Latest Agribusiness Headlines

AFG Sub Notes Plans to Purchase Farmers Crop Insurance Alliance

Jul 28 2005 // Ohio-based American Financial Group Inc. and Farmers Alliance Mutual Insurance Company announced that they have executed a letter of intent to acquire the multi-peril crop insurance and the crop hail insurance businesses...

OneBeacon Sells National Farmers Union to QBE

Jul 27 2005 // OneBeacon Insurance Group in Boston has agreed to sell its National Farmers Union Property and Casualty Company (NFU) subsidiary to QBE Insurance Group for approximately $142 million, subject to adjustment based on closing...

Farmers Insurance Will Pay $9.9 Million

Jul 20 2005 // Farmers Insurance Group Inc. was ordered to pay $9.9 million to two women for failing to defend them against a neighbor who sued for an injury at their condominium complex. A Superior Court jury awarded the money to...

Jul 18 2005 // Majestic Insurance Company announced the appointment of David Porter to the new position of marketing manager for Southern California. Porter has more than 25 years of experience in the industry. Prior to joining Majestic,...

No. Idaho Grass Growers Agree to Settle Field-Burning Lawsuit

Jul 18 2005 // Insurance companies for northern Idaho grass farmers have agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by area residents over pollution from growers’ annual field burning. The amount of the settlement hasn’t...

Carney Operators Conned: Ky. Warns of Bogus Llyod’s Policies

Jul 15 2005 // Carnival and circus owners and others involved in the amusement industry are being warned to verify the status of insurance coverage, according to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the Kentucky Office of...

Great American Names Standlee President of Equine Mortality Division

Jul 15 2005 // Cincinnati-based property/casualty insurer Great American Insurance Group announced that Kendel D. Standlee has been promoted to president of its equine mortality division. The division supports the largest equine...

Mother-Daughter Team Arrested for Calif. Workers’ Comp Scam

Jul 13 2005 // Two Kern County, California farm labor contractors surrendered to authorities July 12 after a two-year investigation found that they had allegedly under-reported their business’ payroll by $1 million. The...

Best Takes Various Actions on 52 Canadian P/C Insurers

Jul 11 2005 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength ratings of 36 Canadian insurers, downgraded the ratings of four, upgraded the ratings of nine and assigned ratings to three Canadian property/casualty insurers. These...

Farmers, Allstate Take Top Honors at IMCA 2005 Showcase Awards; Insurance Journal Honored

Jul 6 2005 // Farmers Insurance Group received the top honor and Allstate Insurance Company received nine Best of Show awards at the Insurance Marketing Communications Association (IMCA) 2005 Showcase Awards, held during the IMCA annual...

Agents Oppose Crop Insurance Premium Reduction Plan

Jun 29 2005 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America testified Tuesday before a Senate committee on the ongoing question of the Premium Reduction Plan (PRP), which potentially opens the door for unqualified and...

June Hailstorms Total $18 Million in N.D. Insured Damages

Jun 28 2005 // North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jim Poolman reported that severe weather that ripped through the Dickinson area in Western North Dakota and the Langdon and Walhalla areas in Eastern North Dakota earlier this month has...

Hair Joins Utah’s Workers Compensation Fund

Jun 14 2005 // Dan Hair joined Workers Compensation Fund as senior vice president, safety and underwriting. Hair began his insurance career with the State Compensation Insurance Fund of California in 1976, and he recently ended a 25-year...

Okla. AG Sues Poultry Companies

Jun 14 2005 // Citing the protection of Oklahoma lakes and streams, drinking water and public health, Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson announced his office has filed a lawsuit against several out-of-state poultry companies for...

Zurich FSG Appoints Farmers Tutoki as Group Chief Claims Officer

Jun 8 2005 // Zurich Financial Services Group has announced the appointment of Jane Tutoki, 46, to the new position of Group Chief Claims Officer for the General Insurance business. She will be reporting directly to John Amore, CEO of...

INSURER GETS CLAIM FOR 20 HEIFERS:

Jun 6 2005 // Vermont State Police are investigating the theft of about 20 heifers from the Chaput Family Farm in North Troy between February and earlier this month. Farm owner Reg Chaput said he suspected theft in February, but...

News Briefs

Jun 6 2005 // MASSACHUSETTS Workers Comp Rates Up 3%: Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner Julianne Bowler has approved a 3.0 percent overall average rate reduction in workers’ compensation rates, a savings of $32.6 million in...

People

Jun 6 2005 // North Canton, Ohio-based insurer Hartville Group Inc. announced that the company’s board of directors have accepted the resignation of chief executive officer Russell Smith III. The board has also accepted the...

EU Trade Commissioner Urges More Action by WTO on Doha Round

Jun 1 2005 // Peter Mandelson, the European Union’s Trade Commissioner, has expressed his concern about the slow progress being made towards the liberalization of trade barriers. The “Doha Round” (named after the...

Rodney Pierson

May 23 2005 // Twig Branch Seattle, Wash.-based Physicians Insurance A Mutual Company has announced that Rodney A. Pierson has been named senior vice president, CFO and treasurer. Pierson’s long history in finance includes his...