Latest Agribusiness Headlines

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

Texas Peach Crops Affected by Mild Winter

Jul 10 2017 // Experts say the mild Texas winter hampered this year’s peach crop in parts of the state. The North Texas harvest appears to be bountiful, but growers in some other areas of the state faced challenges, the Fort Worth...

Louisiana Farmers Could be Helped by $10M Program for Flood Recovery

Jul 10 2017 // Farmers and ranchers in 51 Louisiana parishes could be eligible for grants from a $10 million program aimed to help with recovery from last year’s flooding. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain’s office says...

People

Jul 10 2017 // The Main Street America Group has promoted Dan Gaynor to senior vice president and chief underwriting officer. Gaynor, who has been the super-regional property/casualty insurance company’s vice president of...

Michigan Court Sides with Westfield Insurance in ‘Employee/Contractor’ Case

Jul 10 2017 // The Michigan Court of Appeals has reversed the ruling of a trial court in a case involving whether a commercial insurer or a personal insurer is responsible for paying no-fault personal injury protection benefits when a...

Farmers Insurance to Pay $100K in 2015 Oklahoma State Homecoming Crash

Jul 5 2017 // An insurance provider whose imprisoned client drove into a crowd at Oklahoma State University’s 2015 homecoming parade will provide $100,000 to the victims. A judge is expected to decide how the money will be divided...

A.M. Best Revises Outlooks to Negative for Georgia Farm Bureau Group Members

Jun 28 2017 // A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “bbb-” of Georgia Farm Bureau...

Federal Aid Now Available to Rain-Swamped Louisiana Farmers

Jun 27 2017 // The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated Evangeline Parish in Louisiana as a primary natural disaster area as the result of losses and damages caused by heavy and excessive rain that occurred from April 4,...

More New York Malt Barley Farmers Eligible for Crop Insurance

Jun 27 2017 // Malt barley farmers in 44 upstate New York counties are now eligible for crop insurance from the federal government. Malt barley is a necessary ingredient in beer and spirits, and the lack of crop insurance had hindered...

Jury Says Syngenta Must Pay Kansas Farmers $217.7M in GMO Corn Case

Jun 26 2017 // A U.S. jury has ordered Syngenta AG to pay $217.7 million to more than 7,000 Kansas farmers over its decision to commercialize a genetically modified strain of corn before China approved importing it. The June 23 verdict...

AIR Worldwide Launches Crop Hail Model for Canada

Jun 26 2017 // Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide announced it has released a Crop Hail Model for Canada to provide crop insurers with a probabilistic view of crop hail risk in Canada. Based on 10,000 simulations of potential...

Alabama Governor Requests Disaster Declaration for Farmers Hit by Storm

Jun 26 2017 // Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is asking for federal assistance for farmers because of crop losses from Tropical Storm Cindy. Ivey sent a letter Friday to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue asking for a disaster...

Highly Contagious Citrus Disease Spreads to Alabama

Jun 23 2017 // A highly contagious bacterial disease that seriously threatens the U.S. citrus industry has been found for the first time in Alabama. Federal and state plant officials confirm that citrus greening was found in leaf and...

6 Arrests Made in Florida Cattle Thefts; 8 Cows Still Missing

Jun 22 2017 // Six men have been charged in two separate cattle thefts at a Florida pasture, and authorities are trying to find eight missing cows. Polk County Sheriff’s officials say four cows and four calves were stolen in April...

Michigan Court Rules for Westfield Insurance in ‘Employee v. Contractor’ Case

Jun 20 2017 // The Michigan Court of Appeals has reversed the ruling of a trial court in a case involving whether a commercial insurer or a personal insurer is responsible for paying no-fault personal injury protection benefits when a...

Nearly 80% of Georgia Peach Crop Wiped Out by Weather

Jun 20 2017 // Georgia’s peach crop is suffering much worse than expected after an overly warm winter and a hard freeze in early spring. Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the end of May...

Ratings of Indiana’s American Agricultural Insurance Co. Upgraded

Jun 20 2017 // A.M. Best has upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the long-term issuer credit rating (Long-Term ICR) to “a” from “a-” of American Agricultural...

In Arkansas Lawsuit, Farmers Blame Herbicide for Crop Damage

Jun 16 2017 // A group of Arkansas farmers have filed a class-action lawsuit against the makers of the herbicide dicamba that they blame for damaging their crops. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Jonesboro, Arkansas, against...

Suspected Tornado Damages Nebraska Panhandle Town

Jun 14 2017 // Residents in a small western Nebraska town were clearing away tree and building debris Tuesday after a suspected tornado tore through the town but injured no one. The storm struck Bayard around 7:10 p.m. on June 12,...

Bates Named Vice Chair of Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance

Jun 14 2017 // Mark Bates has been elected as vice chairman of the Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance Co., board of directors. Bates will continue his role as chairman for the company’s governance committee. Bates, a 28-year...

Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group Launches Companion Horse Insurance

Jun 13 2017 // Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group has launched a new product for the equine industry that provides veterinary care insurance for companion horses – typically only available for race or performance horses. Policies...