Author: Dave Alexander

On January 1, 2019, United Phosphorus Inc. (UPI) officially changed their name to UPL NA Inc.

According to the company, the name change will more accurately reflect the global brand of which they are a part. The change will also align UPL NA with their corporate parent and related subsidiaries which manufacture and market agrochemicals, industrial chemicals and specialty chemicals around the world.

While the name has changed, the company will continue to operate under its current structure. Mailing addresses and points of contact will remain the same.

In a news release from December 27, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) assured their business partners that AMS expects the Federal government shutdown to have minimal impact on most commodity procurement activities.

Many employees of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Food Distribution Division staff will not be able to work due to the lapse in appropriations.  However, AMS remains in contact with essential FNS staff as well as State contacts, should any delivery issues arise during this time.

AMS expects suppliers and contractors to continue to produce and deliver as required under current contracts for both domestic and international food assistance programs on previously awarded contracts. Contract payments may be not be made until the office that issues payments has reopened. This may lead to a few payment delays should the shutdown be prolonged, but USDA will pay interest on any invoices affected by the shutdown.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today published the 2017 Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Summary. The Summary shows more than 99 percent of the samples tested had pesticide residues well below benchmark levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Each year, USDA and EPA work together to identify foods to be tested on a rotating basis. In 2017, tests were conducted on fresh and processed foods including fruits and vegetables as well as honey, milk and bottled water. AMS partners with cooperating state agencies to collect and analyze pesticide residue levels on selected foods. For over 25 years, USDA has tested a variety of commodities including fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat, poultry, grains, fish, rice, specialty products and water.

USDA tests a wide variety of domestic and imported foods, with a strong focus on foods that are consumed by infants and children. EPA relies on PDP data to conduct dietary risk assessments and to ensure that any pesticide residues in foods remain at levels that EPA has determined to be safe. USDA uses the data to help U.S. farmers improve agricultural practice and to enhance the department’s Integrated Pest Management Program.

The annual pesticide residue results are reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EPA in monthly reports as testing takes place throughout the year. FDA and EPA are immediately notified if a PDP test discovers residue levels that could pose a public safety risk.

The 2017 data and summary can be found on the Pesticide Data Program page on the AMS website. Printed copies may be obtained by contacting the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Science and Technology Program, Monitoring Programs Division by e-mail at amsmpo.data@ams.usda.gov.

At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced a proposed rule intended to move more able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) off of  Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and towards self-sufficiency.

According to a USDA news release, “the rule is meant to restore the system to what it was meant to be: assistance through difficult times, not lifelong dependency”.

“Long-term reliance on government assistance has never been part of the American dream,” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. “As we make benefits available to those who truly need them, we must also encourage participants to take proactive steps toward self-sufficiency. Moving people to work is common-sense policy, particularly at a time when the unemployment rate is at a generational low.”

The rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) focuses on work-related program requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents. The rule would apply to non-disabled people, between the ages of 18 and 49, with no dependents. The rule would not apply to the elderly, the disabled, or pregnant women.

ABAWDs Fact Sheet

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Deere & Company is launching the Startup Collaborator program in its Intelligent Solutions Group to enhance and deepen its interaction with startup companies whose technology could add value for John Deere customers.

“Our focus for the Startup Collaborator is specifically on startups that want to work with John Deere in real-world customer environments to determine the technology readiness of their innovations,” said John Stone, senior vice president of Deere’s Intelligent Solutions Group.

Stone said the Startup Collaborator provides flexibility for Deere and startup companies to test innovative technologies with customers and dealers without a more formal business relationship. Startups also gain affiliation with and mentoring from a world leader in precision agriculture.

“Innovation has been at the heart of John Deere for more than 180 years,” Stone added. “The Startup Collaborator welcomes innovative companies into a program that could help us drive improved results for our customers.”

Three leading startups working to transform agriculture are already part of the program:

• Bear Flag Robotics – A California company developing autonomous technology for farm tractors and implements to reduce operational expense and increase worker safety.

• Hello Tractor – A Nigerian company with a strong understanding of agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa that has developed an application to manage tractor fleets for small holder farmers.

• Taranis – An Israeli company that developed an automated field scouting service based on sub-millimeter aerial imagery utilizing deep learning for problem detection and analysis in agriculture.

Inn Foods in Watsonville, California has won a USDA contract to supply diced frozen carrots for distribution to the child nutrition and other related domestic food assistance programs for Fiscal Year 2018.

The contract is for 11,880 cases for a total of over $158,000. Inn Foods will ship the carrots to South Carolina, New Jersey, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

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SELLING FOOD TO THE USDA

Sakata Seed America announced phase one completion of their new Woodland Innovation Center: a new research and production facility in Woodland, California.

The Woodland Innovation Center is a culmination of infrastructure and land that enables Sakata Seed America to consolidate and expand R&D and production practices on a single, state-of-the-art campus, flexible for future expansion.

The Sakata Seed America Woodland Innovation Center is an $18.5M investment comprised of 219 acres in Yolo county. Sixteen of the acres house four main buildings designed by local principal Stantec Architecture architect, Matthew Shigihara. The four main buildings including:  the Head House, a shop for research and development that allows for washing and drying of breeder seed; multiple greenhouses for trialing important Sakata crops, like Hot Pepper, Sweet Pepper, Tomato, Watermelon and Melon; the Farm Shop, used for production maintenance and equipment, drying of seed, and other farm related activities; the Washery building for washing, fluming, and drying all types of wet seed attached to the Warehouse, a 25,000 square foot space housing the latest technology in seed processing equipment and a LEED certified office building.

The facility will be officially inaugurated on Thursday, September 13, when Sakata will host a Grand Opening celebration at the facility’s Farm Shop. Attendees will include Dave Armstrong, President of Sakata Seed America, Hiroshi Sakata, President of Sakata Seed Corporation as well as California state assembly members, Japanese consulate, media and Sakata customers. The event will be catered by a local chef utilizing Sakata products grown on site, and include a virtual tour of the site, as well as Japanese drummers and a traditional Japanese Sake Ceremony.

On August 16, BASF closed the acquisition of Bayer’s global vegetable seeds business, mainly operating under the brand Nunhems. The transaction adds a well-recognized brand with a very successful business track record to BASF’s portfolio. The acquired vegetable seeds business comprises 24 crops and includes several varieties of carrots. It also includes well-established, strong R&D and breeding systems with over 100 unique breeding programs in more than 15 crops.

The addition of the vegetable seeds business enhances BASF’s global offer to farmers. It strengthens BASF’s seed platform and complements the recently expanded Agricultural Solutions portfolio, which includes seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming.

This closing completes BASF’s acquisition of a significant range of businesses and assets with combined 2017 sales of €2.2 billion, which Bayer offered to divest in the context of its takeover of Monsanto. The all-cash purchase price amounts to a total of €7.6 billion, subject to certain adjustments at closing.

SOURCE: BASF