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Dec. 31, 2010 Source: Agri Marketing magazine Here is our list of the top ten events that occurred in 2010 that will shape the agri-marketing environment in the coming year: 1. Booming farm economy. USDA now forecasts net farm income will top $81 billion which is 31% higher than last year and 26% higher than the ten-year average. No wonder the Agri-Marketers Confidence Index (sponsored by Agri Marketing magazine and the ABM Agri-Council) now stands at 91 out of a possible 100 while the DTN/Progressive Farmer Agribusiness Index climbed 20% and its Ag Producer Index shot up 50% since April. At the end of the year, corn futures are at $6.29, soybeans $13.93, wheat $8.51, fed cattle $108, hogs $80 and cotton $144. Iowa farmland values zoomed up 16% during the year according to Iowa State. Wow. 2. Hunger in the U.S. A USDA study showed that more than one in six Americans, including more than 17 million children, are food insecure -- meaning they lack consistent access to a nutritious, well-balanced diet. 40 million are now receiving food stamps. 3. U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) is formed. This new alliance is comprised of most of the leading farmer and rancher led agricultural organizations. Its mission is to bolster the image of agriculture and enhance public trust of its food supply. Serving as the group's Chairman is Bob Stallman, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation. It has named Drake & Co. as its General Contractor. 4. Agribusiness continues to be concerned about the current Administration and its agencies' challenges on issues including: *the series of five competitiveness workshops hosted by USDA and the Dept. of Justice, *GIPSA's proposed livestock marketing regulations, *EPA's Chesapeake Bay water quality regulations, *EPA's ruling allowing only 2009+ year model vehicles to use E15. Note: the crop groups don't like it (they wanted it to include all vehicle years)...the livestock groups hate it (because ethanol competes with them for corn). *EPA's proposed dust regulations. Note: neither the crop nor the livestock groups like that one. *FDA's stance on barring the use of antibiotics as growth promotants for livestock, *USDA's insistence on having GE and non-GE crops coexist. *this list could go on and on. 5. Fiat's decision to split its agricultural/construction (CNH) and automobile units into two separately traded businesses. 6. Walmart. The nation's largest food and clothing retailer announced its global sustainable agricultural goals. Pepsi did, too. 7. A new soybean world yield record was set at 160 bu/acre by SW Missouri grower Kip Cullers. 8. The major machinery manufacturers announced and are now manufacturing their engines to meet EPA's Tier 4 requirements. It is estimated it will increase the purchasers' costs by 10 to 20%. 9. Ag jobs. A study of the major ag colleges showed the average starting salary in the ag industry for recent graduates is $36,000. 10. HBO TV's show "Temple Grandin" earns an Emmy and is applauded by animal science and welfare organizations. Notable acquisitions during 2010 included: Pfizer acquires King Pharmaceuticals and Synbiotics Corp. EMD/Merck Crop BioScience acquired by Novozymes. Agrium sells AWB Commodity Management business to Cargill. Farm Journal Media acquires syndicated radio show. AGCO acquires Sparax Holdings and the remaining share of Laverda S.p.A. Gavilon acquires DeBruce. RFD-TV acquires Roy Rogers' Trigger and Bullet. Syngenta acquires Pioneer's half of Greenleaf Genetics. BASF acquires Cognis. Topcon acquires InlandGEO. Novus Int'l acquires the animal nutrition division of Albion Labs and IQF-ENAMEX. GfK Kynetec acquires dmrkynetec. CF Industries acquires Terra Industries. Advanta acquires Crosbyton Seed Co. Elanco acquires the European rights to animal health products being marketed by Pfizer and Wyeth's Ft. Dodge business unit. Chromatin acquires Sorghum Partners and Milo Genetics. QBE Insurance acquires crop insurance provider NAU Country Insurance Co. Great Plains acquires UK-based Simba Int'l. United Suppliers acquires Lange-Stegmann's wholesale fertilizer sales unit. Kongskilde Industries acquires Progressive Farm Products. Sanofi-aventis and Merck combine Merial with Intervet/Schering-Plough and name the JV Merial-Intervet. ACE Group acquires Rain and Hail Insurance Service. Landoll Corp. acquires Brillion Farm Equipment. Pioneer Hi-Bred acquires AgVenture, Hoegemeyer Hybrids, NuTech, Terral Seed and Seed Consultants. Becker-Underwood acquires Biological Control Products. New collaborations/agreements include: Bayer CropScience, Univ of Nebraska partner to improve wheat breeding. BASF, Bayer CropScience to develop higher-yielding hybrid rice. Cibus, Rotam announce partnership for canola. CHS, West Central Ag Services launch grain joint venture. Plant Health Care announces harpin research agreement with Syngenta. BASF and Monsanto announce progress in Dicamba formulations. Monsanto, Sumitomo Chemical And Valent announce long-term crop protection collaboration. Raven Industries And Jacto announce strategic precision ag partnership. Successful Farming, Farm Market iD partner to offer data solutions. Monsanto, Bunge Partner to commercialize agricultural and energy innovations. Dow AgroSciences signs a licensing agreement centered around gaining access to Monsanto's Roundup Ready 2 technology. Bayer CropScience and Dow AgroSciences cross-licenses their cotton technologies. Syngenta grants Bayer CropScience a license to use its VIPCOT technology in cotton. Monsanto enters agreements with FMC, Valent and MANA to license its RR PLUS for use with their herbicides. Legendary agri-marketers we lost this year included: Robert Daugherty, founder of Valmont Industries. Ollie Myers, prominent Illinois crop input retailer...founder of Myers, Inc. Lee Rulon, Beck's Hybrids sales manager. Ed Tubbs, prominent ag banker from Eastern Iowa...past recipient of American Bankers Assoc's Bruning award. Leland Stratton, founder of Stratton Seed Co. James Cavanaugh, retired executive sec'y Of American Jersey Cattle Assoc. Clifford Hardin, former Sec'y of Agriculture, Univ of Nebraska Chancellor and Ralston Purina executive. John Hagaman, retired Pres/CEO of Dow AgroSciences and Chairman of Arysta LifeSciences. Leland Glazebrook, prominent Illinois farm broadcaster. Dr. George Agrios, father of the Dr. of Plant Medicine program at Univ of Florida. Milton Bliss, long-time farm broadcaster. Dr. Lee Kolmer, retired Ag College Dean at Iowa State. Joe Prochaska, founder of Prochaska Consulting, former President of Donlar AgriSciences, Willmar Mfg who began his career with Ciba-Geigy. Bill Raufer, retired from Moorman's Mfg, Meredith Corp. and Quaker Oats. Frank Ross, VP/Global Commercial Business for Pioneer Hi-Bred. Donald Staheli, retired CEO of Continental Grain. Ivan Jacobsen, half-owner of Trojan Seed Co. Jim Barnes, Nat'l Sales Mgr. of CTB's Brock division. Tweet |
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