Monday October 30 Harvest Progress + Ag News

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending October 29, 2023, there were 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 20% very short, 29% short, 47% adequate, and 4% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 27% very short, 35% short, 36% adequate, and 2% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn harvested was 76%, near 78% last year, but ahead of 65% for the five-year average.

Soybeans harvested was 92%, near 96% last year and 90% average.

Winter wheat condition rated 6% very poor, 15% poor, 38% fair, 32% good, and 9% excellent. Winter wheat emerged was 95%, near 93% last year, and ahead of 90% average.

Sorghum harvested was 69%, near 72% last year and 68% average.

Dry edible beans harvested was 97%.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 6% very poor, 11% poor, 32% fair, 40% good, and 11% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

Moderate rainfall during the week slowed harvest in some areas as Iowa’s farmers had an average of 4.2 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending October 29, 2023, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork included harvesting row crops, completing fall tillage, applying fall fertilizer, baling stalks, and hauling manure.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 12 percent very short, 35 percent short, 51 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 25 percent very short, 42 percent short, 31 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus.

Corn harvested for grain reached 77 percent statewide, 1 day ahead of last year and 8 days ahead of the 5-year average. Moisture content of field corn being harvested for grain remained steady at 17 percent.

Soybeans harvested reached 93 percent, on pace with last year but 8 days ahead of the average.

Pasture condition improved slightly to 20 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were reported as generally good but getting water to pastured cattle continued to be an issue for some producers.



USDA Crop Progress Report: Corn 71% Harvested, Soybeans 85% Harvested as of Oct. 29

Despite heavy precipitation that fell over much of the Plains and Midwest last week, the U.S. corn and soybean harvests overall managed to stay ahead of the five-year averages, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.

CORN
-- Harvest progress: Corn harvest moved ahead 12 percentage points to reach 71% complete as of Sunday. That is 3 percentage points behind last year's pace of 74% but still 5 percentage points ahead of 66% for the five-year average.

SOYBEANS
-- Harvest progress: Soybean harvest progressed 9 percentage points to reach 85% complete as of Sunday. That is 2 points behind last year's 87% but 7 points ahead of the five-year average of 78%.

WINTER WHEAT
-- Planting progress: Winter wheat planting advanced 7 percentage points last week to reach 84% complete as of Sunday. That is 2 percentage points behind last year's 86% and 1 point behind the five-year average of 85%.
-- Crop progress: 64% of the crop had emerged as of Sunday, 4 points ahead of last year's 60% but equal to the five-year average.
-- Crop condition: In its first condition rating for the 2024 crop, USDA NASS rated winter wheat condition at 47% good to excellent, up from 28% at this time a year ago. Kansas' winter wheat was rated 32% good to excellent.


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NE Corn Board to Meet

The Nebraska Corn Board will hold its next meeting on November 20-21, 2023, at The Cornhusker Marriott (333 South 13th Street) in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Nebraska Corn Board will have a joint meeting with the Nebraska Corn Growers Association on the afternoon of November 20 through the morning of November 21. The board will then address regular board business on the afternoon of November 21.

The meeting is open to the public, providing the opportunity for public comment. A copy of the agenda is available by writing to the Nebraska Corn Board, 245 Fallbrook Blvd. Suite 204, Lincoln, NE 68521, sending an email to renee.tichota@nebraska.gov or by calling 402-471-2676.



DWFI lands $19 million grant to advance global food security

The University of Nebraska’s Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute has received a $19 million federal grant to coordinate a global network of partner organizations to achieve sustainable irrigation and agricultural mechanization by small farmers in developing countries — a goal crucial to meeting the world’s growing food demand.

The world’s population is heading toward a projected 10 billion by 2050, up from the current 8 billion. Adoption of sustainable irrigation and agricultural mechanization by small farm operators is a key tool for reaching the needed production increase, the World Bank and other international development organizations have said.

In recognition of that need, the U.S. Agency for International Development has selected the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute to lead a global, multi-partner collaboration focusing on smallholder irrigation and mechanization needs. The project will pursue a comprehensive approach encompassing not only direct technical aspects of irrigation and agricultural mechanization, but a set of practical, related issues that must be addressed if developing countries are to achieve long-term success in managing water to enable food security.

Examples of such needs include workforce development for the manufacturing, installation and maintenance of irrigation equipment; efficient collaboration with private-sector companies; public health considerations; and climate sustainability.

A central goal of the initiative is resilience — a producer’s ability to continue operation, and provide food and income, in the face of disruptions such as climate change or economic downturns. The project will look at the range of challenges for smallholder production, for rainfed fields, as well as those with full irrigation, including study of water security and management beyond the field scale, to include watershed conditions.

The project will draw on the relevant expertise from the institute’s 130 faculty fellows across the university system. The Water, Climate and Health program from the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center will be among the partner organizations providing input on public health matters. The National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln also provides a resource for climate analysis.

“This project incorporates many urgent issues under the umbrella of irrigation and mechanization, and it is all interconnected,” said Nicole Lefore, who will direct the institute’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Irrigation and Mechanization created by the grant. Lefore is the institute’s associate director of sustainable agriculture water management.

Women account for a large portion of small farmers in the developing world, and this initiative aims to increase economic opportunity in agriculture and food systems for women and young people.

“From workforce development to watershed/basin management to the changing dynamics of women in agriculture, the relationships are there,” Lefore said.

Nepal, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana, Honduras and Guatemala will be countries of specific focus initially for the DWFI project, along with the East Africa and Southern Africa regions generally.

World Bank analysis has pointed to the global need regarding sustainable irrigation. Across Africa, “less than 10% of arable land is irrigated, which means little insurance against erratic rains and climate shocks,” the World Bank reports. “Lack of irrigation puts at risk the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers and their families across the continent.”

DWFI’s strengths lend themselves well to such a comprehensive project. The institute’s scientific work on water issues and irrigation is internationally known and respected. The institute has strong international partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies and private-sector companies, and is conducting projects in dozens of countries worldwide. Two of the institute’s current partners, the International Food Policy Research Institute and the International Water Management Institute, will be key participants in this new initiative.

“We have the existing networks and connections, plus the expertise of the university system as a whole,” Lefore said.

DWFI faculty have expertise in a wealth of water management and irrigation issues. Lefore, for example, has longstanding experience on irrigation issues working with academia and the private sector. She is a specialist on irrigation challenges facing smallholder farmers in developing countries, having lived in developing nations for more than 20 years with a focus on these issues. Nebraska’s private sector, meanwhile, has long been a global leader in irrigation.

“Throughout its history, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources has focused on meeting producers where they are and collaborating to improve yield, profitability and resilience,” said Mike Boehm, NU vice president and Harlan Vice Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute is the piece of UNL that expands this important work and works with producers far beyond Nebraska. DWFI’s work is global, scalable and incredibly producer focused. DWFI is a wonderful fit for this project, and I’m eager to see this work benefit producers and bolster food security.”

The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, with more than 13 years of experience in global water and food security issues, has demonstrated strength in the issues involved in this new project. The funding will now allow the institute to collaboratively scale versions of that work beyond Nebraska and onto the global stage.

“This is an especially significant investment in securing water and increasing productivity in smallholder agriculture around the world and, along with our partners, delivering on our mission of a water- and food-secure world,” said DWFI Executive Director Peter McCornick.

“This is a remarkable achievement for the University of Nebraska and our entire state that demonstrates, yet again, Nebraska’s leadership role in ensuring a food- and water-secure world,” said NU system President Ted Carter. “And it’s further evidence of the impact and success that are possible when we bring the combined strengths of our campuses together. I could not be prouder of the University of Nebraska faculty, staff, students and partners whose commitment and expertise made this award possible, and of the lives that will continue to be transformed for the better because of their work.”

The $19 million is for a five-year period, with a potential to expand the program with more activities up to $40 million. The DWFI project is part of a USAID initiative funding a series of Feed the Future Innovation Labs addressing a range of challenges for global food security and nutrition.

“Feed the Future Innovation Labs are driving novel solutions to the increasingly complex challenges we face today,” said Dina Esposito, Feed the Future deputy coordinator and USAID’s assistant to the administrator for resilience, environment and food security. “Advancing this research is key to equipping small-scale farmers with the tools they need to boost yields, use resources more efficiently and be more resilient to shocks.”



Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity Accepting Entries for Fall 2023

When the Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity began in 1982 in western Iowa, the name was self-explanatory. Much like many other feedout programs of the day, the program covered a local geographical area and producers entered just a few head each. The winner received a $1,000 check and bragging rights for a year.

But early on, Iowa State University extension livestock specialist Darrell Busby and the directing board of cow-calf producers saw greater potential, said current TCSCF manager Catherine Hoffmann.

"The real awakening was after the third year, when one of the board members had won the $1,000," she said. "Darrell said, ‘I think we should give the person in last place the $1,000 so he could go out and buy a better bull.'"

At that point, the program focus shifted to identifying factors that influence profitability. Vaccination and weaning programs may seem standardized now, but they were among the first recommendations to surface from the futurity’s growing database.

Today, more than 40 individual data points are collected on each animal entered. Everything is recorded, from breed type and birth date to temperament and carcass data, allowing for several after-the-fact analyses. This information helps everyone in the beef business.

There is literally no lower limit on consignment size. But as a practical matter, most participants send a stock trailer load or two, ranging all the way up to one ranch that places more than 200 head in futurity feedlots. Everyone gets the same reports and has equal opportunity to make changes in their herds.
 
“That’s really the heart of the program,” Hoffmann said. “Cow-calf producers provide as much detail as they can, the feedlots report their information, and the futurity puts it all together. Then it’s disseminated back to all those parties on an individual level and shared in general terms with the entire industry."
           
TCSCF is not just about the livestock, she said. It’s about people helping each other solve problems, create opportunities and learn that better management pays. It produces healthier, more docile cattle with a lower cost of production, along with higher quality beef that earns a premium for the producer.

"Nobody gets a $1,000-winner check anymore, but many producers who have implemented what they learned are reaping greater rewards," Hoffmann said. "Now it’s in a form more consistent with the real-world feeding environment: premiums paid for their end product."

TCSCF is currently accepting entries for delivery this fall. For more information, visit the program website www.tcscf.com or contact Hoffmann at 712-769-2600.



Pro Ag Outlook and Management Series to Offer Insight into 2024

Farmers and the ag industry will get an in-depth look into 2024 during this year’s Pro Ag Outlook and Management Webinar Series, Nov.13-17 https://www.aep.iastate.edu/proag/.

Five webinars will be offered, designed to provide participants with a concise evaluation of current market conditions, expected trends in crop and livestock income potential, and management implications.

All webinars will run from noon to 1 p.m. Central time, with a live question and answer session following each presentation.

“We are looking forward to the lineup of experts on our webinar series this year,” said Ann Johanns, program specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “Each speaker brings a unique topic and perspective to the program. Bobby Martens starts our series off focusing specifically on Iowa agribusinesses and issues impacting them going into 2024, and our newest faculty member, Rabail Chandio, will share a detailed analysis of who owns Iowa farmland – and how the state’s ownership structure impacts many facets of this industry.”

In addition to Martens and Chandio, presentations will include “The interaction of USDA programs and carbon payment,” by Alejandro Plastina, extension economist; “Livestock Outlook and profit potential for beef, pork and other Iowa industries,” by Lee Schulz, extension livestock economist; and “Crop markets for 2024 and beyond,” by Chad Hart, extension economist and crop markets specialist.

“This is a great opportunity for agribusiness professionals and producers alike to hear research on issues impacting their businesses across the state in a convenient and timely method,” continued Johanns.

Programs will be available for on-demand viewing the day following the live broadcast. Registration is $20 and includes access to the five live programs and archived recordings. Viewing of live and recorded programs is through a web browser. No additional software downloads are needed.

For more information, Johanns can be reached at 515-337-2766 or aholste@iastate.edu



Women in Ag Leadership Conference Registration Is Live

The seventh annual Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Women in Ag Leadership Conference is Nov. 29-30 at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames. The conference takes place Nov. 29 from 1-8 p.m. and Nov. 30, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The conference theme, “Cultivating Confidence, Harvesting Happiness,” reflects the dedication of women to the agricultural industry.

“I’m proud of the advisory committee’s work to bring women a conference that reflects the world we live in today,” said Madeline Schultz, ISU Women in Ag program manager. “Our remarkable speakers are ready to share leadership knowledge and skills women can apply to help them succeed,”

The advisory committee designed a powerful program to arm women in agribusiness, farm women, students and others with tools to help them be successful leaders in their agricultural careers, communities, farms and families. Through tours, workshops, panel discussions and more, this year’s event fosters inspiration, mentorship and new skill sets.

Sara Wyant, founder of Agri-Pulse Communications, will keynote the conference. “Throughout my career, I’ve been blessed to have Iowa farm women as my mentors who gave me valuable insight and inspiration that was so helpful,” said Wyant.

Straight from Capitol Hill, Wyant will bring the latest news on the Farm Bill to women in Iowa during her breakout sessions.

The conference opens with Andrea Flemming, a dynamic young farmer and founder of That Fit Agvocate. In this interactive session, she’ll inspire women to cultivate confidence. In her  breakout session, Flemming will focus on building brands. Ruth Hambleton, founder of Annie’s Project – Education for Farm Women, will close the conference with her message on harvesting happiness with 20 years of Annie’s Project.

The luncheon panel brings together talented board leaders from the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Pork Producers Association and Agribusiness Association of Iowa, to share their leadership journey and the issues important to them. Other panel discussions center on farmland ownership, financing business start-ups and career advice.

Featured speakers include author and professional mediator Kiley Fleming, corporate recruiter Laura Bloome, farmer and experienced cattle and grain marketer Lynn Martz, and other passionate professionals. Refer to the websites below for a comprehensive list of speakers and the complete agenda.

Early bird registration is available through Nov. 10 and saves attendees $20. Regular registration is $140 for adults and $80 for students. Single-day registration is also available.  Register online at www.regcytes.extension.iastate.edu/womeninag. Scholarships may be requested. Farm Credit Services of America is a major sponsor.

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Women in Ag Program improves the quality of life in Iowa by providing research-based educational programs to expand agricultural enterprise, improve natural resource management and support the community of women in agriculture. Visit www.extension.iastate.edu/womeninag to learn more about the leadership conference and the other women-centered programs offered.



At 2023 Laureate Ceremony, World Food Prize Foundation Announces New $500,000 Prize Amount for Award

At its annual Laureate Award Ceremony, the World Food Prize Foundation surprised 2023 Laureate, Heidi Kühn, with the announcement of a doubling of prize amount to $500,000, up from $250,000 in previous years.

The ceremony, held at the Iowa State Capitol building, is frequently referred to as “the Nobel Prize for Agriculture” and is held in parallel with the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, which drew over 1,300 participants from more than 75 countries this year.

The World Food Prize Foundation announced the increased prize award in recognition of the lifelong impact that Laureates have achieved through their work. The increased cash prize will continue to be awarded to future Laureates.

In receiving the 2023 World Food Prize, Kühn said, “I accept this award on behalf of our Kühn family and farmers and families living in war-torn countries worldwide. Yet, as I stand here today, the ravages of war echo from multiple continents. This is not an award to place on a shelf—but a battle cry for the importance of cultivating peace through agriculture.”

This year's special performer was two-time Grammy award winner and multi-platinum singer Colbie Caillat, who has accumulated over 15 billion streams worldwide with her debut album Coco.

The 2023 World Food Prize was formally awarded to Kühn during the 2023 International Borlaug Dialogue, whose theme "Harnessing Change" focused on the role of innovation, adaptation, and diversification to improve the resilience of food systems, recover from shocks, and sustainably nourish all people.

The event also included high-level speakers from around the world, including the Presidents of Ethiopia and Kosovo, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Ministers from Guyana, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Zambia.

Ambassador Terry Branstad, president of the World Food Prize Foundation, said, “Perhaps at no other time in history has there been so much attention focused on our global food system. The decisions and commitments we make today will equip us to rise to the challenge of nourishing a growing global population. It is only by embracing innovation that we can overcome the many challenges facing the sector.”

Kühn, the founder of the non-profit Roots of Peace, was awarded the World Food Prize for her efforts in turning “mines into vines” by demining war torn land and turning it back into prosperous farmland for local agriculture to flourish.

Kühn’s work has supported demining partners in Afghanistan, Angola, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Croatia, Israel, Iraq, Palestinian areas, and Vietnam, allowing local farmers safe access to irrigation canals and arable land for cultivation. Most recently, Roots of Peace has partnered with the Rotary Club of Ukraine to begin work in the country, where the UN estimates around 30 percent of the country’s land could be mined as a result of the ongoing conflict.



Branstad, Westman to Receive USMEF Awards

Terry Branstad, former U.S. ambassador to China and longtime governor of Iowa, has been  selected to receive the U.S. Meat Export Federation’s (USMEF) Michael J. Mansfield Award. USMEF established this award in recognition of the U.S. Senate majority leader and ambassador to Japan whose five decades of government service advanced U.S. trade relations throughout the world.

Bill Westman will receive the USMEF Distinguished Service Award. This award honors outstanding figures in the red meat industry who exemplify the exceptional, individual dedication responsible for the federation’s success. Westman had a 29-year career with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), served as senior vice president of international affairs for the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and is now president of William Westman and Associates LLC, a boutique consulting firm specializing in agricultural trade policy, export market development, and strategic planning.

The awards will be presented Nov. 9 at the USMEF Strategic Planning Conference in New Orleans.

In both his role as ambassador and as Iowa’s governor, advancing U.S. agricultural exports was a top priority for Branstad.  

“When given a level playing field, U.S. farmers and ranchers will thrive in the international marketplace,” Branstad said. “This is why it is so important to eliminate trade barriers and give our agricultural producers a fair opportunity to compete. I am proud to have played some role in improving global market access for American products and it has been gratifying to see U.S. agriculture capitalize on these opportunities.”

It was during Branstad’s time heading the U.S. Embassy in Beijing that the U.S. and China entered the Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement, which gave U.S. beef its first meaningful access to the market in 17 years. The agreement also reduced barriers for U.S. pork exports to China.

“Phase One was a critical breakthrough for the U.S. meat industry and I had the pleasure of working with USMEF on some promotional activities right after the agreement entered into force,” Branstad said. “It was exciting to see firsthand how Chinese consumers welcomed the long-awaited arrival of U.S. beef.”  

Westman’s time as an FAS foreign service officer included postings in China, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Germany, Brazil and Venezuela. He also served as interim agricultural attaché for Colombia. Westman said it is gratifying to see the remarkable expansion of U.S. red meat exports to many of these markets as trade barriers were reduced and consumers gained greater access to U.S. products.   

“When I worked in the Caribbean islands, there was a little bit of the hotel restaurant trade but the general markets were pretty much closed and the tourism industry was really just developing in the Dominican Republic,” Westman recalled. “Today the DR and Colombia are tremendous markets for U.S. red meat, and demand is expanding throughout Central America as well. This is the result of great persistence and collaboration, with everyone working together on trade policy, which has really made a difference in expanding the footprint of U.S. red meat internationally.”

Westman said this experience served him well at NAMI, where he continued to identify global growth opportunities and worked to overcome trade barriers.

“Our focus at NAMI was largely trade policy from the Washington perspective, working closely with USTR, USDA and Capitol Hill, and providing information and guidance for trade negotiators,” he said. “We worked very closely with USMEF staff to make sure we had the right information and market intelligence we needed from overseas. That close working relationship was key to our success.”

Westman sees his consulting role as an opportunity to further advance global opportunities for the entire U.S. meat supply chain.

“We're now looking at things from a bit of a different perspective in terms of the nexus between economic and agricultural development in key markets that are the future, as well as opportunities for red meat exports,” he said. “Across Africa, for example, we feel the next 15 years is going to provide tremendous opportunities for U.S. exporters. And we actually came up with an emerging markets program for Kenya, for livestock and meat processing development, because it's been shown that countries that have strong agriculture have strong economies, and they become good markets for our products. So this is really a long-term outlook that has allowed me to keep active in the meat industry and continue to do what I can to help it expand.”



Applications open for 2024 Young Cattlemen’s Conference

Each year, the Angus Foundation supports tomorrow’s beef leaders by sponsoring one individual to represent the Angus breed at the Young Cattlemen’s Conference. The educational event, spearheaded by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, is planned for May 30 to June 6, 2024. Applications for the Angus Foundation’s spot on the trip can be found on the Angus Foundation website and are due Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024.

YCC is a program developed for up-and-coming cattle producers who are interested in seeing every part of the supply chain from production to marketing, to Capitol Hill. The primary objective is to develop leadership qualities in young cattlemen and women and expose them to all aspects of the beef industry while building their professional network.

“We’re proud to offer this unique learning opportunity to our Association’s young cattlemen,” said Jaclyn Boester, Angus Foundation executive director. “YCC is an incredible experience and allows attendees to grow as beef industry leaders while forming meaningful relationships with their peers.”

The sponsored attendee will have registration and travel costs covered by the Angus Foundation. Applicants must be between the ages of 25 and 50 and in good standing with American Angus Associationâ and a member of NCBA. For more information, visit NCBA at Beefusa.org or the Angus Foundation website.

Gabriel Connealy of Whitman, Nebraska, represented the Angus breed at the 2023 Young Cattlemen’s Conference (YCC).

“I’m honored and humbled to be able to represent the Angus breed and Angus Foundation at YCC,” Connealy said. “I’d like to give a sincere thank you to the Association and the Foundation for the opportunity. There are many great young people in our breed, and I would encourage each and every one of them to apply for YCC.”

Connealy is well versed in both involvement and history within the Angus breed. Growing up in Nebraska on his family’s Angus seedstock operation, Connealy Angus, he developed a passion for the industry and desire to assist the family business. This led him to obtain his bachelor’s degree in finance and later his master’s degree, with an emphasis in animal breeding and genetics, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). In addition to managing the family herd of 3,000 registered Angus cows, Connealy is a member of NCBA, has served as an Angus Convention voting delegate and played an integral role in the startup of his local Grant County Nebraska Farm Bureau chapter. His hunger for knowledge and dedication to the industry made YCC the ideal learning opportunity. Connealy emphasized the uniqueness of this experience, which allowed him to connect with and learn from fellow cattlemen from a variety of backgrounds.

“Truly, the highlight of the trip was the other participants from around the nation,” Connealy said. “I was exposed to aspects of our industry that I knew little about and made many friends that I hope to keep in touch with and trade lessons with for years to come.”
For more information and to download the application, visit AngusFoundation.org.



FieldView and Combyne platform integration helps farmers better manage grain marketing and build profitability insights

Climate FieldViewTM, the flagship digital farming product from Bayer, has announced a platform integration with Combyne, its recently acquired crop marketing management tool.

Through this new capability, grain farmers in Canada and the United States will be able to connect their agronomic data in FieldView to their marketing data in Combyne, enabling them to make more informed decisions.

Data insights are becoming an important part of modern farming, and FieldView is helping farmers collect and analyze data, providing accurate tracking from seed to harvest so they can better understand crop input performance and overall yield results. Now farmers have the option to transfer accurate seeded acres and yield metrics from FieldView, making it easier to track the total bushels they have to market and associated marketing insights through Combyne, without needing to export, upload, and enter their data twice.

"From crop planning through crop marketing, farmers should be able to connect digital platforms that support their operations,” said Brandon Rinkenberger, Chief Customer Officer for Climate LLC and Digital Farming at Bayer. “The new integration between Combyne and FieldView provides our customers with further capabilities to put their data to work – saving time by eliminating double data entry, increasing confidence when making timely sale decisions, and ultimately improving marketing outcomes for farmers.”

Combyne is a crop marketing record-keeping and decision-making support tool that consolidates key information related to grain storage balances, contracts, deliveries, and settlements across multiple buyers, and net overall marketed positions per crop. Once initiated by a farmer, Combyne’s platform can now incorporate actual in-field data from FieldView for a fuller and more accurate picture of current year harvest totals and projections for future years to easily update crop contract and storage positions, and enable up-to-date crop marketing decisions. Combyne also allows farmers to manage all their grain trade documents in one place so they have a clear view on their contractual commitments, delivery statuses, storage positions, and cash flow projections from grain sales, making it easier to manage contract risk and delivery logistics.

“With accurate bushel quantities populating your marketed positions, you can better manage things like how forward contracted you are, how much of your harvest is already committed, and where things stand when it comes to your storage and deliveries” said Combyne Ag CEO Alain Goubau. “By working with FieldView, delivered grain outcomes in Combyne can eventually be connected back to the fields they originated from and the management choices made on those fields, for better mapping of quality specs such as grade and dockage from delivered loads. This also lays the foundation for field-level profitability insights – mapping actual revenue from sold crops against cost of production per field.”

FieldView is a global, industry-leading digital platform. Through its suite of easy-to-use data visualization and analysis tools, farmers have a single platform to unite data from each piece of their precision equipment and access those insights from anywhere with a smartphone, tablet device or computer, giving farmers a deeper understanding of their fields so they can make more informed operating decisions to optimize yields & maximize efficiency. Contact your local FieldView dealer or visit climatefieldview.ca (Canada) or fieldview.com (United States) for more information.



 Syngenta Group recognized as top agriculture employer for the seventh consecutive year in 2023

Syngenta Group is honored to again be recognized as one of the globe’s top five leading employers in the 2023 Science Careers Top Employers Survey, reflecting its ongoing commitment to its employees, research and development, collaboration, and innovation leadership.

“We are excited that Syngenta Group is again being named as the #1 agricultural employer,” says Trevor Hohls, Global Head of Seeds Development.  “We pride ourselves on the common vision of becoming the most diverse, trusted, and innovative team committed to driving farmer success. This consecutive recognition is an amazing tribute to all our employees who live this mission every single day.”

Syngenta Group employs 59,000 people across more than 100 countries and works everyday towards the ever-challenging goal of feeding the 8 billion people on Earth.

Recently, Syngenta Seeds held a grand opening for its R&D Innovation Center in Malta, Illinois, which joins a connected, modern ecosystem of more than 150 Syngenta R&D and production sites worldwide and exemplifies the company’s $1.48 billion USD annual investment globally.

“A key to the success of this new, and our others, facility will be attracting and keeping top talent,” says Warren Kruger, Head of Field Crops Seeds Development, North America at Syngenta.  “It starts with providing a work environment that is both challenging and rewarding, giving teams access to the latest technology, and providing support from a leadership team that values, promotes, and recognizes innovation.”

“We understand that if we want to be an innovation powerhouse, the effort will be driven by inventors, entrepreneurs, and researchers in both the public and private sectors who want to collaborate with Syngenta and bring new approaches and solutions to each field across the globe,” adds Hohls. “As we synchronize facilities and bring together the world’s best talent, we really are creating a brighter future.”

Investing in innovation and exceptional talent has been a driver of growth for Syngenta Group in recent years and will continue to play a critical role in the future. Syngenta has been exploring developing technologies like AI, machine learning and deep learning, and the value they can bring to agriculture.

“To achieve our goals, our scientific teams must continue to seek better ways to master our craft and hone our skills,” said Hohls. “This is essential as we pursue the advancements and innovations that will be necessary to meet the nutritional requirements of a growing world population and do it in a way that is sustainable for future generations.”