Latest Agribusiness Headlines

All the headlines from our Agribusiness Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Germany Aims to Thwart African Swine Fever Edging Closer to Borders

Dec 31 2019 // German hunting dogs are being trained to sniff out dead wild boar, authorities are stockpiling electric fences along the eastern frontier and the government in Berlin is urging drivers not to toss ham-sandwich scraps out...

Kentucky Farmer Pleads Guilty in Tobacco Crop Insurance Fraud Scheme

Dec 31 2019 // Another Central Kentucky farmer has pleaded guilty in a crop insurance fraud scheme that a federal prosecutor has called “pervasive and severe” in that region. Daniel Arvin pleaded guilty on Dec. 19 in federal...

Typhoon Phanfone Kills at Least 41 in Philippines, Destroys Homes, Crops

Dec 30 2019 // Typhoon Phanfone killed at least 41 people when it slammed into the central Philippines on Christmas Eve, with dozens still injured or missing, according to the agency which oversees disaster response. The 21st cyclone to...

Agriculture, Aviation Woes Cited for Lag in Personal Income Growth in Kansas

Dec 27 2019 // Personal income growth in Kansas is below the national average largely because of troubles in agriculture. Kansas farmers face an expanding drought and low commodity prices, though a break in an ongoing tariff dispute may...

USDA Designates Some Louisiana Parishes as Natural Disaster Areas

Dec 16 2019 // Agriculture producers in some Louisiana parishes now may be eligible for assistance from the federal government due to losses from Hurricane Barry, the state’s agriculture commissioner reported. Louisiana Agriculture...

U.S.- China Phase One Trade Pact Promises Improved IP Protections, Insurance Markets Access

Dec 15 2019 // The United States and China have agreed on the terms of a “phase one” trade deal that reduces some U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods while boosting Chinese purchases of American farm, energy and manufactured goods...

Ratings of Kansas’ Farmers Alliance Mutual Insurance, Subsidiaries Upgraded

Dec 13 2019 // AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “a” from “a-” of McPherson, Kansas-based Farmers Alliance Mutual...

Judge Orders South Carolina Authorities to Protect Farmer’s Seized Hemp Crop

Dec 12 2019 // A judge is allowing a South Carolina hemp farmer arrested after authorities said he grew the crop in unregistered fields to harvest some of his crop and put the money in a trust as he awaits trial. The State Law...

Insurtech, Data Help Canadian Farmers Cut Lending, Insurance Costs

Dec 12 2019 // Canadian farmers — grappling with with lower crop income, adverse weather and a trade dispute with China — are using precision-agriculture technology aimed at reducing lending and insurance costs. Collecting...

Wyoming’s Governor is Seeking Disaster Help for Beet Farmers

Dec 12 2019 // Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon is asking for a federal disaster declaration to help farmers affected by cold weather in October. Two cold spells with warm weather in between harmed sugar beet crops in northern and southeastern...

Southeast Insurance Chiefs Farmer, Altmaier Elected to Top NAIC Posts

Dec 11 2019 // South Carolina Department of Insurance Director Ray Farmer and Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier have been elected to the positions of president and president-elect, respectively, of the NAIC (National...

Extreme Weather in Greece Brought $1.1 Billion in Crop Damages Since 2011

Nov 25 2019 // In the hills of northern Greece, peach farmer Makis Antoniadis is sweating in unseasonably warm November weather as he toils with his most recent harvest. It might be one of his last. Already grappling with the effects of...

Watch Out Finance, Business, Tech Workers. Artificial Intelligence Is Coming.

Nov 21 2019 // Artificial intelligence is coming for America’s high-paid professions as it creates winners and losers across the labor market like never before. White-collar jobs and better-educated occupations along with...

Hail Has Damaged Insurance Market for Car Dealers. Parametric Insurance May Help.

Nov 14 2019 // Nick Pacifico has been working at his family’s Cadillac dealership in Denver since 2003. He’s never seen insurance costs this bad. “Getting coverage is nearly impossible,” said Pacifico, vice...

AM Best Revises Outlooks to Negative for Pennsylvania’s Farmers

Nov 13 2019 // AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the financial strength rating of B+ (good) and the long-term issuer credit rating of “bbb-” of Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of...

Ben & Jerry’s Is Sued by Environmental Advocate Over ‘Happy Cows’ Claim

Nov 12 2019 // Ben & Jerry’s has been sued by an environmental advocate who said it deceived consumers by touting that the milk and cream it uses to make ice cream came exclusively from “happy cows.” In a complaint...

Farmers Hit by Hurricanes in Alabama, Florida, Georgia to Get $800M in Federal Aid

Nov 12 2019 // The federal government announced $800 million in aid Friday to farmers in three southern states that were devastated by last year’s hurricanes. Nearly half that money will go to Florida, where timber farmers suffered...

Kaufman Group, Burns & Wilcox Promote 23 Associates Including D’Antoni

Nov 8 2019 // Global insurance services firm H.W. Kaufman Group and its subsidiary Burns & Wilcox, a North American wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager, have announced numerous leadership promotions. Twenty-three...

Vermont Farm Loses 2K Chicken and Turkeys in Flooding, Estimates $60K Loss

Nov 7 2019 // A Vermont farmer says he lost more than 2,000 chickens and turkeys when last week’s flood waters inundated their Richmond farm. Bruce Hennessey, of Maple Wind Farm, says they had moved the animals to higher ground...

AIR Worldwide Launches Multi-Peril Crop Insurance Model for India

Nov 4 2019 // Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide (AIR) announced it has released a Multiple Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) Model for India to help support probabilistic assessments of potential losses caused by yield shortfalls...