Latest Agribusiness Headlines
All the headlines from our Agribusiness Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Zurich Estimates Sandy Losses at $700 Million; $40 Million for Farmers Re
Dec 18 2012 // Zurich Insurance announced that it currently estimates aggregate claims net of reinsurance of about $700 million relating to Storm Sandy. “This includes $40 million related to Farmers Re in connection with the...
Crop Insurance Juicy Target in ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Deal
Dec 17 2012 // Rural lawmakers worry that $9 billion in annual federal crop insurance subsidies are an easy target for spending cuts in a “fiscal cliff” deal so they’re shopping around for a late compromise on a farm...
Critics Call for More Cuts in Farm Bill, Crop Insurance
Dec 10 2012 // Congress should slash at least $100 billion in costs from the U.S. farm bill – three or four times more than cuts currently proposed – and resist calls for a hurry-up vote this week, a dozen anti-deficit and...
Alabama Insurer Alfa Seeks to Reverse Business Decline
Dec 10 2012 // The new president of the Alabama Farmers Federation and Alfa Insurance is fine with where the sister organizations are politically. It’s the huge drop in insurance customers he wants to change. Chilton County farmer...
Time Running Out for Senate on Farm, Crop Insurance Bill
Dec 7 2012 // With a week left to act, agricultural leaders in Congress are still deadlocked on two major issues for a new U.S. farm bill, cuts in crop subsidies and reductions in food stamps, said two of the four key negotiators on...
Univ. of Rhode Island Gets $206K Grant for Crop Insurance Education
Dec 6 2012 // The University of Rhode Island has been awarded a $206,000 federal grant to help educate the state’s agricultural producers on crop insurance. U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin announced the grant from the U.S. Department of...
Thai Group Buys Ping An Stake from HSBC for $9.38 Billion
Dec 5 2012 // A conglomerate controlled by Thailand’s richest man, Dhanin Chearavanont, has bought a minority stake in China’s Ping An Insurance for $9.38 billion from global bank HSBC, a bold move that ranks as Asia’s...
South Carolina Names Lobbyist Farmer as Insurance Chief
Dec 3 2012 // South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has named Ray Farmer as the state’s new insurance regulator. Farmer is a lobbyist with the property/casualty insurance trade group, the American Insurance Association. Farmer replaces...
Congressional Leaders Push to Pass Farm, Crop Insurance Bill
Nov 30 2012 // With time running out, agricultural leaders in Congress vowed on Thursday to do everything they can to pass a farm bill that cuts spending by at least $23 billion – savings that could assure support by lawmakers...
Colombia to Offer Climate Change Insurance to Coffee Farmers
Nov 29 2012 // Colombia is launching insurance to protect coffee plantations hit by climate change, which has damaged output in the world’s top producer of high quality Arabica beans in recent years, officials said on...
Ohio Officials Working to Get Exotic Pets Registered
Nov 26 2012 // State officials continue to work with owners of exotic animals to help them fully register their creatures with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, even though the state deadline for them to submit information was several...
Endurance Acquires Galileo Weather Risk; Launches Global Weather Service
Nov 21 2012 // Bermuda-based Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. announced that it has acquired the assets of Galileo Weather Risk Management, a provider of weather risk management products and services, and has hired all of its employees....
Business Moves – Midwest
Nov 19 2012 // Arthur J. Gallagher, Coyle Insurance Agency, Unison Inc., Aires Consulting Group Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. recently announced acquisitions of three Midwest-based firms — Coyle Insurance Agency Inc., Unison Inc....
Federal Food Safety Program to End in Minnesota
Nov 16 2012 // Minnesota agriculture officials are phasing out a federally funded program that allows them to test produce for contaminants like E. coli and salmonella. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Microbiological Data...
South Carolina Names Insurance Lobbyist Farmer as Insurance Chief
Nov 13 2012 // Ray Farmer South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has named Ray Farmer as the state’s new insurance regulator. Farmer is a lobbyist with the property/casualty insurance trade group, the American Insurance...
Indiana Farm Deaths Fell to 16 in ’11, None with Kids
Nov 9 2012 // A new Purdue University report says farm-related deaths in Indiana fell to 16 last year and none involved children for the first time in 13 years. The Indiana Farm fatality Summary says the 2011 deaths compared with 23 the...
Post-Election Congress Expected to Target Crop Insurance
Nov 8 2012 // Federally subsidized crop insurance will be a big target for lawmakers looking to cut the budget deficit in the lame-duck session of Congress opening next week, agricultural policy experts agreed the morning after a...
University to Study Safety Practices at Kentucky Horse Farms
Nov 6 2012 // A University of Kentucky professor has received a $1.4 million grant to conduct a multiyear study of health and safety practices of the Thoroughbred industry, which employs more than 10,000 people across Kentucky. Jennifer...
Corn Crop Insurance Payout up to $7.50 Per Bushel
Nov 5 2012 // Corn farmers who chose to pay more to insure their crops at harvest prices have gotten some welcome news from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Farmers who bought the more expensive crop insurance option last spring will...
Coverage Analysis: Sandy and Contingent Business Income Losses
Nov 2 2012 // Insureds joined in a mutually beneficial (or even exclusively beneficial) relationship with another business entity rely on the continued operational viability of that “non-related” entity. Their dependence on...
