Latest Agribusiness Headlines
All the headlines from our Agribusiness Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Insurance Fund Would Aid Farmers, Ranchers Still Owed $100M by MF Global
Feb 3 2012 // U.S. farmers and ranchers who had accounts with failed broker MF Global have got back the bulk of their money but are still owed about $100 million, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange indicated on Thursday after announcing a...
Wasington: 15 Counties Are Primary Natural Disaster Areas
Feb 1 2012 // The U.S. Agriculture Department has designated 15 Washington counties as primary natural disaster areas due to extreme weather conditions in the first seven months of 2011. Sen. Maria Cantwell says farmers in those areas...
Kansas Ag Secretary Seeks Waiver for Illegal Immigrant Workers
Jan 31 2012 // Facing pressure from large dairies and feedlots desperate for workers, Kansas Agriculture Secretary Dale Rodman is seeking a federal waiver that would allow companies to hire illegal immigrants. Rodman has met several...
Kansas Farmers Rack Up $1B in Insurance Claims After Drought
Jan 27 2012 // Kansas farmers have claimed nearly $1 billion in insurance to offset crop losses caused by the lingering drought. The federal government says that breaks a Kansas record of $446.8 million for drought claims set in 2002,...
U.S. Eyes WTO Services Pacts Amid Doha Stall
Jan 25 2012 // The United States is making a push for a group of countries within the World Trade Organization to start talks to liberalize trade in services, even if big developing countries like China, India and Brazil don’t want...
Crop Insurance Payouts at a Record $9.1 Billion
Jan 25 2012 // Crop insurers paid out a record $9.1 billion in indemnities on 2011 U.S. crops, and the total could top $10 billion when all claims are settled, due to damage from drought, flooding, and freezing weather, a trade group...
Despite Heavy Catastrophe Losses, Top 25 P/C Insurers Report Premium Growth, Net Income Through Third-Quarter 2011
Jan 23 2012 // Amid the continued difficult economic conditions, a heightened frequency of catastrophic events in 2011 has resulted in nearly $40 billion of losses to insurers. The losses associated with these catastrophes have been...
Older Workers by State, Industry
Jan 23 2012 // States The six states with the highest percentage of people age 50 and older in 2006 were: Maine (43.7%) West Virginia (43.3%) Vermont (42.7%) Montana (42.2%) Florida (42.0%) Pennsylvania (41.9%) Industry There can be...
USDA Giving Arizona $5.2 Million in Disaster Funds
Jan 20 2012 // Arizona is set to get $5.2 million in disaster aid from the Department of Agriculture. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the award as part of more than $300 million in emergency assistance to 33 states and Puerto...
Damaging Citrus Plant Disease Confirmed in Texas
Jan 19 2012 // State agriculture officials say a destructive citrus plant disease that has wiped out crops in Florida has been confirmed in Texas. The Texas Department of Agriculture on Jan. 18 announced that a section of Hidalgo County...
MSO Introduces Farmowners Product in Arkansas
Jan 17 2012 // The Mutual Service Office Inc. is introducing its 2011 farmowners program in Arkansas. The program is being used by a member company that has entered the state. The farmowners program is a self-contained package-type...
North Carolina Farmers Hurt by Hurricane Irene Eligible for Federal Help
Jan 13 2012 // North Carolina farmers hurt by Hurricane Irene last August and by tornadoes in April can now get more help from the federal government with more loan options and payments to recover from crop losses. State officials...
Zurich Expands Agribusiness Footprint
Jan 9 2012 // Zurich has reached an agreement with Aran Insurance Services Group to provide package, umbrella and auto coverage for agribusiness operations through MiniCo Insurance Agency. The international carrier will provide coverage...
Chartis Hires Farmers Insurance Executive as Chief Science Officer
Jan 9 2012 // Chartis has appointed Murli Buluswar to the newly created position of chief science officer. In this role, Buluswar will be responsible for establishing a research and development function to study corporate business and...
South Dakota Jury Says County Not Covered for Dairy Lawsuit
Jan 9 2012 // A jury ruled Aurora County doesn’t have insurance coverage for a lawsuit filed by a South Dakota dairy farming family. Thompson Farms says the southeastern South Dakota county put them out of business by imposing a...
People
Jan 9 2012 // Verne Cadwell has been named vice president of the crop hail division at Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co. located in Grinnell, Iowa. Cadwell’s promotion follows a 12-year career at Grinnell Mutual, where he has served...
Insolvent Missouri Insurers to Be Managed by Farm Bureau
Jan 9 2012 // A Barton County, Mo., judge in December 2011 approved a proposal to allow Missouri Farm Bureau to assume operations of three small insurance companies that became insolvent after paying claims from the May 22 Joplin...
Momentous Insurance Brokerage Launches Equine Specialty Practice
Jan 6 2012 // Momentous Insurance Brokerage has formed an equine specialty practice to provide insurance coverage for horse-related businesses and private horse owners. The equine practice launched at the start of the year and will...
La Nina to Linger to Spring
Jan 5 2012 // La Nina, the weather phenomenon widely blamed for withering drought in the southwestern United States and South America, may last longer than expected, into the Northern Hemisphere spring, the U.S. Climate Prediction...
North Carolina Farm Bureau Weighs Cutback in Homeowners Policies
Dec 29 2011 // One of North Carolina’s largest homeowners’ insurers says it is considering canceling the coverage of up to 70,000 homeowners unless the state Legislature makes changes allowing it to charge higher rates. North...
