Tuesday July 09 Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending July 7, 2024, there were 4.4 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 1% very short, 18% short, 65% adequate, and 16% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 3% very short, 18% short, 66% adequate, and 13% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 1% very poor, 3% poor, 16% fair, 52% good, and 28% excellent. Corn silking was 21%, ahead of 16% last year and 8% for the five-year average. Dough was 1%.

Soybean condition rated 1% very poor, 4% poor, 18% fair, 56% good, and 21% excellent. Soybeans blooming was 51%, ahead of 36% last year and 35% average. Setting pods was 8%, ahead of 2% last year, and near 4% average.

Winter wheat condition rated 2% very poor, 4% poor, 25% fair, 46% good, and 23% excellent. Winter wheat harvested was 28%, ahead of 9% last year and 16% average.

Sorghum condition rated 0% very poor, 0% poor, 16% fair, 71% good, and 13% excellent. Sorghum headed was 6%, near 3% last year, and equal to average.

Oats condition rated 1% very poor, 1% poor, 20% fair, 56% good, and 22% excellent. Oats headed was 95%, near 92% last year, and equal to average. Harvested was 10%, near 8% average.

Dry edible bean condition rated 1% very poor, 2% poor, 24% fair, 66% good, and 7% excellent. Dry edible beans emerged was 95%, equal to last year. Blooming was 4%.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 1% very poor, 2% poor, 28% fair, 55% good, and 14% excellent.



Iowa Weekly Crop Progress and Condition Report

The south central and northeast portions of the State received heavy rains in comparison to the northwest portion of the State. These conditions only allowed Iowa farmers 3.5 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 7, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Concerns were expressed about getting hay put up and spraying for weeds due to frequent rain.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 0 percent very short, 4 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 19 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 0 percent very short, 6 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 17 percent surplus.

Corn silking reached 17 percent, equal to last year but 4 days ahead of the five-year average. Corn condition was 76 percent good to excellent.

Soybean crop blooming reached 32 percent, 2 days behind last year but equal to the average. Soybeans setting pods reached 5 percent. Soybean condition rated 76 percent good to excellent.

Oat crop headed or beyond reached 95 percent. Oats turning color reached 63 percent, 5 days ahead of the average. Oats harvested for grain was 8 percent complete, 6 days ahead of the average. Oat condition rated 79 percent good to excellent.

The State’s second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 34 percent complete. Hay condition rated 81 percent good to excellent.  

Pasture condition rated 73 percent good to excellent. Feedlot conditions remain muddy due to excess precipitation and flooding.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report

Corn and soybean good-to-excellent condition ratings rose slightly for the first time in several weeks last week, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.  Both crops were also further along in their reproductive stages than the five-year averages as of the end of last week, NASS said.

CORN
-- Crop development: Corn silking was pegged at 24%, 6 percentage points ahead of last year's 18% and 10 points ahead of the five-year average of 14%. Corn in the dough stage was estimated at 3%, slightly ahead of both last year and the five-year average of 2%.
-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 68% of the crop was in good-to-excellent condition, up 1 point from 67% the previous week and still well ahead of last year's 55%. Nine percent of the crop was rated very poor to poor, unchanged from the previous week and lower than 14% last year.

SOYBEANS
-- Crop development: Soybeans blooming was pegged at 34%, 1 point behind last year's 35% but 6 points ahead of the five-year average of 28%. Soybeans setting pods were estimated at 9%, slightly ahead of last year's 8% and 4 points ahead of the five-year average of 5%.
-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 68% of soybeans were in good-to-excellent condition, up 1 percentage point from 67% the previous week and above last year's rating of 51% good to excellent.

WINTER WHEAT
-- Harvest progress: Harvest slowed last week, moving ahead 9 percentage points to reach 63% complete nationwide as of Sunday. That was 20 points ahead of last year's 43% and 11 points ahead of the five-year average pace of 52%.

SPRING WHEAT
-- Crop development: 59% of spring wheat was headed, 7 percentage points behind last year's 66% and 1 point behind the five-year average of 60%.
-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 75% of the crop was in good-to-excellent condition nationwide, up 3 percentage points from 72% the previous week. That remains well ahead of last year's rating of 47% good to excellent.



Lt. Governor Kelly to Lead Trade Mission to Indonesia
 
In just over a week, Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly will lead a 20-plus member trade delegation to Indonesia. The week and a half long visit will include representatives from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA), the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), University of Nebraska, and several representatives of Nebraska’s agricultural producers.
 
“Indonesia is growing rapidly and is a major market for Nebraska agricultural exports,” said Lt. Gov. Kelly. “We are excited to explore this vibrant market and build new partnerships that will directly benefit Nebraska’s economy.”
 
The first day of activity on July 15 will include a briefing from the U.S. Embassy. Other notable activities during the trip include participating in the Indo Livestock Expo and Forum, touring the Southeast Asia Food and Agricultural Science and Technology Center, meeting with Indonesia’s beef import associations and visits to dairy, feed mill and fueling operations. Additional stops will provide opportunities to highlight Nebraska’s quality beef, pork, soybeans, and other food products. Last fall, Nebraska beef was featured on the highly popular competitive cooking program “MasterChef-Indonesia”.
 
Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest economy, the world’s fourth-most populous country, and offers substantial economic development opportunities.  Indonesia is one of the top 10 export markets for Nebraska at $139 million and has a rapidly expanding GDP and growing population.  Lt. Gov. Kelly and the delegation will engage in meetings with government officials, business leaders, and stakeholders to promote Nebraska's value to Indonesia.
 
“We are uniquely positioned to meet the growing demand for ag products and identify other new opportunities to partner with Indonesia going forward, said Director Sherry Vinton, Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA).  “The best thing about Nebraska is our people and when we meet new trading partners face to face it has provided results in the short and long run.  We are laying the groundwork for future generations."
 
The trade mission will conclude July 24. Governor Jim Pillen was originally slated to lead this trade mission. However, due to the upcoming special session, which will convene immediately after the trade mission -- last week, the Governor asked Lt. Gov. Kelly to lead the delegation on his behalf.



Japanese Beetles Emerging; Scout Corn and Soybean Fields
Justin McMechan - Crop Protection and Cropping Systems Specialist

Japanese beetle adults are emerging in Nebraska. Their distribution has been increasing in Nebraska the last few years and they are being seen in corn and soybean more frequently, in addition to feeding on landscape trees and shrubs. They will continue to emerge for the next few weeks. First identified in counties along the state's eastern border several years ago, the beetles are now found as far west as Scotts Bluff County.

Japanese beetles have one generation per year. They often feed in clusters due to attractions to the female sex pheromone and volatile chemicals produced by damaged plants.

Japanese beetles can contribute to defoliation in soybean, along with a complex of other insects, such as bean leaf beetles, grasshoppers and several caterpillar species. They feed by skeletonizing the leaves, leaving only the leaf veins. They feed primarily in the upper canopy, making the damage very visible. In soybean, insecticide treatment is recommended when insects are present and damage is expected to exceed 30% defoliation in vegetative stage and 20% in reproductive stage soybeans. For more information, see Managing Soybean Defoliators, NebGuide G2259.

In corn, Japanese beetles will scrape off the green surface tissue on leaves before silks emerge but prefer silks once they are available (similar to corn rootworm beetles). Japanese beetles feed on corn silks and may interfere with pollination if abundant enough to severely clip silks before pollination. University of Illinois Extension recommends: "An insecticidal treatment should be considered during the silking period if:
    There are three or more Japanese beetles per ear,
    Silks have been clipped to less than ½ inch, AND
    Pollination is less than 50% complete.

Be aware that Japanese beetle numbers are often highest on field margins, so scout across the whole field before making a treatment decision. Japanese beetle adults are about ½ inch long and have a metallic green head and thorax. A key characteristic is a series of white tufts of hair on each side of the abdomen.

For more information, see product labels or the "Insecticides for Field Crops" section from Nebraska Extension EC130 for rates and restrictions.

In some cases, people have mistaken the Japanese beetle for its look-alike, the false Japanese beetle, or sand chafer, Strigoderma arboricola, which is a native Nebraska insect found across most of the state. Sand chafers are commonly found along the Platte River valley and other river valleys in Nebraska. False Japanese beetle adults are about the same size as Japanese beetles, but do not have a metallic green head. They may vary in color from coppery brown to black. They may have some white hairs on the side of the abdomen, but they are not organized into tufts of hair.

Sand chafers are often noticed because they have a habit of landing on people and seem to be attracted to people wearing light-colored clothing. They have not been reported to cause economic damage to crops as adults, although the immature white grub has been reported to cause damage to potato tubers.



Ag Land Market Showing Signs of Settling

According to Farmers National Company, the agricultural land market has been “nothing short of exceptional during the past five years.” Gains in value are prevalent across all classes of land in every region of the country. Strong commodity markets, moderate interest rates, buyer demand, and an overall healthy agricultural economy have also supported the growth of land values during this time.

“But a lot has changed in the past 12 months, and even more has changed within the past five years,” said Paul Schadegg, senior vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National Company. “Moving into the second half of 2023 and the first half of 2024, we’ve experienced significant increases in interest rates, declining grain markets, and inflation. Despite these negative pressures, the land market has remained relatively resilient but shows signs of settling in general, including single-digit decreases in specific areas.”

One aspect of the agricultural land market is the long-term appreciation of land value. Over the past 25 years, land values have experienced a stair-stepping trend following the ups and downs of the agricultural economy. As grain markets and farm profitability rose, the land markets followed while leveling off as markets and profitability did the same. Schadegg said each plateau has set anew value standard sustained through production, demand, and profitability.

“A significant factor in maintaining the level of land values has been investor interest in the market. While these bidders are not always successful buyers of land, they are certainly involved in setting the floor on values as they bid up to the levels of their investment criteria. This segment of buyers also considers the long-term appreciation in value we have experienced in the past 25 years, the potential for future appreciation, and land’s value as a diversified asset,” Schadegg said.

As buyers consider land purchases during the second half of 2024, the additional expenses for interest and lower commodity markets will be at the forefront of their decisions. Schadegg said that the market value of land will adjust according to the level of demand and profitability potential.

“We anticipate variations in land value changes across our regions in the U.S. Areas with strong supply/demand scenarios, an expansion of alternative land use projects and irrigation water concerns may experience more dramatic increases or decreases in values,” Schadegg said. “There remains a strong appetite for land as an investment from outside investors and ag producers. The investor is looking for an asset that will produce an annual return, while the ag producer may look for expansion opportunities. Emotion comes into play when the ag producer is motivated by adjoining land, operation expansion, or land that has potentially never been offered for sale in the area.”

With farm operators being the largest segment of land buyers, the biggest impact on land values moving forward will be profitability in agriculture. If profit opportunities are limited, motivation to buy will decrease and, subsequently, pressure land values into a downward trend.

“Farmers National Company and our agents continue to see strong demand for real estate services across our marketing regions. Listing volume and closed transactions at the company match the pace we saw in 2023, with activity and interest building into the fall selling season. The listing volume and transaction results remain well ahead of the company’s 5-year average,” Schadegg said.

Many upcoming sales have transitioned back to standard listings as sellers reserve the option to negotiate values in a changing land market.

“This is an exciting time for agriculture land owners across the US. Your land asset has never been more valuable than it is today. The strong demand for ag land and its historical appreciation in value will continue to support the current values as we progress into the second half of 2024,” Schadegg said.

West-Central Region: Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa
Chanda Scheuring, area sales manager for the west-central region, said land values in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa have stayed mostly steady.

“It will be interesting as we enter this fall selling season if those prices will continue to be supported given the lower commodity prices and higher interest rates. Some softening, especially on less productive land, may be seen over the next six months,” Scheuring said. “One certain thing is there appears to be a tightening of supply in the market. As an industry, fewer properties come up for sale over the past year. This, no doubt, has helped support prices since demand for quality farm ground has remained high.”



Farmland Leasing and Management Workshops Planned

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host numerous farmland leasing and management workshops across the state in July and August, beginning July 29 in Waterloo and continuing through Aug. 28 in Keokuk County.

The annual meeting series is offered to address questions that landowners, tenants or other interested individuals have about leasing farmland. The average per-acre rent reported in the 2024 cash rental survey for Iowa is $279 for corn and soybeans and is the first time rates have not increased in five years.

Harvesting silage.Topics will include land values and cash rent trends, cost of production, methods for determining a fair rental rate, legislative updates regarding leases, including conservation in farmland lease arrangements, and communicating with tenants or landlords.

“More than half of Iowa’s farmland is rented, and strong landowner/tenant relationships are important for the long-term viability of Iowa’s valuable farmland,” said Ann Johanns, program specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “While the trend in rental rates is fairly steady, individual agreements vary. There are many aspects to farmland management beyond lease rates. Attending a workshop is a great way to learn more or ask questions on specific aspects of farm ownership and lease arrangements.”

Each workshop is designed to assist landowners, farm tenants and other agribusiness professionals with current issues related to farmland ownership, management and leasing arrangements. Attendees will gain a better understanding of current cash rental rate surveys and factors driving next year’s rents such as market trends and input costs.

Each registrant will receive a 100-page workbook with resources regarding land leasing agreements such as surveys, sample written lease agreements and termination forms, along with many other publications. The workbook may be included in the registration fee in some county meetings and available for purchase in others.

The registration fee varies based on county, but is not more than $20-25 per person, and includes materials. Preregistration is encouraged and an additional $5 fee may be added if registering less than two calendar days before the meeting date. To register contact the ISU Extension and Outreach county office where the meeting is being held.

One live, virtual option will be offered Aug. 26, from 9-11:30 a.m., featuring three farm management field specialists. This is an opportunity for those who are unable to attend an in-person event, especially those out of state. The webinar registration fee is $20, and includes access to download an electronic (PDF) version of the handbook. Hard copies are only available through the in-person events.

The meetings are facilitated by farm management specialists with ISU Extension and Outreach. For the full list of locations, visit the Ag Decision Maker events page https://go.iastate.edu/AGDMEVENTS.

The Ag Decision Maker website also provides useful materials for negotiating leases, information on various types of leases, lease forms and newly updated Decision Tools.



May Beef Export Value Highest in 11 Months; Pork Exports Below Year-Ago

The value of U.S. beef exports topped $900 million in May, the highest since June 2023, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Pork exports posted another solid performance in May, but were below last year in both volume and value.

Japan, Mexico, Taiwan help push May beef export value over $900 million
May beef exports totaled 110,133 metric tons (mt), down 5% from a year ago but the second largest of 2024. Beef export value reached $902.4 million in May, 3% above last year and the highest in 11 months. Exports trended higher year-over-year to Japan, Mexico, the ASEAN Region, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Central America – which included a record month for Guatemala. May export value was also higher for Taiwan. For January through May, beef exports followed a similar trend, increasing 5% year-over-year in value to $4.29 billion, despite a 4% decline in volume (533,578 mt).

“It has been encouraging to see demand stabilize in Japan, where U.S. beef certainly faces significant headwinds,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “The tourism boom has provided a much-needed lift for Japan’s foodservice sector, and it is a source of optimism for buyers and importers. Taiwan and the ASEAN region were also bright spots for U.S. beef in May, along with Western Hemisphere markets such as Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean.”

May pork exports below last year, but still show broad-based strength
May pork exports totaled 251,447 mt, down 4% from a year ago, valued at $715.8 million (down 2%). Shipments to leading market Mexico were below last year’s large volume but still trended higher in value. Exports increased year-over-year to South Korea, the ASEAN region, Central America and Colombia and held steady to Japan. Through the first five months of the year, pork exports were up 6% to 1.29 million mt, while export value was 7% above last year’s record pace at $3.6 billion.

“Pork shipments to Mexico trended a bit lower in May, but that’s following a record April performance,” Halstrom said. “And even at that, export value to Mexico still topped $200 million. U.S. pork also posted another great month in Korea and exports to the ASEAN region were the largest in three years. Demand also continued to strengthen in Central America and the Caribbean.”

May lamb exports trend higher
May exports of U.S. lamb totaled 251 mt, up 78% from the low year-ago volume, while export value was up 66% to $1.3 million. For January through May, lamb exports increased 11% from a year ago to 1,294 mt, while value climbed 25% to $7.2 million. Export growth was driven primarily by the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada, but shipments also increased to the Philippines and Taiwan.




May DMC Margin Jumps to $10.52/cwt as Higher Prices Outstrip Feed Costs

The Dairy Margin Coverage Program rose sharply in May to levels well above the floor needed to trigger payments to dairy farmers, with milk prices rocketing past increasing feed costs to bolster dairy bottom lines.

Feed prices in May sharply reversed a falling trend of recent months to gain $0.58/cwt of milk from a month before, as measured by the DMC feed cost formula. All three formula components contributed measurably to the boost. Even so, May milk prices gained $1.50/cwt from April, rising to $22.00/cwt boosting the DMC margin by $0.92/cwt from the prior month to $10.52/cwt.

Available forecasts at the end of June indicate that the DMC margin will average about $11.50/cwt during 2024. This would be the second-highest average margin for a calendar year since margin protection became the basic federal safety net program for dairy.



June CWT-Assisted Export Sales Top 5.4 Million Pounds

CWT member cooperatives secured 56 contracts in June, adding 5.4 million pounds of product to CWT-assisted sales in 2024, an amount equal to 47.8 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis. These products will go to customers in Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, Middle East-North Africa, Oceania and South America and will be shipped from June through December 2024.

Exporting dairy products is critical to the viability of dairy farmers and their cooperatives across the country. Whether or not a cooperative is actively engaged in exporting cheese, butter, anhydrous milkfat, cream cheese, or whole milk powder, moving products into world markets is essential. CWT provides a means to move domestic dairy products to overseas markets by helping to overcome U.S. dairy’s trade disadvantages.



Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets Proposed Rule Publishes in the Federal Register; Comment Period Open through August 27

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) formally published the proposed rule, Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/06/28/2024-14042/fair-and-competitive-livestock-and-poultry-markets), in the Federal Register June 28. The public may submit comments until August 27 at regulations.gov.

The proposed rule defines unfair practices as conduct that harms market participants and conduct that harms the market. Combined, these two categories of conduct comprehensively define the counts of “unfair practices” under the P&S Act.

Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets, if finalized, would provide a workable guideline on how the prohibitions on unfair practices will operate and be enforced.

View the Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets factsheet.

Additional information on the proposed rule can be found on the AMS website.



Leading Scientists Urge Court to Reject Faulty Land Use Change Arguments

The nation’s leading experts in agricultural economics and biofuels lifecycle analysis urged the D.C. Circuit Court last week to reject erroneous claims made by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) in its lawsuit challenging EPA’s 2023-2025 Renewable Fuel Standard volumes.

In its challenge to EPA’s so-called “RFS set rule,” CBD relied on debunked studies by University of Wisconsin researcher Tyler Lark, and others, to wrongly suggest the RFS has caused habitat loss and conversion of grasslands into cropland. In their detailed amicus brief submitted last week, eight scientists informed the court that the Lark studies and CBD’s claims are “divorced from scientific evidence and reality” and “based on outdated, flawed, and disproven research.” They pointed out that “there is simply no valid scientific evidence behind claims that RFS-driven demand for ethanol production leads to the conversion of grasslands not previously farmed.”

The independent brief was submitted by experts from the University of California Davis, University of Idaho, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Chicago, Oak Ridge National Laboratory/University of Tennessee, South Dakota State University, WSP USA and CropGrower LLC. Over the past 20 years, these scientists have conducted extensive peer-reviewed research on land use and biofuels lifecycle greenhouse gas analysis, much of which has informed regulatory decision-making by EPA on the RFS program.

“Neither biofuel production nor the RFS has been scientifically linked to the conversion of ‘natural’ lands, such as native prairies, forests, and wetlands, to crop production,” the researchers told the court. “Experts in the field of biomass and agricultural economics have demonstrated that much of the outlier research was based on flawed assumptions and methods related to land use.”

In reality, biofuels like ethanol have significant GHG benefits, according to the experts’ brief.  “Updated analyses have repeatedly confirmed that low-carbon biofuels reduce GHG emissions in the transportation sector,” they wrote. “The GHG intensity for biofuels decreased by about 50 percent and is currently estimated to be more than 40 percent lower than gasoline produced from crude oil.”

They also noted ethanol producers are on a pathway to net zero lifecycle emissions, specifically highlighting the pledge made by RFA members in 2021. “Members of the Renewable Fuels Association have announced a commitment to further reduce the carbon intensity of corn ethanol, aiming to achieve a 70-percent reduction compared to petroleum gasoline by 2030 and net neutral status by 2050,” according to the brief.

The amicus brief cites a robust body of recent research that thoroughly debunks Lark’s previous work, including a new study showing that more than 98 percent of the land claimed by Lark to be “converted” from “native lands” to cropland had actually been previously engaged in crop production.

RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper offered the following comment on the amicus brief: “As we pointed out last week, the walls are closing in around the Center for Biological Diversity, Tyler Lark, the National Wildlife Federation, and other anti-biofuel activists who perpetuate the ridiculous land use change myth. In his newest work, even Lark is now admitting that U.S. cropland continued to shrink as biofuels production expanded. We applaud this group of experts for their independent efforts to stand up for scientific integrity. Their amicus brief deftly exposes the flawed and misleading claims made by CBD about the environmental impacts of biofuels like ethanol.”

EPA filed its initial reply to CBD’s claims last week, noting that the agency’s own analysis of potential land use impacts “…found all potential effects to be either discountable, insignificant, or both.” RFA has intervened on behalf of EPA in the litigation challenging the 2023-2025 RFS volumes.



Syngenta and Intrinsyx Bio to Offer New Biological Solution to Boost Crops’ Nutrient Use Efficiency

Syngenta Biologicals, a leader in cutting-edge agricultural biological solutions and Intrinsyx Bio, a Silicon Valley biotech company that promotes sustainable agriculture, today announced a collaboration to bring a novel biological solution to agricultural markets globally.

The collaboration will boost farmers’ access to a custom selection of Intrinsyx Bio’s proprietary endophyte formulations. Endophytes – small microorganisms that colonize in plants – fix atmospheric nitrogen directly into the plant, increasing the availability and uptake of key nutrients such as phosphorus and micronutrients that are important for plant health. This reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers, offering farmers greater flexibility in their nutrient management strategies while lowering the environmental impact of farming. Formulations will be offered as seed treatment and foliar application in key agricultural crops.

"This collaboration reflects Syngenta’s commitment to transforming the future of agriculture, with innovations that improve the sustainability of farming,” said Jonathan Brown, Global Head of Syngenta Biologicals and Seedcare. “We’re particularly excited to offer a broad range of formulations that will help farmers take the care of young plants to the next level, while protecting the health of their soil."

"This agreement represents another opportunity to expand the reach of our ‘biology that works.’ Partnering with Syngenta allows farmers around the world to benefit from endophytes proven mode of action and extensive field testing that improves nutrient use efficiency and increases crop yields,” said Greg Thompson, CEO of Intrinsyx Bio.

Syngenta has been investing significantly in strengthening its portfolio of biological solutions for both plant and seed health. Since its acquisition of Valagro in 2020, it has continued to invest heavily in research and development, while expanding its portfolio of cutting-edge biological solutions through various commercial and research collaborations. These efforts also reflect Syngenta’s commitment to helping agriculture achieve higher yields with lower environmental impact – a core pillar of Syngenta Group’s Sustainability Priorities.