Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, said on Jan. 6 that a lineup of new biotech seed products has the company well positioned for future growth. St. Louis-based Monsanto said it has 19 projects advancing through its research and development pipeline, including nine added in the last two years. Notable advancements are being made in
Monsanto Sees Gains In Corn, Soy, Wheat Projects
DuPont Says New Corn Seed Yields Better In Droughts
DuPont said on Jan. 5 it was launching a new corn seed that would yield better in “water-limited” environments, as growers around the world seek ways to maximize production during droughts. DuPont, which owns Pioneer Hi-Bred, one of the world’s largest agricultural seed companies, is introducing a limited quantity of the corn hybrids for planting
South Africa Balks At Seed Company Consolidation
The derailment of DuPont’s intended acquisition of a top South African seed company – a deal that would have doubled DuPont’s African seed business – is emboldening activists opposed to creeping control by both DuPont and rival Monsanto of the lucrative emerging market. Citing unfair control in South Africa by the two dominant U.S. seed
Drought In U.S. Winter Wheat Fields Worries Experts
U.S. wheat experts are growing increasingly concerned about the new winter wheat crop in parts of top producer Kansas and other Plains states, as persistently dry conditions erode production potential. Drought conditions are plaguing the entire western third of Kansas, which routinely is the top U.S. wheat-growing state, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a
U.S. Ethanol Sector Contemplates Subsidy Cuts
Mark Marquis had planned to double the size of his Illinois ethanol plant in 2011, and was considering expanding a Wisconsin facility his family-run firm bought into last July. But those plans are now on hold, as Marquis and other ethanol producers brace for the possible end of $6 billion a year in U.S. subsidies
Fears Over U.S. Farmland “Bubble” Seen As Unfounded
Fears that rising farmland values may be building toward a bubble are overblown, according to a leading U.S. farmland investor. The fundamental factors driving rising farmland values are long term and are coupled with low debt levels in the sector, indicators not commonly associated with asset class “bubbles,” said Hancock Agricultural Investment Group (HAIG) president
As Canada Farm Values Rise, Investment Kept Limited
Growing investor interest in high production farmland in Canada’s Saskatchewan is helping push up farmland values, but the province’s limits on foreign agriculture investment are not likely to ease any time soon, according to a leading agriculture official. Saskatchewan is one of several Canadian provinces that restricts farmland ownership by non-Canadians. The Farm Land Security
Agriculture, Farmland Attracting “Impact Investors”
Investors are being given a new pitch these days: Make money and do good by investing in agriculture in Africa, Latin America and other global markets. So-called “impact investing” is catching on with a range of private equity groups, financial services firms, venture capital funds and other moneyed players. “There are a cadre of investors
Monsanto Sees “Right Time” For GMO Wheat Varieties
Monsanto Co. could start field testing genetically modified wheat within one to two years, but remains cautious about future commercialization, according to one of the company’s top wheat technology executives. Six years after shelving a biotech wheat product in the face of stiff market resistance, Monsanto still sees a need for circumspection, but believes building
As Sask. farm values rise, investment kept limited
Boston (Reuters) — Growing investor interest in high-production farmland in Saskatchewan is helping push up farmland values, but the province’s limits on foreign agriculture investment are not likely to ease any time soon, according to a leading ag official. Saskatchewan is one of several provinces that restricts farmland ownership by non-Canadians. The Farm Land Security
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