|
 |
|
|
|||
|
 |
|
June 2007 Phillips McDougall, the U.K.-based market intelligence firm reports: The value of the conventional chemical crop protection market in 2006 is estimated to have decreased 2.5% in comparison with 2005, to reach $32.4 billion. An ongoing negative influence affecting the conventional chemical crop protection sector remains the continuing expansion in the uptake of crops manipulated to express herbice tolerance and insect resistance. In 2006, the market for these seeds increased by 14.2% to $6.05 billion, following nominal dollar growth of 12.7% in 2005 and 19.3% in 2004. For more information, go to: www.phillipsmcdougall.com. Miller-St. Nazianz, Inc. announces it has purchased from Spray-Air Technologies Ltd., Carseland, AB, the technology and manufacturing rights to its agricultural sprayer products, including the patented Spray-Air Shear Guard Plus Nozzle technology. "This investment allows us to further complement our extensive line of spraying equipment by merging the Spray-Air Trident Boom technology with our rear-boom Mechanical Drive sprayer," says Steve Pesik, Miller's VP of Sls and Mktg. Golden Harvest promotes Eric Keetle to the position of WNW Reg'l Sls Mgr. Formerly, Keetle served as a DSM in the WNE region. In 2004, he was named DSM of the Year for the NE Region. Doug Ronk is also promoted to Reg'l Sls Mgr in Golden Harvest's ENE region. Ronk was previously a DSM with Golden Harvest. He has also worked in sales with Mycogen Seeds. REA Hybrids, Aberdeen, SD, joins American Seeds, Inc. (ASI) under the management of Fontanelle Hybrids, Fontanelle, NE. ASI purchased the sales and marketing assets of REA Hybrids in February. Case IH dealers that have gone through a specialized training and certification process to become official Case IH Grower Spray Centers will now be easier to identify, thanks to a new symbol. The updated, bright red and black Grower Spray Center symbol is designed to let farmers know where to go for Case IH self-propelled sprayer sales and support. "The sprayer business is highly specialized, and it requires a high level of customer support," says Ken Lehmann, Mktg Mgr for Case IH application equipment. "To be certified as a Case IH Grower Spray Center, a dealer has to appoint and train a sprayer specialist, attend comprehensive sales and service training, and have a supply of parts on hand necessary to support the sprayer line." Exports of U.S.-made farm machinery totaled $7.3 billion in 2006, a gain of more than 10% compared to the previous year, according to data released by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). This is the fifth consecutive year of gains in U.S. exports of agricultural equipment. Select Sires, Plain City, OH, in partnership with Igenity, a business unit of Merial, introduces the HealthMark program which combines predicted transmitting ability data for health and fertility traits with genetic marker information. Chuck Sattler, VP/Mgr of Genetic Programs for Select Sires says, "HealthMark is a unique and powerful tool that identifies positive health trait bulls sooner than ever before and allows producers to meet their breeding goals faster." Archer Daniels Midland Company announces that Brian Peterson, Sr VP, Corporate Affairs, has retired and ADM's corporate affairs activities have reorganized. Ed Harjehausen, Sr VP, Corn and Specialty Food and Feed will assume additional responsibility for ADM's marketing efforts. Shannon Herzfeld, VP, Govt Relations will report to ADM Chairman and CEO Patricia Woertz and will assume expanded responsibilities for relations with trade and producer associations. Victoria Podesta joins ADM as VP, Corporate Comms. She will be responsible for internal and external communications including media relations and community engagement efforts. Animart, Inc., Beaver Dam, WI, hires Christine Lepple as Mktg Mgr of the large animal dairy and livestock division. Most recently, she assisted with marketing communications for an agricultural client at Bader Rutter & Associates, Brookfield, WI. A new study that claims soy protein can help keep the heart healthy has received support from U.S. and Japanese health officials. Research from two U.S. universities and Japan's National Institute of Health and Nutrition confirmed findings on the health benefits of soy from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the FDA study, soy protein was shown to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood by up to 14%. A study from Harvard University's Dr. Walter Willett, which appeared in the March edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, backed the FDA's findings. Findings from the Japanese researchers, as well as a second study from Dr. Alice Lichtenstein of Tufts University, appear in the April edition of the same journal and also support the FDA's claims. A new feature on Pioneer Hi-Bred's GrowingPoint Web site offers growers a chance to review tips and suggestions from their fellow farmers. "Growing Perspective" serves as a forum for Pioneer customers and growers to read helpful hints and insights from their peers. One section of the Web site showcases knowledge from Kip Cullers, Purdy, MO, the 2006 world record holder for soybean production. Users who log on to the GrowingPoint Web site will find a section to submit questions to Cullers. He will answer the most popular inquiries and post the responses on the site on a regular basis throughout the growing season. This section also includes a video on Cullers with pictures showing Cullers' management practices. Future additions to the "Growing Perspective" section include suggestions and insights from a Pioneer forage producer. As part of its ongoing "Be a Hero, Support a Hero" promotion, FMC will donate more than $4,200 to the United Service Organization's (USO) Operation Care Package, which provides care packages to U.S. Servicemen and women who are stationed overseas. This donation from the promotion represents $5 for every attendee at either the FMC "What is New" or "Closing Learning Center" sessions, or those who registered for a prize drawing at the company's booth at last winter's Commodity Classic. Becker Underwood promotes Steve Bergschneider within the Inoculant Business Unit. Bergschneider assumes the position of Reg'l Sls Mgr for the northern U.S. He will focus on marketing inoculant products. Alltech Inc., awards a $900K grant to the University of Kentucky for animal gene research. The grant will foster collaboration between Alltech and UK to advance research in nutrigenomics, which is a new field studying the effects of nutrition on gene expression in animals. Scientists, students, the agriculture industry and ultimately consumers will benefit from the unique program. Smithfield Foods, Inc., Smithfield, VA, announces it has completed the acquisition of Premium Standard Farms, Inc., Kansas City, MO. The paper was funded by a grant from the Growth Enhancement Technology Information Taskforce (GET IT), an organization of animal health company executives committed to providing educational materials to the beef industry and beef consumers. The purchase price was approximately $800 million, including the assumption of PSF's approximately $125 million of net debt. Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., (BIVI) swine division announces the following additions to its swine team. Doug Nold joins the company as Sls Rep responsible for large production systems. He was most recently was with Pfizer Animal Health. Doug Riesberg joins as Sls Rep responsible for accounts in western Iowa. He was previously with M&F Trading. James Stickley joins as a Sls Rep responsible for accounts in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Stickley was most recently with Kalmbach Feeds. Dr. John Lawrence, Professor of Economics at Iowa State University and Dir of the Iowa Beef Center, recently completed an economic analysis of the impact of pharmaceutical technologies on U.S. beef production using 2005 cattle prices and production input costs. The combined economics indicate that these technologies produced a direct cost savings to producers of $365 per head of beef cattle raised. Selling prices would have to increase by 36% to cover the increase in costs without these technologies. To read the entire report, go to: www.beeftechnologies.com. IN MEMORIAM Buddy Jeffers, 75, Superior Livestock Auction co-founder and developer of the video livestock auction was killed in an automobile accident. Jeffers was named the winner of the 2006 Beef Industry Vision Award by the National Cattlemen's Foundation. He and his partners founded Superior Livestock Auction in 1987, the nation's first satellite video cattle auction. Tweet |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
