DuPont
US project tries to raise corn yield and farm income in Africa
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), aided by a giant U.S. seed company, "are testing a new approach to improve the production of corn among the millions of poor, small-scale farmers who dominate African agriculture," says the...
The first – and last? – big U.S. cellulosic ethanol plants
With Abebgoa to open its $300 million celllulosic ethanol plant in Kansas on Friday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune says there is worry within the industry that debut of large-scale cellulosic plants in the United States may also be the closing act for big plants domestically.
Cellulosic ethanol launched, to top 1 million gallons in 2014
With two more cellulosic ethanol plants to come on line in coming months, annual production of the biofuel should exceed 1 million gallons for the first time in 2014, says the Union of Concerned Scientists. "We still have a ways to go until cellulosic ethanol is as abundant as corn ethanol but with commercial production under way, we are making progress much faster," said UCS's Jeremy Martin on the day Poet-DSM plant formally opened its cellulosic plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa.
Breeding ultra-early maturity corn for the Canadian prairie
There's buzz about the Corn Belt moving northward into Canada's prairie provinces. Top Producer magazine says, "Leading the charge are Manitoba, where corn acreage has doubled to 380,000 in just two years, and Alberta, which grows almost 25,000 acres of corn."
Weaker corn seed sales pinch DuPont ag sector profits
A softening of seed corn sales was behind an 11 percent drop in DuPont's agriculture sector operating profits in the quarter ending in June, says AgriMoney. It quoted DuPont's chief executive as saying the company has faith in the business over the longer term although big big crop crops this year would "pressure overall economics for corn and soybean farmers."
Contrary signs of big US corn and soy plantings
Analysts generally expect USDA to report record-large soybean plantings and sizable corn planting in its Acreage report on Monday.
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Three agribusiness leaders were elected to the board of the Farm Foundation - Gregg Hillyer, editor of Progressive Farmer magazine; Craig Yunker of CY Farms and John Miller, vice president of agricultural products for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.
Vermont legislature approves GMO labeling law
The Vermont House overwhelmingly passed a law requiring labels on food made with genetically engineered ingredients and sent it to the governor, who is expected to sign it.