Archive for the 'Seed Crops' Category

Rapid Rise in Seed Prices Draws U.S. Scrutiny – NY Times

Published on March 11, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes and Seed Crops.


During the depths of the economic crisis last year, the prices for many goods held steady or even dropped. But on American farms, the picture was far different, as farmers watched the price they paid for seeds skyrocket. Corn seed prices rose 32 percent; soybean seeds were up 24 percent.

Such price increases for seeds — the most important purchase a farmer makes each year — are part of an unprecedented climb that began more than a decade ago, stemming from the advent of genetically engineered crops and the rapid concentration in the seed industry that accompanied it.

The price increases have not only irritated many farmers, they have caught the attention of the Obama administration. The Justice Department began an antitrust investigation of the seed industry last year, with an apparent focus on Monsanto, which controls much of the market for the expensive bioengineered traits that make crops resistant to insect pests and herbicides.

Continue reading ‘Rapid Rise in Seed Prices Draws U.S. Scrutiny – NY Times’

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0 Comments Tags: ADM, DD, DuPont, MON, Monsanto, Syngenta.

Ag hearing lures Harl back from Hawaii | Des Moines Register

Published on February 24, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes and Seed Crops.

CLICK for larger image

For Neil Harl, distinguished professor emeritus in agriculture and economics at Iowa State University, a request to appear at a hearing March 12 in Ankeny on antitrust issues in the seed industry was compelling enough to lure him back from his winter retreat in Hawaii.

“It was tempting to stay away,” Harl said from Hawaii Tuesday after the announcement that he would appear on a panel at the day-long session that will examine competition in the seed industry. “But for years I have urged the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to be more aggressive about competitive issues in agriculture.”

“Now,” Harl continued, “we apparently have an administration that is willing to be more aggressive about these issues and I felt that I couldn’t turn down their request.”

The controversy over competition in the seed business exploded into the open last summer with acrimony and lawsuits between Monsanto and Pioneer Hi-Bred, attracting the attentions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Justice Department.

Continue reading ‘Ag hearing lures Harl back from Hawaii | Des Moines Register’

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Closed Tags: ADM, dow agrosciences, DuPont, maui, MON, Monsanto, mycogen seeds, neil harl, roundup herbicide, seed companies, seed industry, sygenta.

Monsanto grants help county schools, 4-H’ers – The Maui News

Published on January 17, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes and Seed Crops.

maui-news-ad

KIHEI – Three Molokai and Maui schools plus Maui 4-H’ers received a total of $4,620 from the Monsanto Hawaii Science Education Fund for science and robotics programs.

The Maui County grants were part of $12,000 distributed statewide to 14 schools and organizations.

"It’s gratifying to see how excited our youth get as they learn about their world – how it works, how it touches our lives each day, how much there is to know and explore," said Paul Koehler, community affairs director for Monsanto Hawaii."Through this grant program, we hope to open up wonderful experiences for dynamic learning."

Continue reading ‘Monsanto grants help county schools, 4-H’ers – The Maui News’

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Closed Tags: KIHEI, lahainaluna, Molokai, MON, Monsanto.

Let’s start doing more to develop local agriculture | The Honolulu Advertiser

Published on January 10, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes, Haliimaile Pineapple, Pineapple and Seed Crops.

honadv

Fifty years after statehood, most of the plantations have gone fallow or become "gentleman’s estates." There are 6,500 "farmers" in Hawai’i, but only half are full time. The average farmer is 59, with an annual income of $10,000.

Ignoring the need for food security, we import at least 85 percent of our food and send billions to faraway agribusinesses when we could keep the money here to strengthen our self-sufficiency, enrich our economy and employ our jobless.

We were once a world leader in agricultural production. Now farmers have overwhelming challenges in land, water, infrastructure, pests, NIMBY, encroachment, transportation costs and burdensome bureaucracy, not to mention cheap foreign competition.

Can agriculture survive in Hawai’i?

Continue reading ‘Let’s start doing more to develop local agriculture | The Honolulu Advertiser’

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Closed Tags: Coffee, crop improvement association, CTAHR, farm bureau federation, Haliimaile Pineapple, Maui Land and Pineapple, Pineapple.

Fields of gold – Hawaii Business – Starbulletin

Published on December 26, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes and Seed Crops.

star

Fields of gold

Pioneer Hi-Bred grows sunflowers on Oahu, one part of the isles’ rapidly growing seed industry

By Nina Wu

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 26, 2009

Drivers passing by a stretch of Farrington Highway in Waialua on Oahu’s North Shore likely have seen a field of sunflowers reminiscent of a Van Gogh painting.

Pioneer Hi-Bred International of Iowa, a biotech seed company, planted the bright yellow sunflowers on 85 acres for a three-month period this year as part of its operations.

The sunflowers were planted in mid-October and likely will finish blooming this week, according to Pioneer Hi-Bred spokeswoman Cindy Goldstein. It is the fifth year in a row Pioneer has planted the sunflowers, which include up to 28 different hybrid varieties.

The sunflower seeds are evaluated for quality standards in Hawaii, and if approved, the same varieties are grown and harvested in California.

"Hawaii serves a vital role because we can do a very quick grow-out here as part of quality production and get quick results to report back," said Goldstein.

Hawaii has the ideal climate and growing conditions for sunflowers year-round.

The seeds, according to Goldstein, are then sold to Midwestern farmers, who crush them to make sunflower oil, which is in high demand in European markets.

Continue reading ‘Fields of gold – Hawaii Business – Starbulletin’

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Closed Tags: DD, DuPont, sunflower seeds.

French body says Monsanto maize needs more study – Yahoo! News UK

Published on December 22, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes and Seed Crops.

Tuesday, December 22 06:38 pm

More research is needed into Monsanto’s genetically modified maize MON 810, the only biotech crop commercially grown in Europe, to assess its environmental impact, a French advisory body said.

The opinion given by biotech committee HCB, published on Tuesday, was requested by the French government, which last year banned cultivation of MON 810 citing environmental concerns.

In an debate about whether to renew the license for the maize type, France and other European Union states have criticized as insufficient a favorable opinion in June from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

HCB called for further studies to evaluate potential drawbacks in MON 810, such as damage to non-targeted insects or the development of resistance to the crop among targeted pests.

"The only way to highlight … a significant increase or decrease in populations of non-targeted invertebrates is to implement monitoring over several years," the HCB said.

Continue reading ‘French body says Monsanto maize needs more study – Yahoo! News UK’

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Closed Tags: afssa, efsa, european food safety authority, european union states, food safety, french environment ministry, maize, MON, Monsanto.

GM corn health risks identified – General – North Queensland Register

Published on December 16, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes and Seed Crops.

16 Dec, 2009 03:45 PM

AN INTERNATIONAL study of three Monsanto genetically manipulated maize (corn) varieties shows clear evidence of health risks, according to anti-GM lobby group Gene Ethics.

It says that the study analysed data from 90-day rat feeding trials of: insecticide-producing Mon 810 and Mon 863 GM maize; and Roundup herbicide tolerant NK 603 GM maize.

Adverse impacts were found on the kidneys, livers and the dietary detoxifying organs of experimental rats, and also some damage to heart, adrenal glands, spleen and the haematopoietic system.

The research was conducted by French scientists from the universities of Caen and Rouen and is published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences.

According to Gene Ethics, the report shows the GM maize events contained novel pesticide residues that will also be present in human food and animal feed where they may pose grave health risks.

Continue reading ‘GM corn health risks identified – General – North Queensland Register’

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Closed Tags: corn, food standards australia new zealand, fsanz, gm maize, MON, Monsanto, roundup herbicide.

Most U.S. Stocks Advance as Retail Sales Beat Forecasts – Bloomberg.com

Published on September 3, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes and Seed Crops.

Commodities Gain

A group of mining companies, seed producers and chemical makers increased 1 percent as raw-material prices jumped. Gold advanced to a six-month high, reaching $999.50 an ounce, while copper rose for a second day. The Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index of 19 commodities climbed 0.2 percent.

Most U.S. Stocks Advance as Retail Sales Beat Forecasts – Bloomberg.com

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Closed Tags: MON, Monsanto, reuters, Seed Crops, stock, Syngenta.

Business Update on Hawaii’s Agriculture – KGMB9 News Hawaii

Published on August 27, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes and Seed Crops.

Business Update on Hawaii’s Agriculture
Written by Sunrise on KGMB9 – sunrise@kgmb9.com

August 27, 2009 07:02 AM

Balance reporting on Hawaii’s recession requires reports on industries that are still growing in these times. That includes the business of growing seed for mainland farmers.

Mark Phillipson is the new GM for the Hawaii operations of Syngenta. He joined KGMB9’s Howard Dicus Thursday morning.http://hawaii-agriculture.com/hawaii-agriculture-blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/2009_08_27_Syngenta_flv.flv

Business Update on Hawaii’s Agriculture | KGMB9 News Hawaii | (KGMB9

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Closed Tags: agriculture, business, corn, growing seed, hawaii, howard, Sunrise on KGMB9, Syngenta, syt.

Isle seed industry flourishing

Published on July 11, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes and Seed Crops.

Posted on: Saturday, July 11, 2009

Value of state’s biggest farming sector hits record $146 million, study finds

By Andrew Gomes
Advertiser Staff Writer

Click for larger image

Click for larger image

Hawai’i’s fast-growing seed crop industry forecasts spending $276 million over the next 10 years, up from $164 million in the past 10 years, suggesting the state’s biggest farming sector expects continued expansion.

The forecast for capital expenditures was included in a new study commissioned by the Hawai’i Farm Bureau Federation and paid for by the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, a trade group representing seed companies.

©COPYRIGHT 2009 The Honolulu Advertiser. All rights reserved.

More…

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Closed Tags: Andrew Gomes, crop improvement association, farm bureau federation, farming sector, growing seed, seed companies, seed crop industry, seed industry, Sweet Corn.

Disaster Preparedness

Published on October 30, 2007 in Banana, Coffee, Disaster Preparedness, Flowers & Nursery, General Ag News and Notes, Ginger Root, Guava, Livestock, Macadamia Nuts, Mango, Orchids, Papaya, Persimmon, Pineapple, Pumkin, Seed Crops, Sugar Cane, Vegtables and Watermelon.

Disaster Preparedness
How Prepared is Your Farming Operation?

Maui Extension Office
Monday, November 26, 2007
11 am ? 1:30 pm

Natural disasters, such as droughts, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, pests, and diseases, can cause excessive economic damage to agricultural production. In addition to crop damage, disasters can also affect farm buildings, machinery, animals, irrigation, family members and employees. Disasters along with marketing difficulties can lead to serious downturns in your farm income.

How prepared are you? This workshop is designed to provide you with information on:
1) preparing your operation for a natural disaster and
2) available and affordable crop insurance programs that minimize risk associated with economic losses.
Note: Now that the “Adjusted Gross Revenue” (AGR) insurance is available for 2008, in effect all Hawaii crops can be insured to some degree ? not just bananas, coffee, papayas, macnuts & nursery.

Speakers:
? USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers and oversees farm commodity, credit, conservation, disaster and loan programs. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of the agricultural industry and to help farmers adjust production to meet demand.

? USDA Risk Management Agency Western Regional Office, Davis. USDA RMA helps producers manage their business risks through effective, market-based risk management solutions.

? John Nelson from the Western Center for Risk Management Education (Washington State University) on the new Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) Insurance.

? Dr. Mike Fanning, Executive Vice President, AgriLogic, is a specialist in Agri-Terroism, crop insurance, farm policy analysis, and individual farm risk management.

? Dr. Kent Fleming, an agricultural economist with the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), is an Extension Farm Management Specialist with a focus on risk management education.

The workshop is FREE and lunch (sandwiches or bentos and drinks) will be provided. For more information, visit the website http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/agrisk/ You may also contact Kent Fleming @ 989-3416 or fleming@hawaii.edu or Jan McEwen @ 244-3242 or jmcewen@hawaii.edu

Please call the Maui Extension Office at 244-3242 by November 21, 2007 to register for this seminar.

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Closed Tags: ADM, agriculture, Banana, Bananas, drought, floods, hawaii, loss, losses, maui, MON, mpl, Papayas, university of hawai.

Hawaii Seed Crops

Published on October 12, 2007 in General Ag News and Notes and Seed Crops.

Here is the PDF file for the Hawaii Seed Crops report.

seed.pdf

Please visit the website for more information: http://www.nass.usda.gov/hi/

————————————————————-
Contact Information:
Mark E. Hudson, Director
USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512

Office: (808) 973-9588 / (800) 804-9514
Fax: (808) 973-2909
————————————————————-

The Hawaii Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates the value of Hawaii=s seed industry at a record high $97.6 million for the 2006/07 season. This preliminary estimate represents a 26-percent increase from 2005/06?s revised estimate of $77.3 million. Seed corn is expected to account for $94.0 million, or 96 percent, of the total value in 2006/07. A variety of other seed crops will account for the remaining 4 percent. Outshipments of seed are anticipated to total a record high 9.0 million pounds during the 2006/07 season, up 19 percent from the 7.6 million pounds shipped during the 2005/06 season. Acreage harvested for all seed crops is expected to total a record high 4,820 acres during the 2006/07 season, up 16 percent from the 2005/06 season.

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Closed Tags: acreage, agriculture, hawaii, national agricultural statistics service, Seed Crops, seed industry, usda nass.