10th Anniversary for AgGateway

Kelly MarshallAgGateway, Agribusiness, Retailers, technology

AgGatewayThe Annual Conference for AgGateway will be the kickoff to celebrate the program’s 10th anniversary.  The conference, scheduled for November 9-12 in San Antonio, Texas, will feature the growth of agricultural eBusiness and will include the adoption of “eAgriculture” as a term to signify the growth of electronic connectivity in the world of ag.  A logo has also been designed to reflect the eAgriculture term, which members will be able to use to identify their use of AgGateway resources.

Additionally the conference will be highlighting an Innovation Showcase to feature new eAgriculture each year, as well as an “AgGateway in Action” award to recognize contributions in advancing eAg.  The conference will also work to equip attendees with the resources to implement eBusiness in their own companies.

“We invite any and all ag companies interested in eBusiness to attend the conference to learn more about how AgGateway members in various areas are working together to improve the way agriculture works – from precision agriculture and auto identification data capture, to standardized reporting in ag retail and commodity transport,” said AgGateway President and CEO Wendy Smith. “The conference is our springboard for several new initiatives – including our use of the new term ‘eAgriculture’ to signify that these efforts move beyond back-office, accounting functions associated with the term ‘eBusiness’ to every aspect of agriculture – from the manufacturer and ag retailer to the field and beyond.”

You can register online under “Events” at www.AgGateway.org.

Farmers May Benefit From Bipartisan Bill Changing Tax Code

Taylor TruckeyAg Group, Equipment, Government

roberts2U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have introduced bipartisan legislation, supported by both the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union, to help farmers purchase new equipment and replace worn-out machinery by amending the U.S. tax code to permanently set a five-year depreciation schedule for certain agricultural equipment.

The current tax code sets a seven-year depreciation cost recovery period for agricultural equipment. Changing the depreciation schedule for agricultural equipment to five years would make the tax code more consistent and support rural development by aligning the length of time that farmers can take a depreciation deduction with the average useful life of that property.

“This commonsense legislation will give farmers and ranchers the certainty they need to invest in new, more modern equipment so they can create more jobs and growth in our communities,” said Roberts, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “A five year depreciation schedule allows for predictability and fairness in our overly complex tax code, giving the agriculture community the ability to produce more efficiently and at a lower cost.”

“Agriculture is cyclical in nature with producers making large investments in their crops, livestock, buildings, and equipment,” Klobuchar said. “We need to ensure our tax code is fair for farmers so that they can purchase the modern equipment that will allow them to produce more while spending less. This commonsense legislation will put money back in the pockets of our farmers and ranchers and enable them to grow our agricultural economy and strengthen our rural communities.”

Under the tax code, taxpayers are allowed a depreciation deduction to allow them to recover the costs of investing in certain property, like farm machinery and farm-use motor vehicles. The recovery period for the deduction should match the useful life and financing of that property. According to surveys from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, on average farmers and ranchers finance farm equipment and machinery for five years.

New Online Game from National Geographic and Bayer

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Bayer CropScience, Education

Top CropNational Geographic and Bayer CropScience are excited to announce the launch of their new, online game “Top Crop: Farming for the Future.” The game hopes to educate students on the basics of producing crops by taking players through a series of virtual growing seasons, complete with all the challenges growers face, like pests, disease and weather.  Players may also use various modern technologies in their quest for a good harvest.

“At National Geographic, we’re committed to educating tomorrow’s explorers, scientists, engineers and farmers about the world and how it works, and this ‘Top Crop’ game is a great example of how we can teach kids about the challenges and solutions farmers face in the real world through a fun and interactive game,” said National Geographic Chief Education Officer Melina Bellows.

“Top Crop” introduces a scenario where the USDA wishes to experiment with new technologies to support sustainable farming, and wants student game players to lead the way. If the student players can successfully grow crops, the USDA will provide the technology and equipment necessary to run a virtual modern agricultural operation. Throughout the course of the “Top Crop” story, game players help agricultural leaders figure out the best way to provide more healthy food and sustainable agriculture techniques to feed a growing global population.

By 2050, global food demand will increase by 60 percent, and meat consumption will increase by 70 percent. These demands must be met by cultivating more food on the same or fewer arable acres than exist today, in the face of a shrinking water supply, evolving pest pressures and a changing climate. “Top Crop” helps game players devise ways to best utilize their available resources to grow healthy crops and maximize overall crop yield.

“Bayer CropScience is proud to work alongside National Geographic to educate students on the role modern agriculture plays in our everyday lives,” said Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP. “In order to produce enough safe, healthy food for the 9 billion people that will inhabit our Earth by 2050, these students and so many other people need to get involved in writing the next chapter of agriculture’s history. That will only happen if we develop an agriculturally literate population that not only understands where their food comes from and how it is produced, but also develops a passion for solving the world’s most pressing food issues and fighting global hunger. ‘Top Crop’ is a fun way to get started down this path to educating and cultivating a new generation of agricultural game changers.”

Syngenta Announces Licensing Agreement

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Company Announcement, Corn, Syngenta

syngentaSyngenta has recently announced a new licensing agreement with two of its collaborators, KWS and Limagrain.  The companies plan to expand their joint ventures, AgReliant and Genective, with a 20 year agreement covering AgReliant in North America as well as individual operations abroad.  Syngenta will share rights to its corn trait portfolio in return for a $200 million upfront advance and future royalty and milestone payments.

Davor Pisk, Chief Operating Officer for Syngenta said, “This agreement is a further affirmation of the value of Syngenta’s innovative GM traits portfolio and biotechnology capabilities. The creation of additional value through trait outlicensing, as well as the incorporation of leading technologies in our own branded offer, will be an important driver in improving the profitability of our Seeds portfolio.”

“As an independent seed company it has always been our primary desire to deliver best products to the farmer. With this renewed agreement we will be able to meet the requirements of our customers, based on the global strength of our corn germplasm and a wide range of competitive GM corn traits delivering sustainable solutions. Furthermore the agreement allows Genective to follow its open architecture strategy of combining own corn GM traits with leading trait platforms in the industry,” says Hagen Duenbostel, CEO of KWS

“Limagrain, through its holding Vilmorin & Cie, considers this global trait licensing agreement with Syngenta a strong addition to its Field Seeds product portfolio for established and future GM corn markets. The ability to combine highly competitive proprietary germplasm with both Genective and Syngenta leading GM traits will increase the options offered to our corn customers around the world. Providing such alternative options is at the heart of our vision to help corn farmers meet future production challenges,” reports Bruno Carette of Limagrain Field Seed.

PrecisionHawk Named To UAS Task Force

Taylor TruckeyAviation, drone, transportation, UAS, UAV

PrecisionHawkPrecisionHawk was one of approx. 25 diverse representatives selected by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta this week, as they announced the creation of a task force to develop recommendations for a registration process for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

The group will advise the Department on which aircraft should be exempt from registration due to a low safety risk, including toys and certain other small UAS. The task force also will explore options for a streamlined system that would make registration less burdensome for commercial UAS operators. The task force may make additional safety recommendations as it deems appropriate. Secretary Foxx directed the group to deliver its report by Nov. 20.

“As a UAS technology company and operator, we know how important coordinated identification is to the environments in which we work,” Thomas Haun, VP of Strategy, PrecisionHawk

You can read more about the FAA & Dept of Transportation decision here.

KWS, Monsanto Aim To Improve Sugarbeet Technology

Taylor TruckeyKWS, Monsanto, Sugarbeets

monsantoThis week Monsanto and KWS announced they will be extending their partnership to focus on helping U.S. and Canadian sugarbeet growers manage tough-to-control weeds. The new technology will aim to deliver tolerance to three different herbicides — glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba — and is expected to be commercially available in the middle of the next decade, pending regulatory approvals.

“We welcome the development of new tools to help sugarbeet growers manage weeds on their farms,” adds John Snyder, president, American Sugarbeet Growers Association. “Our farmers are among the best in the world at producing sugar and our future depends on the ability to apply new production technology in our cropping systems.”

This partnership marks the second collaboration between the two companies; KWS and Monsanto also partnered on the initial introduction of Roundup Ready® Sugarbeets.

KWS logoNicolas Wielandt, head of the Sugarbeet Division for KWS: “As a leader in sugarbeet development for almost 160 years, KWS is committed to improving productivity by bringing new technologies and innovation to sugarbeet growers. We are happy to expand the toolbox for the farmer as additional solutions for weed control are needed. We expect that this technology will increase the efficiency of sugarbeet cultivation and help to secure the competitiveness of the crop.

Doug Rushing, Sugarbeet Industry Affairs lead for Monsanto: “Since its adoption in 2007, Roundup Ready® Sugarbeets have helped farmers lower inputs and decrease their impact on the environment by reducing the number of times they have to drive over their fields to apply herbicides. Extending this partnership with KWS illustrates how we’re constantly collaborating to help bring new solutions to farmers, and it shows the importance of working with others to be proactive in weed resistance management.”

Bayer Agriculture Literacy Week Wraps Up Friday

Taylor TruckeyAgribusiness, Bayer CropScience, Education

ag literacy weekFriday marks the end of Bayer CropScience‘s Ag Literacy Week, which was celebrated from October 19-23. Bayer CropScience sites across the country engaged with local communities to provide hands on learning opportunities for students. Through Ag Literacy Week, Bayer aims to create conversations while raising the public awareness of the power of modern agriculture and the critical role technology will play in food production to help meet the needs of a growing population.

Societal and environmental changes within the next 30 years will severely test our ability to produce enough food to satisfy a growing world population. During this time, global food demand is expected to increase 60 percent and we must meet this demand using the same or fewer arable acres that we have today, and in the face of a shrinking water supply, evolving pest pressures and a changing climate. Innovation in agriculture is imperative but innovation can only be achieved with an agriculturally literate population that is enthusiastic about developing solutions that can address future food challenges.

“Bayer is committed to improving agricultural literacy among students and the general public for two very important reasons,” said Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP. “It is important that people know where their food comes from and how it is produced, because the agriculture supply challenges we’re facing cannot be solved without new technology and increased engagement in our industry. The future of agriculture looks most promising when young minds develop a passion for STEM, agriculture and innovation that will make a tangible difference in solving the world’s most pressing food issues.”

Bayer CropScience siteshosted a series of Ag Literacy Week events focused on public outreach and student engagement. Bayer CropScience employees participated in agriculture-focused community service activities, engaged in Making Science Make Sense events at local schools, participated in community events that promoted STEM education, and more. All activities served to highlight the importance of agriculture literacy by showcasing where our food comes from, the technology that enhances modern agricultural production, the vast availability of STEM careers in agriculture, and telling the innovative story of modern agriculture.

Senate Ag Committee Holds Hearing On Biotechnology

Taylor Truckeybiotechnology, Food, GMO, NCGA

safe-affordable-foodThe Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing this week on agriculture biotechnology (GMO) with that showcased the overwhelming scientific consensus regarding GMO safety, as well as the urgent need for Congressional action to pass a reasonable, common-sense solution that prevents a state-by-state patchwork of labeling laws.

“This is the first time in 10 years this Committee has held a hearing on agriculture biotechnology, a topic that is of utmost importance for producers in meeting the global food challenge” said Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS). “Science has come a long way in those 10 years, and we recognize those beneficial advances today.”

Wednesday’s hearing began with a panel of experts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Food and Drug Administration offering testimony that reaffirmed the safety of GMOs.

Dr. Susan Mayne, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, stated that “over the last 20 years, FDA has reviewed and evaluated data and information on more than 150 GE plant-derived foods…based on our evaluations, we are confident that foods from genetically engineered sources in the U.S. marketplace today are as safe as their conventional counterparts.”

NCGA-Logo-3The National Corn Growers Association also urged the Senate to act quickly to pass a uniform, national food labeling standard in light of today’s Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, highlighting the safety of genetically modified ingredients and the importance of biotechnology.

“NCGA and Congress agree: consumers should have access to food choices that are safe, nutritious, abundant and affordable,” said NCGA Trade Policy and Biotechnology Action Team Chair John Linder, a farmer from Edison, Ohio. “Congress, and only Congress, can now prevent a costly and confusing patchwork of state labeling laws from taking effect next year. The Senate must act now to avoid the negative consequences inaction will surely bring for consumers and farmers across the country.”

Following three hearings in the U.S. House of Representatives, this is the fourth time in the past 12 months where expert witnesses have confirmed the science and safety of biotechnology.

The Senate hearing comes less than ten months from the July 1 effective date of Vermont’s labeling mandate, which will be the first state to implement its own unique food labeling standard. Though Vermont’s law is currently being challenged in federal court, there is little chance of a judicial resolution in time to prevent the negative impacts of the misguided statute.

It it increasingly clear that a bipartisan solution is attainable. In July, the House of Representatives passed its own bill that creates a single, national labeling standard, as well as a GMO-free certification program that assures consumers who prefer to purchase non-GMO foods have a consistent, transparent means of identifying those products. That legislation passed by a 275-150 vote with support of 45 Democrats. The hearing provided plenty of evidence that similar bipartisan compromise is within reach in the Senate.

‘Bringing Biotechnology to Life’ Launched at WFPS

Taylor TruckeyAFBF

Pages_from_EG_Biotech_Final_lowresThe American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture and the International Food Information Council Foundation unveiled the launch of “Bringing Biotechnology to Life,” at World Food Prize 2015 Borlaug Dialogue international symposium. This curriculum is a free educational resource that aims to facilitate learning about agricultural biotechnology and its role in food production. Bringing Biotechnology to Life guides the learner through the process of understanding DNA, selective breeding, biotechnology and GMOs. Students also are presented with tools to evaluate the reliability of information they see and hear.

‘Bringing Biotechnology to Life’ is a science-based classroom resource with applicable lessons related to agriculture,” said Julie Tesch, executive director of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.

The resource includes seven sequential lesson plans for educators which address national learning standards for 7th to 10th grade students. Lessons focus on topics including the following:

· What is DNA?
· How can we examine DNA?
· What is Selective Breeding?
· What is Biotechnology?
· The Technology of Life
· How is Biotechnology Used?
· How do researchers compare DNA?
· Where would we be without GMOs?

A research and public presentation module also is included to encourage students to take what they have learned and present it to an audience outside the classroom.

The Bringing Biotechnology to Life learning kit is available for download at no cost at http://www.foodinsight.org/biotech-curricula or http://www.agfoundation.org/images/uploads/EG_Biotech_Final.pdf.

USDA To Invest $30mil To Protect Wetlands

Taylor TruckeyFarm Bill, NRCS, USDA

nrcsLate last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will award $30 million to projects in six states to protect, restore and enhance wetlands on private and tribal agricultural lands. The projects are being funded under the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP), a program authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.

“Through locally led partnerships like these, USDA is targeting conservation in the places that make sense, allowing us to address local concerns,” Vilsack said. “These projects will improve water quality, prevent flooding, enhance wildlife habitat and meet increasing conservation challenges on over 19,000 acres of wetlands.”

Wetland reserve easements allow landowners to successfully enhance and protect habitat for wildlife on their lands, reduce impacts from flooding, recharge groundwater and provide outdoor recreational and educational opportunities. The voluntary nature of NRCS’ easement programs allows effective integration of wetland restoration on working landscapes, providing benefits to farmers and ranchers who enroll in the program, as well as benefits to the local and rural communities where the wetlands exist.

Created by the 2014 Farm Bill, WREP is a special enrollment option under the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program’s Wetland Reserve Easement component. Through WREP, which is administered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), states, local units of governments, non-governmental organizations and American Indian tribes collaborate with NRCS through cooperative and partnership agreements.

NRCS awarded grants for projects in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska and Tennessee.

For more information on each states projects, click here.