Latest Agribusiness Headlines
All the headlines from our Agribusiness Topic Page, ordered by recency.
A.M. Best Downgrades Oklahoma’s Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance
Oct 17 2012 // A.M. Best Co. announced it has downgraded the financial strength rating to B+ (Good) from B++ (Good) and issuer credit rating to “bbb-” from “bbb” of Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Co. (Farmers) in...
California Labor Commissioner Files $1.6 Million Suit Seeking Wages for Ag Workers
Oct 16 2012 // California Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su filed a $1.6 million lawsuit in Monterey County Superior Court on Tuesday against a Greenfield farm labor contractor, Salvador Zavala Chavez, dba Zavala Farms, for multiple...
Drought Holds Steady in Midwest, Clouding Winter Crop Outlook
Oct 12 2012 // The nation’s worst drought in decades showed no signs of improvement last week in parts of the Midwest and Plains where the corn harvest is about two-thirds complete, clouding the prospects for the winter wheat crop,...
Top US Ag Negotiator: Farm Exports Likely Down $1B
Oct 11 2012 // America’s top agricultural negotiator, speaking in Stuttgart, Akr., said that he expects farm exports to be down between $1 billion and $2 billion this year because of the drought. The tighter supply of grains, and...
Hastings Mutual Insurance Partners with National Farmers Union
Oct 11 2012 // Hastings Mutual Insurance Co., a regional property/casualty insurance carrier headquartered in Hastings, Mich., announced a new marketing partnership with National Farmers Union. Through this new partnership, Hastings...
FDA: Indiana Farm Tied to Salmonella Outbreak Unclean
Oct 8 2012 // A federal inspector found two strains of salmonella and unclean conditions at an Indiana cantaloupe farm’s fruit-packing plant during inspections prompted by a deadly outbreak linked to the farm’s melons. The...
Report Points to Insurance Industry’s Vulnerability to Climate Change
Oct 8 2012 // A report out late last month urges the insurance industry to act to protect itself and the community against the increasing frequency of extreme weather due to climate change. In short, the report, its authors and those...
Best Agency to Work For: West
Oct 4 2012 // This year six agencies in all received top honors as a Best Agency to Work For. The Best Agencies to Work For in 2012 include: Bryan Insurance Agency, Graham, Texas; Meyer & Cook Insurance, Walnut Grove, California;...
Agriculture Pest Targeted In Southern California
Oct 3 2012 // Agriculture officials are targeting crop-destroying Oriental fruit flies in Southern California’s Santa Clarita Valley. Mature Oriental fruit flies were discovered on Sept. 18 and Sept. 19 in various valley locations...
Georgia Food Manufacturers Not Following ‘Red Flag’ Reporting Law: Audit
Sep 25 2012 // Food manufacturers in Georgia may be dodging a first-of-its-kind law requiring that they inform state food inspectors when their products test positive for contamination, according to an audit of the state’s food...
Missouri’s High Court Favors Insured in Question of Policy Ambiguity
Sep 24 2012 // Is a person hired to perform seasonal, part-time tasks for a company owner, based on a referral from an employee of the company, an employee or a temporary worker? It depends, according to Missouri’s high court...
Best Agency to Work For – West
Sep 24 2012 // A Place Where All Work Together Walnut Grove, CaliforniaMeyer & Cook Insurance A nice office view, lots of raises — and a Costco membership. Those are the keys to making employees happy. And those are among the...
Report Points to Insurance Industry’s Vulnerability to Climate Change
Sep 20 2012 // A report out Thursday urges the insurance industry to act to protect itself and the community against the increasing frequency of extreme weather due to climate change. In short, the report, its authors and those endorsing...
North Carolina Farm Bureau’s Credit Rating Lowered
Sep 19 2012 // A leading North Carolina property insurer has seen its credit rating downgraded due to a significant decrease in its underwriting revenue and its potential for large losses due to hurricanes and other severe weather...
Crop Insurance Losses Mount in Midwest
Sep 18 2012 // Thousands of farmers are filing insurance claims this year after drought and triple-digit temperatures burned up crops across the nation’s Corn Belt, and some experts are predicting record insurance losses —...
Five of Six NAMIC Members Joining ‘Century Club’ in Midwest
Sep 14 2012 // Six mutual insurance companies have been inducted into the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies’ (NAMIC) Century Club in recognition of 100 years of serving their policyholders. Five of the new members...
Farm Bill, Crop Insurance Reform May Be Stalled Until November
Sep 12 2012 // It may be November before the U.S. Congress completes the new $500 billion U.S. farm bill as lawmakers cannot agree on how much to cut support to farmers or food stamps for the poor. “We’re stuck at the...
Isaac Damage to Louisiana Agriculture Estimated at $100M
Sep 12 2012 // An assessment won’t be finalized until all harvests are complete, but it appears that an estimated $100 million in losses to Louisiana’s row crop industry resulted from Hurricane Isaac, state agriculture...
Michigan Cherry Growers Get New Crop Insurance Options
Sep 10 2012 // U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow says Michigan’s cherry growers are getting new crop insurance options. The Michigan Democrat is head of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. According to...
Government Declares Disasters In 4 Mont. Counties
Sep 7 2012 // The U.S. Agriculture Department has declared Broadwater, Gallatin, Jefferson and Silver Bow counties disaster areas, making farmers and ranchers there eligible for low-interest emergency loans. The assistance is meant to...
