Latest Agribusiness Headlines
All the headlines from our Agribusiness Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Farmers Insurance Group Acquires Bristol West Holdings
Jul 6 2007 // Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance Group has completed its acquisition of non-standard auto insurer, Bristol West Holdings Inc., based in Davie, Fla. Farmers officials described the acquisition as a “great...
Bill Limiting Pa. Farm Owners’ Liability for Hunting Accidents On Gov.’s Desk
Jul 5 2007 // A bill limiting Pennsylvania farmers’ liability for hunting accidents on their properties has flown through the House and Senate and been sent to Gov. Edward Rendell for signing. The measure was backed by...
Soybean Crop Disease Found in La. Parishes Avoyelles and Rapides
Jun 26 2007 // Researchers say they’ve found Asian soybean rust, which can spread quickly and heavily damage crops, in central Louisiana. It’s the first time this growing season that the disease has been found on soybeans,...
Calif. Reports Most Agricultural Freeze Claims Settled
Jun 21 2007 // California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner says most of the farmers affected by the January 2007 freeze have had their crop insurance claims settled, following his meeting with Fresno-area agricultural leaders...
Federal Aid Granted for 95 Tenn. Counties Affected by Spring Freeze
Jun 20 2007 // Gov. Phil Bredesen’s request for federal farm assistance for all 95 counties in Tennessee received approval today from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Bredesen made the request April 11 after record low...
Oak Grove, La., Woman Sentenced in Crop Fraud Case
Jun 14 2007 // A northeast Louisiana woman has been sentenced to 16 months in jail and ordered to pay more than $300,000 in restitution after being convicted of crop insurance fraud. Wendy Gail Hayman, 31, of Oak Grove, was sentenced by...
Tenn. Drought Extends Hardships on Farmers After Easter Freeze
Jun 12 2007 // A double whammy in the form of a sudden freeze followed by drought conditions has hit farms in Tennessee hard, according to agricultural officials. A line of thunderstorms last week wasn’t enough to alleviate the...
S&P Affirms Farmers’ “A” Rating
Jun 12 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said it has affirmed its “A” counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance Exchange and its operating subsidiaries and...
Disaster Aid Granted to 81 Ill. Counties
Jun 11 2007 // Federal disaster assistance is available for farmers and orchard owners in 81 Illinois counties to help them recover from crop damage due to the April freeze, Gov. Rod Blagojevich recently announced. Blagojevich said the...
Ga. Drought Damaging Crops, Jacking Up Irrigation Expenses
Jun 8 2007 // The sky above Randy Scarbor’s south Georgia cantaloupe fields was overcast, but the clouds were from massive wildfires to the east. May 2007 set records for dry conditions in Georgia. Across the main crop-producing...
N.Y. Businesses Renew Call for Reform of ‘Scaffold Law’
Jun 8 2007 // Business associations and groups representing New York’s agriculture sector and construction industry have again urged Governor Eliot Spitzer and state legislators to reform New York’s so-called “scaffold...
Farm Bureaus Begin Process of Rebuilding in Greensburg, Kan.
May 30 2007 // Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co., Kansas Farm Bureau and Kiowa County Farm Bureau are teaming together to rebuild the office they share in Greensburg. Ground was broken today for a new building that will include extra...
Fla. Drought is Sapping Resources From Growers and Golf Courses Alike
May 23 2007 // The fairways here are flecked, the greens mottled brown. The PGA National Resort & Spa doesn’t look like a marquee golf course. “We’ll talk to people about it in the pro shop when they check in and...
2007 Property/Casualty State Specialist Insurers
May 21 2007 // 1 Brickstreet Mutual Insurance Co. WV 765,963 2 Texas Mutual Insurance Co. TX 743,095 3 Old American Cty Mutual Fire Insurance Co. TX 491,641 4 SAIF Corp. OR 449,794 5 Universal Property & Casualty...
People
May 21 2007 // Liberty Northwest, a member of Liberty Mutual Group based in Portland, Ore., appointed Larry W. Becker president and chief operating officer. Becker most recently was executive vice president, sales and marketing for...
Officials: Hold the chickens and the hogs
May 21 2007 // Think you and your pets are safe now that pet food contaminated with Melamine has been recalled? Think again. On May 7, U.S. officials representing the Agriculture Department, the Food and Drug Administration and the...
Graham, DeMint Support S.C. Disaster Declaration Request
May 17 2007 // U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint have joined Gov. Mark Sanford in asking for a disaster declaration after last month’s late freeze ruined much of South Carolina’s peach, wheat and other crops. Officials...
Minn. Consumer Advisory Issued for Potentially Contaminated Sprouts
May 15 2007 // The Minnesota state Agriculture Department recently advised consumers to avoid eating sprout products made by Calco Sprouts Inc. and sold at stores in Minnesota, saying the products might have been contaminated with the...
Tennessee Dairy Recalls 7,000 Cartons of Ice Cream with Peanuts
May 11 2007 // Mayfield Dairy Farms of Athens, Tenn. has announced the recall of 7,000 cartons of Turtle Tracks Ice Cream because of the accidental use of peanuts. A batch was mixed with chocolate-covered peanuts instead of pecans and...
Montana Board of Hail Insurance Raises Coverage Limits
May 8 2007 // The Montana Board of Hail Insurance has raised coverage limits after Gov. Brian Schweitzer signed legislation to increase the maximum coverage under the insurance program operated by the Montana Department of...
