Latest Agribusiness Headlines
All the headlines from our Agribusiness Topic Page, ordered by recency.
California Wildfires, Hurricane Michael Top List of 2018’s Costliest Natural Disasters: Munich Re
Jan 8 2019 // The costliest natural catastrophes occurred in the United States in 2018 with one of California’s devastating wildfires and Hurricane Michael topping the list, according to Munich Re. A report from Munich Re on last...
Workers’ Lawsuit Against Washington Farm Given Class-Action Status
Jan 7 2019 // 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 suit alleges the company...
Once Upon a Time … Resolving Insurance Coverage and Claims Disputes
Jan 7 2019 // An independent agent in a small rural town insured a farmer whose barn burned down. The agent had failed to schedule the farm structure, so the farm policy did not cover the total loss. The agent routinely placed farm...
Farmers in Oklahoma Fear Impact of Government Shutdown
Jan 4 2019 // The ongoing government shutdown could soon have a negative impact on Oklahoma farmers and ranchers, who are facing limited access to important data and funding sources, according to agriculture experts. The U.S. Department...
Northeast Oklahoma Sees Fewer but Larger Poultry Farms
Jan 3 2019 // The number of poultry operators in northeast Oklahoma is dropping but the farms are raising more birds per facility, according to data from the state. The Tulsa World requested 20 years of data on poultry operations from...
Wisconsin Real-Time Weather Data Startup Poised for Expansion
Jan 2 2019 // Understory, a Madison, Wisconsin, startup whose ultra-local weather sensors can tell if a hailstorm that pelted your roof or a downpour that flooded your street left damage in its wake, is heading into a year of explosive...
Timber Farms in Florida, Georgia Suffering After Hurricane Michael
Jan 2 2019 // Strewn in gnarled piles from Florida’s Gulf Coast up through South Georgia, the livelihood of timber farmers is on the ground. And, after the ravaging buzz saw of Hurricane Michael in early October, it will be a...
Wisconsin’s Next Governor Picks Insurance Commissioner, Other Cabinet Members
Dec 27 2018 // Wisconsin Governor-Elect Tony Evers has named Mark Afable as insurance commissioner. Afable has worked for American Family Insurance in Madison since 1994 and currently serves as its chief legal officer. He will replace...
Missourians Urge FEMA Action Over Too-High Illinois Levee
Dec 27 2018 // Missouri landowners and environmentalists are urging a federal agency to sanction a levee district on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, arguing that the earthen barrier has been built above its authorized height,...
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...
