support from NSB to maintain biodiesel’s competitive advantage under the state’s low carbon fuel standard.

NSB and NBB board member Greg Anderson of Newman Grove says the approval of the additive opens the door to new opportunities and demonstrates the value of NSB’s investment in biodiesel research.

“American biodiesel production adds demand for soybean oil that brings significant value to our industry,” said Anderson. “Maintaining biodiesel’s role as a clean-fueling option in the largest diesel market in the country is significant to ensuring future growth.”

The ability to grow biodiesel volumes in California doesn’t just benefit residents of the state or biodiesel producers, it also benefits soybean farmers in the Midwest.

“More demand for biodiesel, regardless of where the fuel is used, means added value to soybean farmers across the country,” said NSB Chairman Tony Johanson. “Biodiesel demand adds 11 cents per pound to soybean oil value, which results in an increased value of 63 cents per bushel for soybeans. As an organization dedicated to advancing Nebraska soybean farmers’ interests, supporting biodiesel is a no-brainer.”



USDA TO SURVEY COUNTY SMALL GRAINS ACREAGE

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey producers in 32 states, including Nebraska, for its County Agricultural Production Survey (CAPS).

“County-level yields have a direct impact on farmers around the State. USDA’s Farm Service Agency uses the data in administering producer programs such as the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) included in the 2014 Farm Bill, and in determining disaster assistance program calculations,” said Dean Groskurth, director of the NASS Northern Plains Field Office. “NASS cannot publish a county yield unless it receives enough reports from producers in that county to make a statistically defensible estimate. So, it is very important that producers respond to this survey. In 2016, NASS was unable to publish several large producing counties due to a lack of sufficient number of responses.”

“As required by Federal law, all responses are completely confidential,” Groskurth continued. “We safeguard the privacy of all respondents, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified. Individual responses are also exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.”

Many producers respond by mail or on-line via NASS’s secure reporting website. If not enough responses are received from a county, NASS will begin contacting producers by phone or in person. County-level data for winter wheat and oats will be available Thursday, December 14th.



Webinar Looks at Expectations for Cow-Calf Producers

Have the lows been established for the cattle industry? With the magnitude of the breaks and rallies that we have experienced across the entire cattle industry thus far that question is on everyone’s mind. An upcoming free CattleFax webinar will address that question as well as provide an outlook for the cow-calf and entire beef industry for the remainder of 2017 and into 2018.

The CattleFax Trends+ Cow-Calf Webinar will be at 5:30 p.m. MT, Aug. 30, 2017. To participate in the webinar and access program details, producers and industry leaders simply need to register online at https://www.cattlefax.com/#!/about. 

One of the most aggressive U.S. beef cowherd expansions in the last four decades has increased beef supplies and caused cow-calf profitability to be reduced back towards long term levels. As profits have narrowed well-informed producers can maintain healthy margins by adjusting production, marketing and risk management plans with increasing supplies in mind.

CattleFax analysts will discuss a variety of topics in the one-hour session, including:
-    Cattle and feedstuff market projections for the next 12 to 18 months
-    Calf market expectations for fall and into 2018.
-    Long-term outlook of cowherd expansion
                                                                                    
The Trends+ webinar series informs cattle producers about current market conditions and provides providing decision-friendly advice regarding management decisions. The analysis and strategies shared through the webinar series has reached more than 4,500 producers, and sponsorship from Elanco Animal Health is making the seminar free for all attendees.



Japan’s Frozen Beef Safeguard Triggered in First Quarter of Japanese Fiscal Year

Today the Japanese government released its June import figures for frozen beef. From this data it now is clear that imports during the first quarter (April 1-June 30) of Japan’s fiscal year, from the United States and other countries covered under Japan’s “safeguard” mechanism, were large enough (by a margin of just 113 metric tons) to trigger an increase in the duty charged on imports of frozen beef from these countries. The rate will increase from 38.5 percent to 50.0 percent for the remainder of the current fiscal year (through March 31, 2018).

“USMEF recognizes that the safeguard will not only have negative implications for U.S. beef producers, but will also have a significant impact on the Japanese foodservice industry,” explained U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Philip Seng. “It will be especially difficult for the gyudon beef bowl restaurants that rely heavily on Choice U.S. short plate as a primary ingredient. This sector endured a tremendous setback when U.S. beef was absent from the Japanese market due to BSE, and was finally enjoying robust growth due to greater availability of U.S. beef and strong consumer demand. USMEF will work with its partners in Japan to mitigate the impact of the safeguard as much as possible. We will also continue to pursue all opportunities to address the safeguard situation by encouraging the U.S. and Japanese governments to reach a mutually beneficial resolution to this issue.”

As agreed to in 1994 in the WTO Uruguay Round, Japan maintains separate quarterly import safeguards on chilled and frozen beef, allowing imports to increase by 17 percent compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The duty increases from 38.5 percent to 50 percent when imports exceed the safeguard volume. Japan’s frozen beef imports in the 2016 Japanese fiscal year were lower than in previous years, thus the growth in imports during this first quarter of the current fiscal year exceeded 17 percent, driven in part by rebuilding of frozen inventories and strong demand for beef in Japan’s foodservice sector. The most recent quarter saw strong growth in imports from all of Japan’s main beef suppliers.

The implications for U.S. beef exports are significant because U.S. frozen beef now faces an even wider tariff disadvantage compared to Australian beef. The duty on U.S. frozen beef imports, effective Aug. 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018, will be 50 percent while the duty on Australian beef will remain at the current rate of 27.2 percent, as established in the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA). The snapback duty of 50 percent will apply to frozen imports from suppliers that do not have an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with Japan, which are mainly the U.S., Canada and New Zealand.

Conditions have changed since the quarterly safeguards were established in 1994, and the growth in Japan’s imports this year has not adversely impacted Japan’s domestic beef producers. Prices for wagyu carcasses and wagyu feeder cattle are down from the record highs of last year, but are otherwise the highest in recent history. Japan has also moved away from the quarterly safeguard mechanism in its recent trade agreements. Through the JAEPA, Japan transitioned from quarterly safeguards to annual safeguards, which are much less likely to be triggered. The snapback duties on Australian beef have also been reduced, minimizing any potential impact on trade. Japan also agreed to similar terms in its economic partnership agreement with Mexico and in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).



U.S. Beef Industry Highlights Success of Korea Free Trade Agreement

The CEOs of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the North American Meat Institute, and the U.S. Meat Export Federation today sent a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue and Ambassador Robert Lighthizer of USTR to highlight the success the U.S. beef industry has experienced with its exports to South Korea since the entry into force of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS). The industry letter was prompted by the recent announcement from the Trump Administration that there will be a special session with South Korea to discuss potential changes to the KORUS. The meeting will be held in Washington, D.C., in August.

“Simply put, KORUS created the ideal environment for the U.S. beef industry to thrive in South Korea," the letter said. "We would not support any changes in the terms of the KORUS that would jeopardize either our market share or the significant investment that has been made in rebuilding Korean consumer confidence in the safety, quality, and consistency of U.S. beef.”

Together, the three U.S. beef industry associations represent the entire beef value chain, from ranchers to feedlot operators to meat packers and export trading companies, and they are united in the position that continued access to the South Korean market on the terms that were negotiated in the KORUS is essential to the future health of the U.S. beef industry.

The letter states that “Under KORUS, the U.S. beef industry has seen an 82 percent increase in annual sales to South Korea, from $582 million in 2012 to $1.06 billion in 2016, making South Korea the second largest export market for U.S. beef. Many cuts like short ribs and chuck rolls receive a significant premium in South Korea over prices in the U.S. market. KORUS established strong science-based trade measures and a schedule for the elimination of South Korea’s 40 percent tariff on U.S. beef—terms that have allowed the U.S. beef industry to be very competitive in South Korea.”

The letter further states that “implementing KORUS before the Australians implemented their free trade agreement with South Korea has given U.S. beef a significant tariff rate advantage in South Korea, and the United States is now the leading source of beef imports in South Korea.”

The U.S. beef industry is a vitally important part of the U.S. agricultural economy and one of the largest employers in rural communities across the United States. Exports are a critical component of the continued profitability of the U.S. beef industry and make a significant contribution to the positive balance of trade that the United States enjoys in food and agricultural products. Last year, we sold $6.3 billion of U.S. beef to foreign consumers, with exports to South Korea, accounting for 17 percent of the total.



Corn Farmers Call for Faster Access to New Technology

Farmers attending last week’s National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Corn Congress called for faster access to new biotechnology-enhanced crop traits.  The move reflects growing frustration among NCGA members over excessive regulatory delays in the international marketplace.

“Farmers recognize that a strong, science-based, regulatory system is essential to reassure consumers about the safety and quality of our crops,” said Wesley Spurlock, a farmer from Stratford, Texas and NCGA president.  “At the same time, when it takes four to six years, or more, to secure regulatory approvals in certain markets, it is clear that a country’s regulatory system is broken.”

The NCGA’s new policy supports the commercialization of new biotechnology-enhanced corn traits that: a) have been approved by the U.S. and Japan; and b) have faced delays of more than 30 months from any government with a non-functioning regulatory system.  By comparison, there are biotechnology traits that have been awaiting regulatory approval in certain markets for the past 48 to 72 months.

“Biotechnology has been an important tool for farmers who are working to fight weeds and insects, maintain productivity, and reduce our use of natural resources,” said Don Duvall, a farmer from Carmi, Illinois and chairman of the NCGA’s Freedom to Operate Action Team.  “The farmers on our team proposed this policy as a first step toward addressing what we see as a pending crisis in how new innovations come to market.  We will continue working with the Trump Administration, Congress and our partners in the supply chain, to identify and promote solutions that can ensure faster access to these important new tools while also mitigating disruptions to trade.”

The new policy relies upon World Trade Organization standards that define a functioning regulatory market as a science-based system that is free of political influence.  The policy was adopted by NCGA’s Corn Congress, a 127-member delegate body that represents 49 affiliated state corn organizations from 28 states.



 NPPC Backs EPA Request To Delay Emissions Reporting Requirements For Farms

On a day when the process for withdrawing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule formally was initiated, the National Pork Producers Council filed a brief in support of EPA’s recent motion to delay a federal court order requiring farms to begin onerous and unnecessary air emissions reporting.

An April 11 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected an EPA exemption for farms from reporting emissions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA). CERCLA mainly is used to clean hazardous waste sites but has a federal reporting component, while EPCRA requires entities to report on the storage, use and release of hazardous substances to state and local governments, including first responders. The agency limited EPCRA reporting of emissions to large, confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), requiring them to make one-time reports.

In exempting agriculture from the reporting requirements, EPA reasoned that emissions from farms might exceed thresholds that would trigger responses under CERCLA, but responses would be “unnecessary, impractical and unlikely.” (Agitating a manure pit, for example, could result in the release of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide in amounts that exceed reportable levels, but the gases would dissipate quickly, so no response would be warranted.)

EPA asked the Court of Appeals to delay enforcement of emissions reporting until Jan. 17, 2018, on the grounds that the approximately 63,000 farms affected need time to estimate their emissions and to explore additional “regulatory and administrative approaches to address these reporting obligations.”

In its supporting brief, NPPC argued that enforcing the reporting requirements on farms before EPA can provide them with guidance “will trigger confusion among farmers and agencies without benefiting the public.”

Public Comment Period Opens for WOTUS Rule Withdraw

The Trump administration today formally initiated the process to repeal the WOTUS rule, proposing a regulation rescinding the rule and opening the regulation to public comment. The WOTUS rule, which went into effect in 2015 but was put on hold by a federal court, broadened the EPA’s regulatory authority over waterways to include, among other water bodies, upstream waters and intermittent and ephemeral streams such as the kind farmers use for drainage and irrigation. It also covered lands adjacent to such waters.

Comments supporting the repeal can be filed at Regulations.gov or by following this link: http://tinyurl.com/RepealWOTUS



WOTUS Argument Date Announced

The Supreme Court announced October 11 as the date to hear arguments on where the “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) case will take place.  Farm groups, manufacturers, along with many states and environmental groups believe that district courts should handle the matter, but the federal government believes the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, who ruled they should hear the case, is the proper court level. This kicks off a 30-day comment period on withdrawing the Obama-era “waters of the U.S” rule. The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers are publishing a proposal that would kill the existing WOTUS rule and reinstate the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act the way it existed before 2015. The administration announced its plan June 27, but the formal release of the proposal was held up by a formatting problem with the Federal Register.



Conaway, Peterson Announce Farm Bill Listening Session in Illinois

Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (MN-7) announced a committee listening session, “The Next Farm Bill, Conversations in the Field,” at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois to gather input from farmers, ranchers and stakeholders. Upon announcement the chairman and ranking member made the following remarks:

“As our committee travels across the country gathering input from farmers, ranchers and stakeholders, the Farm Progress Show – in the center of the country – seems like the natural next stop. U.S. production agriculture is widespread and diverse, so we need to hear from a broad cross-section of producers to craft a farm bill that represents all commodities and stakeholders. I’m looking forward to a productive conversation in Illinois and encourage area stakeholders to attend and share their ideas for improvements to our next farm bill,” said Chairman Conaway.

“The committee’s listening sessions allow us to build on the input we’ve already received in Washington by hearing firsthand accounts of how farm bill programs are, or maybe aren’t, working across the countryside. Bringing the committee to Decatur will give area stakeholders an opportunity to weigh in on what they would like to see in the next farm bill,” said Ranking Member Peterson.

Listening Session Schedule:
Aug. 30, 2017, Decatur, Ill.
Farm Progress Show
Beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Further details related to the listening session will be forthcoming.



NAWG and the National Wheat Foundation Host a Wheat Summit

Today, the National Association of Wheat Growers, in conjunction with the National Wheat Foundation, held a Wheat Summit to address and collaborate on the challenges and opportunities facing the wheat industry. The Summit was attended by more than 20 industry professionals from across the wheat value chain.

NWF Executive Director Chandler Goule made the following statement:

“Wheat growers across the country have experienced a multitude of challenges the past couple of years, with record low commodity prices coupled with weather and disease problems affecting the crop. These hurdles are not only exclusive to wheat growers, but can impact every entity in the value chain.

“The National Wheat Foundation and the National Association of Wheat Growers brought these groups together to strengthen the relationships within the industry and improve collaboration on common issues. These wheat industry sectors are interconnected and facilitating open communication will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire chain.”

While the wheat value chain encompasses multiple companies, organizations, and third parties, the Summit hosted representatives from American Bakers Association, American Seed Trade Association, Ardent Mills, Bayer, Bimbo Bakeries, BNSF Railway, Cargill, CropLife America, Food Marketing Institute, General Mills,  Grain Food Foundation, Grocery Manufacturers Association, National Wheat Improvement Committee, North American Millers Association, SNAC International, Syngenta, U.S. Wheat Associates, Wheat Foods Council, and Wheat Quality Council.



IGC Cuts 2017-18 Grain Production Forecast on Dry Weather

The International Grains Council cut its forecast for global total grains production by 11 million tons month-on-month to 2,038 million tons -- a drop of 4% from the previous season's record -- due to dry weather across North America, Australia, and the European Union, the body said Thursday.

The IGC inched its monthly output forecast for 2016-17 up to 2,126 million tons in July, from its estimate of 2,124 million tons given at the end of May. This represents a 5.7% year-on-year increase.

The grains body's change to its 2017-18 estimate came after a forecast of 2,049 million tons last month. The new forecast means that global grain output is expected to fall 86 million tons, or 4.1% year-on-year in 2017-18.

Of the 11 million ton reduction in forecast production for 2017-18, the IGC says wheat and maize account for 3 million tons and 5 million tons of that decrease, respectively.

The IGC downgraded its corn production forecast to 1,020 million tons from 1,025 million tons and its soybean forecast to 345 million tons from 348 million tons. The body forecast wheat production at 732 million tons from 735 million tons.

Aside from dry July weather and its impact on wheat, the IGC blamed a pullback in yields as likely to hurt soybeans as being behind its cut.

The council said the downward revision for 2017/18 comes after adverse weather conditions in the northern hemisphere over recent weeks.

The IGC's slight increase of its 2016-17 figure comes mostly from an increase in its forecast for corn production in Argentina and Brazil and a marginal increase in soybean production in the same countries.

Wheat was last 0.84% higher at $4.82 a bushel, corn was last 0.58% up at $3.88 a bushel, soybeans were last 0.50% up at $10.05 a bushel.



Syngenta Reports Lower Quarterly Earnings

Syngenta underlined the difficulties facing agrichemicals groups in South American market as it unveiled a 4.2% drop in quarterly sales, in its first results statement since being bought by ChemChina.

Swiss-based Syngenta, which was bought by ChemChina last month for $43bn, revealed sales of $3.21bn for the April-to-June period, down from $3.35bn a year before, accelerating the pace of deterioration from the 0.9% seen in the previous quarter.

According to AgriMoney.com, the group noted "cold weather and low disease pressure" which curtailed sales in its European, African and Middle Eastern division, although it added that "the impact of these conditions on crop protection volumes was partially offset by the successful launches of Solatenol," a fungicide, in Europe.

In Asia, sales dropped 5.2% to $455m, undermined by "dry conditions in Australia", where spreading drought is raising concerns of a sub-20m-tonne wheat crop, besides by a chance of sales taxes in India which is seen as incentivising a switch in trade to the current quarter.

However, the steepest drop in sales was in Latin America, where sales for the April-to-June quarter, at $482m, slumped by 25% year on year, undermined by a drop in farmer spending on agrichemicals, in the face of weaker crop prices, which has caught out peers too.

The comments come less than a month after rival Bayer warned of a E300m-400m earnings hit from measures to curtail its own agrichemical stocks in Brazil, warning of an "unexpectedly high channel inventory level of crop protection products".

The shake-up is seeing Bayer, for instance, renegotiate a contract with crop enhancement group Plant Impact over supplies of a spray aimed at boosting soybean yields.



Inocucor Announces Plans to Open U.S. Headquarters and Production Facility in Denver

Inocucor Corporation, a developer and producer of powerful biological crop inputs for agriculture, announced it will open its 30,000-square-foot U.S. headquarters and commercialization office at 7304 South Joliet Street in Centennial, Colo.

Inocucor uses a patented fermentation process to combine multi-strains of bacteria and yeasts into powerful soil and plant optimizers that are safe for people and the environment. These products naturally improve crop yields, shorten growing periods and create healthier, more resilient soils for farmers and greenhouse growers.

Concurrent with the Denver headquarters and production facility opening this fall, Inocucor will be doubling its existing 10,000-square-foot lab and offices in Montreal. The Montreal facility will become its Technical Center of Excellence for technology innovation, new-product development, fermentation process development and pilot production. This entity will continue to be called Inocucor Technologies Inc. and will remain its Canadian headquarters.

Inocucor currently employs approximately 30 people in Montreal and the U.S. The company plans to add another 50 high-level scientific and managerial staff in both in its Montreal and Denver operations over the next 18 months.

The company's move to Denver is supported by a performance-based Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit of $1,322,918 approved by Colorado's Economic Development Commission.

"Inocucor is a leader in the emerging sector of specialty ag biologicals," said Inocucor's President and CEO Donald R. Marvin, a Denver resident. "We are one of a handful of companies that have successfully commercialized microbial crop inputs based on a microbial consortia technology that improve the plant microbiome, which translates into healthier soils and improved water quality. The result for the grower is improved crop yields and reduced need for pesticides and chemical fertilizers."

Marvin said Inocucor will grow organically with its patented proprietary microbial consortia technology while also pursuing strategic acquisitions and product development partnerships in North America, Latin America and Western Europe.

Inocucor's flagship product, Garden Solution®, soon to be rebranded in the U.S. as Synergro™, is a live-cell formulation for high-value produce, such as strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce and broccoli. Synergro Free™ is a cell-free bio-fertilizer additive to existing plant nutrients for commodity row crops, such as soybean, corn and wheat. Inocucor’s new-product development pipeline includes bio-control formulations that combat economically devastating diseases in crops such as strawberries, tomatoes and potatoes.

In the U.S., Garden Solution (Synergro) is OMRI Listed® nationally and OIM-registered in California for organic production. It is registered for use in 22 U.S. states. Synergro Free is registered in 17 U.S. states. Both products are among the first microbial products of their kind to be registered in Canada. Synergro is also a Pro-Cert Approved Input for use in organic growing in Canada.

Inocucor recently completed the $38.8 million CAD ($29 million USD) first close of its Series B financing round, with lead investor TPG Alternative and Renewable Technologies (San Francisco) and participation from Cycle Capital Management (Quebec), Desjardins Innovatech (Quebec) and Closed Loop Capital (U.S.).