Exports of U.S.-made agricultural equipment for first quarter 2016 are down 8 percent overall compared to first quarter 2015, with a total of $1.7 billion shipped to global markets. Europe and Central America each recorded double-digit gains, and the other world regions saw double-digit declines, led by Africa and South America, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), which … Read More
Soy Growers Welcome Cuban Agribusiness Group
The U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) and Cuba’s Grupo Empresarial Agricola (GEA) have officially signed an agreement to re-establish the Cuban marketplace for U.S. food and agricultural products. Members of both parities will be meeting regularly to ensure a beneficial and productive relationship as the agreement moves forward. The American Soybean Association is cheering the good news. All last week, ASA … Read More
Ag Groups Urge Congress to Back TPP
More than 200 farm and food groups have come together to send a bipartisan letter to Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan; Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi; Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell; and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The letter encourages Congress to finish the work of approving TPP in 2016. “If faithfully implemented, TPP will … Read More
US and Nigerian #Corn Growers Talk #Biotech
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) staffers welcomed the director of the Nigerian Corn Growers Association for a series of meetings this week on how farmers in the two nations can work together to increase corn demand and promote acceptance of biotechnology. Edwin Uche, director of the Nigerian Corn Growers Association, reached out for a meeting during the recent Maize … Read More
GMO Opposition Hurting the Developing World
Increasing pressure from the anti-GMO movement has created an increased demand for governments to restrict the use of biotechnology in agriculture, with the majority of biotech opposition stemming from European and European-funded NGOs and campaign groups. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a nonpartisan research and educational institute, has recently published data suggesting that the biotechnology restrictions created by … Read More
ChemChina Bids to Acquire Syngenta
Syngenta confirmed Monday that ChemChina, a Chinese state-owned company, has offered to acquire the company with the cash purchase of all Syngenta shares. The $43 billion deal must still be approved by two-thirds of Syngenta shareholders and receive regulatory approval. A Swiss and U.S. tender offer will be coming shortly and the transaction is expected to be concluded by the … Read More
John Deere Brings Precision Ag to Small-Holder Farmers
John Deere is bringing agricultural training to thousands of small-holder farmers with their new pilot mobile education unit. According to Geoff Andersen, director, Global Citizenship and Strategic Planning with John Deere, who I spoke with this morning during the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa, the unit was first used in Ghana and Kenya to help more than 60,000 … Read More
Biotech Included in TPP
The newly concluded Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) includes language related to biotechnology in agricultural products for the first time ever. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack calls the biotech inclusion “historic” and says it discusses “acknowledgement by member countries that they’ll use science-based determinations relative to biotechnology and to promote greater transparency in the regulatory presence.” During a press conference about the … Read More
Meet the New Holland Heroes
New Holland Agriculture is spotlighting ten farmers from different countries at the Expo Milano Sustainable Farm Pavilion and the “Seeds of Life” series. During our recent visit to the expo, we had the opportunity to meet nine of those farmer “heroes” and interview eight of them. Check out the links below to learn more about them. New Holland Hero from … Read More
Senators Urge Obama to Push Biotech in China
U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), both members of the Senate Finance Committee and Senate Agriculture Committee, along with 42 other senators, have sent a letter to President Obama. This letter asks Obama to address the concerns of Chinese delay in accepting U.S. biotech while President Xi is in Washington D.C. “To reinvigorate last year’s progress, we ask that … Read More