Latest Agribusiness Headlines
All the headlines from our Agribusiness Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Barbados Meeting Analyzes Caribbean Climate Adaptation Study
May 14 2010 // Over the last two days, May 12-13, over 40 representatives from Caribbean and international agencies held a meeting in Barbados to discuss the initial results from a recent investigation into the Economics of Climate...
United Farm Bureau of Indiana Ratings Affirmed; Countryway Downgraded
May 12 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of the United Farm Bureau of Indiana Group (the Group) and two members, United Farm...
Zurich’s Q1 Operating Profit up 19% to $1.3 Billion; Net Income $935 Million
May 6 2010 // The Zurich Financial Services Group reported a strong performance for the three months ended March 31, 2010. First quarter performance highlights included the following: • Business operating profit (BOP) of $1.3...
Midwest’s Sunflower Industry Happy With Crop Insurance Rule
May 4 2010 // Officials in the sunflower industry who fought for years to gain better crop insurance say final rules for a simplified insurance plan might mark the end of the battle. It should mean better security for farmers, and...
Indiana Supreme Court Sides With Insureds in Farm Liability Dispute
May 4 2010 // The Indiana Supreme Court has found that an insurance company was wrong in denying coverage for injuries to an employee of an independent contractor under a farm personal liability policy. Indiana farmers Rick and Katrina...
U.S. Targets Crop Insurers’ Profits
Apr 29 2010 // The federal government wants to save taxpayers billions of dollars by reducing spending on crop insurance after years of big profits by insurers, but the industry claims the reductions could hurt rural areas. The U.S....
Federal Drought Assistance Limited in Klamath
Apr 27 2010 // Klamath, Ore., farmers who did not buy federal crop insurance last year are not likely to see much in the way of disaster assistance for this year’s drought. The Herald and News newspaper reports that despite...
North Dakota Woman Named to Federal Crop Insurance Board
Apr 27 2010 // Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has named two new members to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation board of directors. Ellen Linderman grows wheat, soybeans, corn, sunflowers, barley and millet on her farm near...
Spring Brings New Crop of Fraud Laws in Northeast
Apr 23 2010 // Fraud bills are blooming like azalea bushes around the East this spring, and statehouses are rife with upside potential for substantive new fraud laws in 2010. This counters the recent logic that many state lawmakers are...
Property, Agricultural Damage Not Major Concern from Volcanic Ash
Apr 20 2010 // While some of the ash from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in southern Iceland has fallen to the earth’s surface, property and agricultural damage is not expected to be a concern, according to a catastrophe risk...
Spring Brings New Crop of Fraud Laws in Northeast
Apr 19 2010 // Fraud bills are blooming like azalea bushes around the East this spring, and statehouses are rife with upside potential for substantive new fraud laws in 2010. This counters the recent logic that many state lawmakers are...
QBE Acquires NAU Country Insurance
Apr 16 2010 // QBE Americas has agreed to acquire NAU Country Insurance Co., a writer of crop insurance business based in Ramsey, Minn. Completion is expected in July 2010, subject to regulatory approvals. The acquisition supports...
John Deere Insurance Co. Rated ‘A-‘ by A.M. Best
Apr 13 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has assigned a financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and an issuer credit rating of “a-” to John Deere Insurance Company (JDIC) of Johnston, Iowa. The outlook assigned to both ratings is...
Zenith Picks Thomson to Lead Non-Workers’ Comp P/C Operations
Apr 12 2010 // Woodland Hills, Calif.-based Zenith National Insurance Corp. announced that Craig Thomson will be joining its principal operating subsidiary, Zenith Insurance Co., as executive vice president. He will be responsible for...
Crop Reinsurers’ Profit Could Fall 30% Under USDA Changes, Says Aon
Apr 12 2010 // Proposed cuts in the agreement crop insurers have with the federal government would likely reduce reinsurers’ expected profit by 20 to 30 percent, which could lead to some companies withdrawing from the program or...
A.M. Best Upgrades Texas’ Producers Agriculture Insurance Group
Apr 7 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating to A- (Excellent) from B++ (Good) and issuer credit ratings to “a-” from “bbb” of Producers Agriculture Insurance Group (ProAg) and its...
Illinois High Court Rules Against Insurer in Underinsured Motorist Case
Apr 5 2010 // The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that an appellate court was correct when it found that an insurance company cannot exclude occupants of an insured vehicle from underinsured motorists coverage (UIM). The high...
Florida Enforcement Sting Nets Unlicensed Moving Companies
Apr 5 2010 // Florida officials are targeting unregistered and uninsured moving companies following complaints from consumers and others in the industry. Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said he...
Farmers Insurance Partners With Red Cross on Disaster Assistance
Apr 1 2010 // Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance Group of Companies announced a new partnership with the American Red Cross. Called “Ready When the Time Comes,” this is a program which prepares volunteers to assist during...
Insurance Agents: Get Ready for Green Building Exposures
Mar 30 2010 // An idyllic, pasture-like setting is not the only green image agribusiness owners would like the public to imagine when they picture their operations — they increasingly want to be known for their “green”...
