Latest Agribusiness Headlines
All the headlines from our Agribusiness Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Barley Crops in Montana, Idaho Rain Damaged
Sep 22 2014 // That rain on the plain that saturated Montana’s malt barley crop in late August could be tears in the beer of American brewers in 2015. Heavy late-August rains have damaged crops in the nation’s largest...
Cleaning Up China’s Contaminated Soil: Who Pays?
Sep 17 2014 // Nearly four years after a massive state-run steel mill on the outskirts of Beijing was closed to help cut smog in the Chinese capital, little has been done to clean up the contaminated site. The factory’s idled...
Montana Crops Besieged by Floodwaters
Sep 16 2014 // The round hay bales in the Saco flats have turned dark with mud and mildew. The high-water mark rises halfway up these slumping, soggy bales – thousands of which dot the fields along U.S. Highway 12 – bearing the ruin...
North Dakota Farmers Filing Insurance Claims for Wheat Crop
Sep 15 2014 // Crop insurance agents in North Dakota say they have begun receiving claims and expect more than the usual number to come in because a lot of wheat still unharvested. The Bismarck Tribune reports that a snowy April and wet...
Barley Crops In Montana, Idaho Rain Damaged
Sep 10 2014 // That rain on the plain that saturated Montana’s malt barley crop in late August could be tears in the beer of American brewers in 2015. Heavy late-August rains have damaged crops in the nation’s largest...
Researchers Developing Tool to Help Oklahoma Farmers Predict Drought
Sep 9 2014 // Weather researchers are developing a new tool they say could give Oklahoma farmers and ranchers as much as a month’s warning when drought conditions are on the way. The Evaporative Stress Index is a system being...
U.S. Economic Losses Due to Napa Quake, August Floods Top $4 Billion: Aon
Sep 8 2014 // As far as natural perils go, August was mostly about earthquakes, along with a few tropical storms and typhoons around the world to add to the trouble, according to Aon Benfield’s Impact Forecasting in its latest...
Hot Weather Takes Toll On Washington Wheat Crop
Sep 8 2014 // Too much heat and too little rain this summer are taking a toll on the winter wheat crop in Eastern Washington. Joel Zwainz in late August estimated that his family’s 3,400-acre farm near Reardan will produce 30 to...
$35M in Crops Lost to Flooding in Arkansas, Study Says
Sep 4 2014 // A University of Arkansas study finds flooding that began in late June will lead to millions of dollars in lost crop value for Arkansas farmers. Farmers in 10 Arkansas counties are expected to lose more than $35 million in...
Crop Insurance Options Extended in North Dakota
Aug 29 2014 // U.S. Agriculture Department has announced new supplemental coverage for North Dakota crops through the federal crop insurance program. U.S. Sen. John Hoeven said the department’s Supplemental Coverage Option will...
Surveys Aim to Find Out Extent of Feral Hog Damage in Louisiana
Aug 25 2014 // Feral hogs are rooting up levees and snarfing down crops all around Louisiana, but nobody’s sure just how much damage they’re doing. The LSU AgCenter is working to get a handle on that with a pair of...
Hot Weather Takes Toll On Washington Wheat Crop
Aug 21 2014 // Too much heat and too little rain this summer are taking a toll on the winter wheat crop in Eastern Washington. Joel Zwainz on Monday estimated that his family’s 3,400-acre farm near Reardan will produce 30 to 50...
Interview with South Carolina Commissioner Farmer
Aug 18 2014 // State’s Insurance Markets Moving in Right Direction, Says Former AIA Rep South Carolina Insurance Commissioner Ray Farmer has been the state’s insurance regulator since Governor Nikki Haley appointed him in...
Fatal Farm Accidents Involving Kids Not Uncommon in Pennsylvania
Aug 15 2014 // The accidental drowning death of a Leacock Township, Pennsylvania, teen on August 9 was tragic, but unfortunately, not unique. Fifteen-year-old Jonas King was operating a skid loader when it overturned into a manure pit,...
Crop Damage Assessment Underway in Hawaii
Aug 15 2014 // Farmers on the Big Island of Hawaii are assessing damage to crops after Tropical Storm Iselle made landfall last weekend. “It was pretty clear to us that the papaya farmers took the highest amount of damage,”...
As Lake Mead Water Levels Drop West Braces
Aug 14 2014 // Once-teeming Lake Mead marinas are idle as a 14-year drought steadily drops water levels to historic lows. Officials from nearby Las Vegas are pushing conservation but also are drilling a new pipeline to keep drawing water...
Arkansas Sees Growth in Agricultural Tourism
Aug 13 2014 // Agritourism is growing in Arkansas as more farm owners open their gates to tourists and form a spiderweb-like network among several state agencies and nonprofit organizations. Pumpkin patches, corn mazes, “U-Pick...
Idaho Farmers Feeling Effect of Russian Ban on Ag Imports
Aug 13 2014 // Idaho farmers may feel a small sting from the new Russian ban on food and agricultural imports from the West. Russia was the 14th largest export market for Idaho agriculture as of last year, according to the Idaho...
Wheat Harvest Down, Kansas Farmers See Income Decline in 2014
Aug 12 2014 // One of the worst wheat harvests in decades followed by an abundant corn and soybean crop that’s driving down prices have Kansas farmers preparing for a sharp income decline after several good years. The agricultural...
Drought Weakens Links in Supply Chain Metaphor
Aug 8 2014 // The weakest link in the great global economic cog is the gazillion supply chains that bind us all. At one time these chains were an ironic metaphor. Instead of shackling companies, supply chains were providing ever greater...