Reuters — Activist investor Starboard Value LP said on Thursday it has nominated eight directors to the board of Corteva, seeking to oust its chief executive officer and take control of the pesticide and seed maker. Starboard, in its letter to Corteva’s chairman, said it had identified someone new for the top job, but declined […] Read more
Investor nominates directors for Corteva, aims to oust CEO
Agency mixed up about tank-mix labelling, say grain groups
Proposed change would prohibit mixes if a product label contains no guidance on tank mixing
Reading Time: 3 minutes A proposed change to tank-mix labelling requirements makes little sense and would unnecessarily hurt farmers, say grain groups. “Our biggest concern with this regulatory proposal is that it would take immediate effect… and could make some current tank mixes that are being used illegal, for all intents and purposes,” said Shannon Sereda, government relations and […] Read more
Corteva posts weak revenue, disappointing outlook
Reuters — Corteva Inc. on Wednesday missed analysts’ expectations for second-quarter revenue and its reinstated full-year forecast came in below estimates, sending the seed and pesticide producer’s shares down as much as nine per cent in extended trade. Good weather and higher planted area shifted corn volumes in North America to the first quarter, while […] Read more
Ready for prime time? Spot-spraying tech advancing quickly
Spot spraying in crop has a ways to go, but pre-seed burn-off may soon be commonplace
Reading Time: 5 minutes Producers have been hearing about weed-targeting spot-spraying sensors for some time, but it’s always seemed to be the stuff of science fiction. In some cases, however, the future is now while in others it’s coming quickly — it all depends on the type of sensor tech you’re interested in. Well-known spraying expert Tom Wolf separates […] Read more
EU plans to halve pesticide use, expand organic farming
Brussels | Reuters — The European Commission said on Wednesday it planned to increase organic farming and cut agricultural chemical use to protect the environment, proposals welcomed by green groups but which farmers said would make them less flexible. Agriculture is a contributor to climate change – producing around 10 per cent of EU greenhouse […] Read more
Herbicide injury guide now online
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Herbicide Action and Injury guide is now available online. The guide looks at pesticides, their modes of action and the identifying symptoms of each herbicide action on susceptible plants. It is useful for the initial diagnosis of plant injury and for further investigation into the causes of crop damage from herbicides, crop specialist Harry […] Read more
New Brunswick postpones pesticide use hearings
Deadline extended for written submissions
The New Brunswick government’s planned public hearings on the use of glyphosate and other pesticides are postponed, and more time is being granted for the public to file written briefs. The provincial legislature’s all-party standing committee on climate change and environmental stewardship on Feb. 5 announced it would hold hearings in Fredericton March 24-27 “on […] Read more
Ag chem industry watching COVID-19’s spread
MarketsFarm –– China is a major producer of agricultural chemicals — and disruptions to production would have a ripple effect on North American supplies of crop protection inputs, such as herbicides and insecticides. Plant closures and transportation issues due to the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus are being followed closely, but the Canadian industry is reportedly […] Read more
Corteva to stop making Lorsban
Chicago | Reuters — Corteva will stop producing the agricultural pesticide chlorpyrifos by the end of the year, the company said on Thursday, removing the world’s largest manufacturer of a chemical that has been linked to low birth weight, reduced IQ and attention disorders in children. Corteva, spun off last year after a merger of […] Read more
Competition Bureau probing big ag chem companies
Probe to look at firms' response to FBN's arrival in Canada
Reuters — The Canadian Competition Bureau said on Thursday it was investigating certain agriculture companies for alleged anticompetitive practices over allegations of trying to block an online farm-supply startup from doing business in Western Canada. The regulator did not provide details on specific companies involved in the probe, but documents filed on Jan. 30 in […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
