Latest Agribusiness Headlines
All the headlines from our Agribusiness Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Ratings of Louisiana Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. Upgraded
Feb 1 2016 // A.M. Best has upgraded the financial strength rating to A- (Excellent) from B++ (Good) and the issuer credit rating to “a-” from “bbb+” of Louisiana Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company (Louisiana...
Iowa Appeals Court: Farmer May Sue Pipeline Company for Crop Damage
Jan 29 2016 // An appeals court said that a northeastern Iowa farmer may pursue a breach of contract lawsuit against a natural gas pipeline company and seek damages for decreased crop productivity on the ground above the pipeline. Roger...
Confusion over Insuring Crop that Produces Jet Fuel Cleared Up
Jan 29 2016 // The federal government has finalized procedures to insure a new crop that’s being grown to produce jet fuel. Farmers in North Dakota last year planted 6,000 acres of the mustard seed variety known as carinata, but...
Officials, Poultry Producers Hope Nationwide Testing Contains Indiana Bird Flu
Jan 29 2016 // In the two weeks since bird flu reappeared in Indiana, U.S. veterinarians have swabbed the mouths of chickens and turkeys across the country, racing to uncover any more infections and contain the virus before it causes...
Insurer Comings-and-Goings Show U.S. Crop Insurance a Field for Specialists
Jan 27 2016 // The U.S. crop insurance market has been abandoned by some of its largest companies as lower agricultural prices crimp revenue, and uncertainty about federal aid clouds the business’s future. Cargill Inc., the largest...
Gene Creating Antibiotic-Resistant Superbug Detected in at Least 19 Countries
Jan 25 2016 // Just two months ago, researchers in China identified a gene that can make bacteria resistant to a last-resort antibiotic called colistin. It was a bombshell discovery for people who follow superbugs. Now that gene has been...
Farmers, Ranchers to Feel Heat from Manufacturers Over Food Safety
Jan 25 2016 // With food recalls on the rise and the threat to food security growing, food manufacturers are going to want to know more details about farmers’ and ranchers’ food safety and security practices, an agribusiness...
Aspen Acquires Crop Insurer AgriLogic
Jan 20 2016 // Specialty insurer Aspen Insurance has acquired AgriLogic Insurance Services and certain affiliates for cash in a transaction that further diversifies Aspens’s specialty insurance business. AgriLogic, headquartered in...
Farmers Ex-Executive DeSantis Named CEO of Program Manager Wright
Jan 19 2016 // Ironshore has named Anthony J. DeSantis as chief executive officer of Wright & Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary in its U.S. Holdings Group He will be responsible for Wright’s existing direct to consumer platform,...
Farmers Insurance Estimates Loss from South Central Storms at $90M
Jan 15 2016 // Farmers Insurance has estimated an overall loss of $90 million resulting from severe weather that moved through portions of Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri at the end of December. The region experienced heavy rain, strong...
Ironshore International Opens Office in Shanghai; Part of Lloyd’s China Platform
Jan 14 2016 // Ironshore International announced its subsidiary, Pembroke Managing Agency, will establish an office in Shanghai in January 2016 as part of the Lloyd’s China platform. Pembroke Managing Agency will underwrite...
Despite Costly Bird Flu, Chicken Farmers Reject Vaccine
Jan 12 2016 // Determined to avoid a repeat of the nation’s worst-ever avian-influenza outbreak, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is stockpiling up to 500 million doses of a new vaccine — but many in the $48 billion poultry...
Georgia Crops Threatened by Warm Winter Weather
Jan 12 2016 // Georgia farmers have endured a winter that wouldn’t start and rains that wouldn’t quit. The state’s pecan, peach and blueberry crops have been threatened by too many warm days and too much water, growers...
Farmers to Feel Heat from Manufacturers Over Food Safety
Jan 11 2016 // With food recalls on the rise and the threat to food security growing, food manufacturers are going to want to know more details about farmers’ and ranchers’ food safety and security practices, an agribusiness...
Ohio High Court: Consumer Laws Don’t Apply to Insurer Repair Estimates
Jan 11 2016 // The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that laws protecting consumers from deceptive practices don’t apply to insurance company repair estimates. In Dillon v. Farmers Ins. Of Columbus, Inc., the Court voted 5-2 to overturn...
Losses for Washington from Drought Estimated at $336M
Jan 8 2016 // Washington farmers have lost at least $336 million due to the ongoing drought, a figure that is likely to climb as more information becomes available. The Capital Press reported that a state Department of Agriculture...
McCarty Replacement Rumors Start Swirling; Successor Has ‘Huge Shoes to Fill’
Jan 8 2016 // Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty’s successor has yet to be announced, but whoever takes over will have his or her work cut out for them when McCarty leaves office after 12 years on May 2. “These are...
Farmers Insurance Launches New Rideshare Coverage in 7 States
Jan 5 2016 // Farmers has introduced a new Rideshare Insurance Coverage designed to make rideshare insurance coverage options available for ride-hailing drivers in Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and...
Weather Forecaster Warns La Niña Could Follow on Heels of El Niño
Jan 5 2016 // The El Niño that disrupted weather worldwide last year has peaked. Now forecasters are predicting what may be next for the world’s climate. A number of El Niño-Southern Oscillation indicators suggest that the...
Farmers Insurance Launches Rideshare Insurance Coverage in Texas
Jan 4 2016 // Farmers Insurance has introduced its new Rideshare Insurance Coverage endorsement designed to provide coverage options for ride-hailing drivers in Texas. Farmers said it worked with representatives of the Texas Department...
