Latest Agribusiness Headlines
All the headlines from our Agribusiness Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Record Crop Claims Fuel Debate Over Government Subsidies for Farmers
Mar 25 2013 // Farmers will be paid a record $16 billion in crop insurance claims for 2012 because of the widespread drought, a staggering amount that has critics calling for changes to what they say is an inefficient taxpayer subsidy...
Farmers Brace for Crop Insurance Cuts
Mar 25 2013 // U.S. farm groups are looking for a formula to lower crop subsidy spending dramatically ahead of new congressional demands for cuts in a farm bill now costing $10 billion more than planned. The cuts could be larger than the...
Gowrie Group Names Equine Insurance Specialist in Rhode Island
Mar 21 2013 // Gowrie Group, an independent insurance agency based in Westbrook, Conn., appointed Kiley Prime as a personal lines and equine insurance specialist. She resides in Newport, R.I., and will service clients from the Newport...
Senate Votes $55M to Avoid Meat Inspector Layoffs
Mar 21 2013 // U.S. Senators agreed to shift $55 million in funds within the Agriculture Department on Wednesday to avert the layoff of all U.S. meat inspectors this summer due to federal budget cuts. On a voice vote, the Senate adopted...
Report: Japan PM Abe’s Pacific Trade Pact Gambit Pays Off, for Now
Mar 18 2013 // Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s first politically risky step of declaring the country’s intent to join talks on a U.S.-led Pacific Rim free trade pact appears to be paying off as his record high...
RAA: U.S. Reinsurers Had Higher Profits, Improved Underwriting Results in 2012
Mar 15 2013 // The Reinsurance Association of America (RAA) said a group of 19 U.S.-based property/casualty reinsurers reported higher net written premiums and net income for 2012 compared to 2011. The RAA said Thursday that a survey of...
USDA Suspends Some Ag Reports Due to Budget Cuts
Mar 15 2013 // The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s statistical arm said it won’t issue some agricultural reports this year because of automatic federal budget cuts, alarming some in the dairy industry who fear the...
Willis Launches Insurance Program for Dairy Farm Industry
Mar 14 2013 // Willis Programs, a specialty business unit of Willis Group Holdings, the global insurance broker, has introduced a customized insurance product for dairy operations. DairyProtector is designed for dairy farms with cows...
Indiana Crop Insurance Payouts for ’12 Losses Top $1B
Mar 14 2013 // Indiana crop insurance payouts for losses during last year’s drought have reached a record $1 billion. Purdue University said that Indiana farmers have received the payouts for 2012 corn, soybean and wheat losses....
Recent Storms Ease Drought in Middle of United States
Mar 13 2013 // Recent rain and snowstorms have eased the grip of the worst U.S. drought in decades in portions of the nation’s midsection, swelling some major inland rivers to near flood stage and drenching some farmland enough to...
Feds Bust $100M North Carolina Crop Insurance Fraud Scheme
Mar 13 2013 // Federal investigators have unraveled a massive scheme among dozens of insurance agents, claims adjusters, brokers and farmers in eastern North Carolina to steal at least $100 million from the government-backed program that...
Farmers Brace for Crop Insurance Cuts
Mar 12 2013 // U.S. farm groups are looking for a formula to lower crop subsidy spending dramatically and end regional infighting ahead of new congressional demands for cuts in a farm bill now costing $10 billion more than...
Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance Selects Smith as CEO-Elect
Mar 8 2013 // Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance Co. has named Kimberly O. Smith as CEO-elect. Smith will assume the role of president and CEO on Jan. 1, 2014, upon the retirement of the company’s current president and CEO, Daniel...
Cut Crop Insurance Subsidy by $40 Billion, Say Fiscal Conservatives
Mar 5 2013 // A coalition of fiscal conservatives on Tuesday called for a steep cut in federal subsidies for crop insurance, setting up a clash with U.S. farm groups that see the program as their top priority in a new farm bill. Growers...
2012 North Dakota Crops Valued at Nearly $11B
Mar 5 2013 // The value of crops produced in North Dakota last year totaled almost $11 billion, nearly doubling the $6 billion value of crops produced during flood-plagued 2011. The federal Agriculture Department computes the value by...
Snow and Rain Shrink Drought Area of U.S. Crop Belt
Mar 1 2013 // Light snow fell in much of the drought-stricken U.S. Plains and Midwest crop region early Friday with a bigger storm forecast for late next week, shrinking the area hit by the worst dry spell in 50 years. Agricultural...
Blizzard Eases U.S. Plains Drought but Crops Need More Moisture
Feb 27 2013 // A blizzard this week in the drought-stricken U.S. Plains will moisten soil for major crops, but the snow storm made it difficult to feed cattle and reach some cow herds, an agricultural meteorologist said on...
Court OKs Salmonella Treatment for California Almonds
Feb 26 2013 // An appeals court ruled Friday that federal officials have the authority to require that all California almonds be treated for salmonella following outbreaks linked to almonds from the state. The ruling by the U.S. Court of...
Capital Names Chatterton Vice President in Central California
Feb 25 2013 // Monterey, Calif.-based–Capital Insurance Group named Arne Chatterton vice president of field operations and business relations. The appointment is effective March 1. He was most recently senior vice president of the...
Study: Agriculture Plays Important Role in Utah Economy
Feb 25 2013 // Agriculture continues to play an important role in Utah’s economy, according to a Utah State University study. The study found that when taking into account related industries such as food processing, agriculture...
