Latest Agribusiness Headlines

All the headlines from our Agribusiness Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Early Snow Kills Thousands of Cattle in South Dakota

Oct 9 2013 // A record-breaking storm that dumped 4 feet of snow in parts of western South Dakota left ranchers dealing with heavy losses, in some cases perhaps up to half their herds, as they assess how many of their cattle died during...

All Risks Launches Workers Comp Product for Agriculture Risks

Oct 4 2013 // The recently formed Workers’ Compensation Specialty division of All Risks, Ltd., has launched its second specialty class, WC for agriculture exposures. This unit will offer workers’ compensation through two...

Manufacturing Growth to Aid Midwest Economy

Oct 2 2013 // A new survey of business leaders in nine Midwest and Plains states suggests that manufacturing growth will help fuel the regional economy through the end of the year, according to a report released on Oct. 1. The overall...

Monsanto to Buy Weather Data Modeler, Farm Insurer Climate Corp. for $930 Million

Oct 2 2013 // Monsanto Co., the world’s largest seed company, agreed to buy The Climate Corp. for about $930 million to provide farmers with weather data and agronomic modeling to boost yields and manage risk. Closely held Climate...

Federal Government Shutdown Effect on P/C Insurance Industry

Sep 30 2013 // If Congress fails to agree by midnight tonight on a resolution to continue funding the federal government, the property/casualty insurance industry should not be seriously affected by the resulting shutdown. The insurance...

NJM, Everett Cash Mutual Join NAMIC’s ‘Century Club’

Sep 24 2013 // The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) announced that two Northeast-based member companies, New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company and Everett Cash Mutual Insurance Company, will be joining...

Capital Insurance Group to Offer Premium Credits for Apartment Buildings, Condos

Sep 23 2013 // Capital Insurance Group (CIG), a regional property and casualty insurer serving the Western U.S., has released three new 2 percent total premium credits for commercial apartment and condominium lines. The Stovetop...

Illinois Farm Deaths at Lowest Level in 35 Years

Sep 23 2013 // The number of laborers and others killed in accidents on Illinois farms is falling. The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports that the number of fatalities in the 12 months ending June 30 was the lowest in 35 years. According...

Colorado Flooding: The Silver Lining

Sep 23 2013 // Surging waters in Colorado swept away barns, silos and fences and left houses covered in mud in this northern agricultural town. The flood waters were so powerful they uprooted irrigation pipes and spread them around the...

Midwest Politicians Work as Insurance Advocates

Sep 23 2013 // Three individuals who have worked in the insurance industry and now practice politics in the Midwest — Indiana State Representative Matt Lehman, Michigan State Senator David Robertson and U.S. Congressman Tom Latham...

Insurance Good Training Ground for Political Leadership

Sep 23 2013 // When it comes to current or former occupations of state and federal lawmakers, that of insurance producer is not one of the most commonly listed, but perhaps it should be. The variety of skills one necessarily develops...

Georgia’s Kingston Brought His CPCU to House, Now Eyes Senate

Sep 23 2013 // Jack Kingston is U.S. Representative for the First Congressional District of Georgia, which encompasses 17 counties in Southeast Georgia including the entirety of the state’s coastline. He has represented the...

Missouri Lawmakers Add Limits on Liability Lawsuits

Sep 23 2013 // Missouri lawmakers have chipped away at the ability of injury victims to win money in court cases – nixing big-dollar judgments in some lead poisoning and traffic accident cases, and shielding volunteer healthcare...

U.S. Crop-Insurance Claims Jump Amid Planting Delays, USDA Says

Sep 18 2013 // U.S. farmers who were prevented from planting by rain this year filed crop-insurance claims on six times more land than last season, the government said. Farmers filed claims on 8.213 million acres of grains, oilseeds,...

Missouri Lawmakers Add Limits on Liability Lawsuits

Sep 16 2013 // Missouri lawmakers have chipped away at the ability of injury victims to win money in court cases – nixing big-dollar judgments in some lead poisoning and traffic accident cases, and shielding volunteer health care...

Berkley Underwriting Partners Changes Name to Berkley Program Specialists

Sep 16 2013 // Berkley Underwriting Partners, a W. R. Berkley company, has changed its name to Berkley Program Specialists. The company said the change better reflects its sole focus on program business. “We decided to change our...

Crop Insurance Critics, Defenders in Last Push Over Reforms

Sep 12 2013 // Critics of the U.S. crop insurance program are calling for cuts to it and other agribusiness subsidies as Congress revamps farm policy. A bipartisan group of lawmakers planned to meet yesterday in Washington to re-examine...

Critics Say Taxpayers’ $14B Guarantees Profit for Crop Insurers

Sep 11 2013 // Former American International Group Inc. chief Maurice “Hank” Greenberg has a new business partner: the U.S. taxpayer. Greenberg’s Starr Indemnity & Liability Co. is one of 18 companies approved to...

More Minnesota Farms Relying On Irrigation

Sep 10 2013 // Alan Peterson is among a growing number of Minnesota farmers are relying on irrigation to ensure they can produce a crop when the weather turns dry. His 18 irrigators don’t reach all parts of his fields near Clear...

Insurance Pros in Politics: Insurance Good Training Ground for Political Leadership

Sep 10 2013 // When it comes to current or former occupations of state and federal lawmakers, that of insurance producer is not one of the most commonly listed, but perhaps it should be. The variety of skills one necessarily develops...