Latest Agribusiness Headlines
All the headlines from our Agribusiness Topic Page, ordered by recency.
3 Kentucky Farmers Plead Guilty to Crop Insurance Fraud
Nov 1 2019 // Three Kentucky farmers have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to crop insurance fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Lexington says 34-year-old Bradley Price pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money...
Benefitfocus Adds Toggle, a Renters Insurance Subscription Product from Farmers
Nov 1 2019 // Benefitfocus, a cloud-based benefits platform, has added Toggle, a Farmers company, is to its BenefitsPlace offering. BenefitsPlace allows employers, brokers and medical insurance carriers to offer specialty benefits...
Farm Bankruptcies Up 24% on Strain from Trump Trade War
Oct 31 2019 // U.S. farm bankruptcies in September surged 24% to the highest since 2011 amid strains from President Donald Trump’s trade war with China and a year of wild weather. Growers are also becoming increasingly dependent on...
Chubb Continued Performing at ‘High Level’ in Q3
Oct 30 2019 // Global insurer Chubb reported a banner 2019 third quarter, even though the company’s net income took a hit largely from losses relating to an accounting adjustment. Net income for the insurer reached $1 billion...
Hemp and CBD Remain Risky Businesses in Uncertain Legal and Gig Climate
Oct 30 2019 // Executives at Kirby Co.’s home office noticed an odd trend: Its door-to-door vacuum-cleaner salespeople were increasingly involved in the same side gig — pitching CBD oil. Kirby, whose parent company is owned...
Sheriff Says Midwest Crop Thefts Are a ‘Major League Operation’
Oct 24 2019 // A “well-organized machine” of thieves appears to be behind the theft of tons of apples and pumpkins from orchards and farms in Michigan and Indiana, according to authorities. An estimated 7,000 pounds (3,175...
Kansas Farmer Pleads Guilty to Nearly $500K in Crop Insurance Fraud
Oct 23 2019 // Federal officials say a Kansas farmer has pleaded guilty to federal charges of crop insurance fraud and bankruptcy fraud. U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said Kevin W. Struss, 63, Wakeeney, Kan., pleaded guilty to one...
4th Person Dies from North Carolina Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak
Oct 21 2019 // North Carolina health officials say a fourth person has died from Legionnaires’ disease. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Resources said in a statement on Friday that its Division of Public Health has...
Timber Farmers in Florida Panhandle Face Tough Choices Year After Michael
Oct 16 2019 // The sunsets are a sight to behold in Joe Leonard’s neck of the woods these days. A year ago, lush stands of towering pines obscured the horizon, he said as he drove his pickup along a dusty Florida Panhandle road....
Illinois Bill Would Require Lab Testing of CBD Items Sold in State
Oct 16 2019 // A proposed bill would require all CBD products sold in Illinois to meet testing requirements that would be developed by the state Department of Agriculture. CBD is a cannabis extract that does not cause a high but is...
Cannabis Banking Challenges in Legal States Go Far Beyond Pot
Oct 16 2019 // Kat Merryfield was ready to share her farm-to-home oils, chocolates and creams with the rest of the country. But banks and credit card processors weren’t ready to work with her small business. “We started out...
Western Growers in California Names Reininger Senior Account Manager
Oct 16 2019 // Western Growers Insurance Services has named Marlo Reininger senior account manager. Reininger will work with the WGIS sales team in developing relationships with food and agriculture customers, and identifying risk and...
Virginia Governor Issues Drought Watch for Entire State
Oct 14 2019 // Worsening dry conditions affecting Virginia have prompted Governor Ralph Northam to place the state under a drought watch. The watch issued Friday advises residents, local governments and businesses to use less water. It...
More Charges Filed in Texas Against Louisiana Cattle Theft Suspect
Oct 10 2019 // A man previously accused of involvement in a Louisiana cattle theft ring has been indicted in Texas on charges he also stole cows from a rancher there. The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association said in a news...
Food Workers Sue to Stop Trump Plan to Speed Up Pig Slaughterhouse Lines
Oct 8 2019 // A food workers’ union filed a federal lawsuit Monday to block a Trump administration move to end limits on the speed of pork slaughter lines, arguing the new rule would lead to more injuries among employees and...
Brexit Talks Stall as EU Leaders Cast Doubt on Reaching Deal by Oct. 31
Oct 7 2019 // Prospects of a Brexit deal faded after talks between the two sides stalled and European leaders cast doubt on reaching an agreement in time for Oct. 31. French President Emmanuel Macron and Irish Prime Minister Leo...
Markel International Sells Brazilian Insurance Business to Executive Team
Oct 2 2019 // Markel International, the London-based specialist insurer and subsidiary of Markel Corp., announced that it has sold its insurance operations in Brazil to its existing executive team. Markel Seguradora do Brasil, S.A. is...
New Firm’s Services for Consolidated Dairy Industry Include Crop Insurance
Oct 2 2019 // Two traditional U.S. Midwest brokerages serving the dairy market are combining their businesses as the industry consolidates. Chicago-based Rice Dairy LLC and Commodity Risk Management Group of Platteville, Wisconsin, are...
Philippines Warns Hog Traders Who Ignore Quarantine Rules as Swine Fever Spreads
Oct 1 2019 // The Philippines’ Department of Agriculture on Tuesday threatened legal action against hog traders ignoring strict animal quarantine rules as it confirmed new cases of African swine fever infections in metropolitan...
AM Best Report: Credit Ratings of Farm Bureaus Remain Favorable
Sep 26 2019 // AM Best-rated farm bureaus within the U.S. property/casualty (P/C) insurance segment have experienced steady growth in net premiums written (NPW) in the past decade, unlike their life/annuity (L/A) counterparts, which have...
