A federal judge sentenced a California man to 6 1/2 years in prison and ordered him to pay a $9 million judgment for defrauding the organic industry with synthetic fertilizer that he represented as certified for use in organic operations.
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Jana gearing up for proxy fight with Agrium
Jana Partners LLC announced it had increased its stake in Agrium, the Canadian network of farm-supply outlets and fertilizer wholesaler, and that it had chosen five nominees to dislodge the current Agrium board.
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Despite severe drought, farm income may hit record high
Farm and ranch income shriveled this summer during the worst drought in half a century, according to three Federal Reserve regional banks that oversee Farm Belt lending, with livestock producers hardest hit as pastures withered and feed prices soared.
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AGCO announces four finalists for Operator of the Year
Four professional applicators have been selected by AGCO Application Equipment as finalists for the 2012 Operator of the Year, a program that recognizes the industry’s top custom applicators in North America and the dedication they demonstrate both on and off the field.
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John Deere introduces Mobile Farm Manager App
To help give producers easier access to important farm and field information through their mobile device, John Deere introduces John Deere Mobile Farm Manager.
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New controlled-release fertilizer now available
Agrium Advanced Technologies announced the addition of Spread it & Forget it Controlled-Release Fertilizer with Barricade Pre-Emergent Herbicide and Spread it & Forget it Controlled-Release Fertilizer with Dimension Specialty Herbicide to its line of slow- and controlled-release fertilizer technologies.
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Syngenta to acquire Sunfield Seeds
Syngenta announced it will acquire Sunfield Seeds, a U.S.-based provider of sunflower seeds production and processing services to more than 30 countries.
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Organic management of brown marmorated stink bugs?
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is joining a multistate effort to develop new methods for organic farmers to contend with invasive brown marmorated stink bugs.
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Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy released for public comment
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad joined Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey and Director Chuck Gipp from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and John Lawrence from Iowa State University to announce the release of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy for public comment.
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BIG PICTURE
By Doane EconomistFor the sixth time since Nov. 14, USDA has announced soybean oil sales in its daily reporting system. An announcement is required whenever sales total 20,000 tonnes or more from a single buyer. On Monday morning, USDA announced the sale of 20,000 tonnes to an unidentified buyer. The total of recent sales announcements is 208,000 tonnes including an optional origin sale, or 188,000 tonnes excluding it. The USDA forecast for the entire marketing year is 540,000 tonnes.
