Articles by Tom Polansek

Arkansas Judge: 6 Farmers Can Spray Controversial Chemical Dicamba

An Arkansas judge has ruled that six farmers in the state this summer can spray a weed killer made by Monsanto Co. and BASF SE that was blamed for hurting millions of acres of U.S. crops last year. The decision …

Monsanto Loses Bid to Stop Arkansas Ban on Herbicide Dicamba

An Arkansas judge has dismissed a Monsanto Co. lawsuit aiming to stop Arkansas from blocking the use of a controversial farm chemical the company makes, dealing a blow to its attempts to increase sales of genetically engineered seeds. Monsanto, which …

Arkansas Board Stands by Plan to Limit Controversial Dicamba Herbicide

Arkansas agricultural regulators stuck with a proposal on Wednesday to prohibit sprayings of a controversial weed killer after mid-April, despite a lawsuit over the plan by manufacturer Monsanto Co. The state’s plant board decided to move forward with a ban …

EPA Clears Monsanto Roundup Chemical of Health Risks to Humans

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said that glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto Co.’s top-selling weed killer Roundup, is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans, contradicting a World Health Organization panel. The EPA, in a draft risk assessment …

Arkansas Task Force: State Should Bar Dicamba Herbicide Next Year

An Arkansas task force has advised the state to bar sprayings after April 15 next year of agricultural herbicides containing the chemical dicamba, which has been linked to crop damage across the U.S. farm belt, a state spokeswoman said. The …

Farmers Balk as Trump Budget Caps Crop Insurance Subsidies

U.S. farm groups on Tuesday pushed back against President Donald Trump’s proposal to slash agriculture spending, viewing it as a fresh threat to a struggling farm economy. The White House on Monday proposed $46.54 billion in cuts to federal government …

Chipotle Quietly Settles Sick Customers’ Claims Out of Court

Chipotle Mexican Grill has agreed to financial settlements with more than 100 customers who fell ill after eating at its restaurants last year, lawyers for the consumers said, as it attempts to move on from a string of food-safety problems. …

Officials, Poultry Producers Hope Nationwide Testing Contains Indiana Bird Flu

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 mass death and damage …

Futures Industry Looks to Insurance After MF Global Collapse

Long-derided as unsuitable for sophisticated futures markets, insurance is getting a surge of attention heading into the new year as the industry works to patch itself up after the stunning collapse of brokerage MF Global in 2011. Three separate efforts …

Record Number of Farmers Expected to File Crop Insurance Claims

The drought ravaging America’s prime farmland is having an unexpected consequence that could shape the future of agricultural finance: in some cases, farmers who have amped up their insurance coverage may be giving up on their crops early rather than …