Latest Agribusiness Headlines
All the headlines from our Agribusiness Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Workers’ Lawsuit Against Washington Farm Given Class-Action Status
Dec 27 2018 // A U.S. District Court judge in Seattle, Wash. has certified a class-action lawsuit on behalf of some 600 Mexican workers who have alleged labor abuses at a Whatcom County blueberry farm. The Seattle Times reported the...
Damaging Hail in August Leads to Disaster Designation, Help for Michigan Farmers
Dec 21 2018 // The U.S. Department of Agriculture says a portion of Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula has been designated as a natural disaster area following a summer hailstorm that damaged crops. Agriculture Secretary Sonny...
Nebraska Dairy Faces $78.8K in OSHA Penalties Following Grain Bin Death
Dec 21 2018 // The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it cited Thiele Dairy in Nebraska for failing to develop and implement safety and health programs related to grain bin...
Georgia Farmers Eligible for Loans to Cover Hurricane Losses
Dec 21 2018 // Some Georgia farmers are eligible for federal loans to help cover the costs of losses sustained because of Hurricane Michael. The Augusta Chronicle reported Tuesday that Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated...
California Commissioner Pushing Insurer Fossil Fuel Divestment to The End
Dec 20 2018 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones continues to push the fossil fuel divestment hot button right to the end of the year and his tenure as the state’s head insurance regulator. Jones this week released the...
Federal Judge Shuts Down North Carolina Nuisance Hog Farm Suit
Dec 20 2018 // A federal judge in North Carolina has shut down a lawsuit against a Smithfield Foods hog feeding operation by some neighbors who complained of odors, flies and noises. U.S. District Judge David Faber on Dec. 13 declared...
California Hits 2 Companies with $4.3M Fine for Improperly Selling Workers’ Comp
Dec 19 2018 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Wednesday imposed a $4.3 million penalty on American Labor Alliance and CompOne USA for selling workers’ compensation and liability policies to employers of farmworkers...
Nebraska Farm Bureau: Trade Conflicts Cost Farmers $1B
Dec 17 2018 // A Nebraska Farm Bureau report says trade conflicts have cost Nebraska farmers up to $1 billion in farm income this year. The report released on Dec. 3 says additional costs include between $164 million and $242 million in...
AM Best: Outlooks Revised to Stable for Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Companies
Dec 14 2018 // AM Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a” of Texas Farm Bureau...
Schumer Says Farm Bill Will Help New York Dairy Farmers
Dec 14 2018 // Sen. Chuck Schumer says the sweeping farm bill approved by Congress will help New York dairy farmers. The Senate’s Democratic leader says the bill invests $100 million in the federal dairy insurance program to help...
Rhode Island Equine Insurance Agent Pleads Guilty in $1.3M Fraud Scheme
Dec 13 2018 // A Rhode Island insurance agent and agency owner who specializes in providing equine insurance coverage has admitted to operating schemes which defrauded customers, insurance companies and finance companies of approximately...
Senate OK of Farm Bill Sends It to President Trump Who Is Expected to Sign It
Dec 12 2018 // The House cleared farm legislation that renews agricultural subsidies and food aid for low-income families without a controversial provision backed by conservatives and President Donald Trump that would have toughened work...
Wet Harvest Leads to $77M Loss for Arkansas Soybean Farmers
Dec 12 2018 // Arkansas soybean farmers have lost at least $77 million this year after heavy rainfall interrupted harvest season and damaged the quality of the crop, according to a recent report by agriculture experts. Wet conditions...
June 20 Still the Cut Off Date for Dicamba Use in Minnesota
Dec 12 2018 // Minnesota is maintaining its June 20 cutoff date for farmers to use the herbicide dicamba, which has been blamed for drifting and damaging neighboring soybean fields. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture imposed the...
Senate Passes Farm Bill with Crop Insurance, Food Stamps, Hemp Farming
Dec 12 2018 // The Senate passed a five-year farm bill renewing agricultural subsidies and food aid for low-income families after weeks of negotiations over work requirements for food stamp recipients and a last-minute snag over forestry...
Arkansas Panel OKs Restrictions on Dicamba Herbicide Use
Dec 11 2018 // An Arkansas panel has given initial approval to allowing restricted use of an herbicide that was banned following complaints that it drifted onto crops and caused damage. The Arkansas Plant Board last week approved new...
ProAg Adds Borner, Piechowski, Schaefers to Leadership Team
Dec 11 2018 // Amarillo, Texas-based Producers Ag Insurance Group Inc. (ProAg), a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies, has hired Scott Schaefers as senior vice president of Marketing and Innovation, Becky Piechowski as...
50K or More Hens Died in Illinois Egg Farm Fire, Company Says
Dec 7 2018 // A company spokesman says 50,000 or more hens died in a fire that destroyed two barns of an egg farm in rural northeastern Illinois. Mussman’s Back Acres Inc. spokesman Brian Burch says 275,000 to 300,000 hens...
Aon Cites Need for Mitigation as Insured Wildfire Losses Top $10B for Second Year
Dec 7 2018 // Total aggregated economic losses for the wildfires that have burned across Northern and Southern California throughout the month are expected to minimally exceed $10 billion, while insurance claims payouts for wildfires...
Romaine Lettuce Outbreak Highlights Safety Measures in Produce Industry
Dec 7 2018 // After repeated food poisoning outbreaks linked to romaine lettuce, the produce industry is confronting the failure of its own safety measures in preventing contaminations. The E. coli outbreak announced just before...
