Tokio Marine’s ProAG to Acquire AmTrust Crop MGA

Producers Ag Insurance Group (ProAg), part of the specialty insurance group Tokio Marine HCC, is to acquire crop managing general agent AmTrust Agriculture Insurance Services (AmTrust Ag), a subsidiary of AmTrust Financial Services. AmTrust Ag is headquartered in Kansas, US and manages multi-peril crop, crop hail, livestock and named crop peril insurance. Its products are… Continue reading Tokio Marine’s ProAG to Acquire AmTrust Crop MGA

Wave of New Tech Firms Targeting Farms as Weather Wars Mount

Good sun is one of the keys to a productive orange grove

When surprise hailstorms hit the 6,000 acres Trevor Scherman plants each year with peas, wheat, canola and lentils, his first move isn’t to his truck to assess the damage. These days, it’s to his iPad. Nine mini-weather stations from the Canadian firm Farmer’s Edge, along with daily satellite imagery from San Francisco-based Planet, provide Scherman… Continue reading Wave of New Tech Firms Targeting Farms as Weather Wars Mount

Flooding Woes Add to Trade War Stress in Farm Belt

Hay bales float in flood waters amidst rows of corn in Nova Scotia's Colchester County.

Nebraska grain farmer Ryan Ueberrhein was barely breaking even after the U.S.-China trade war pushed prices for his soybean crop to a decade low. Then the nearby Elkhorn River burst its banks as flooding swept across the U.S. farm belt. Uberrhein’s farm was left covered in debris after the roiling water receded. He has mounting… Continue reading Flooding Woes Add to Trade War Stress in Farm Belt

Trump’s Budget to Cut Crop Insurance

crop insurance federal government

President Donald Trump’s “I LOVE YOU!” tweet to farmers is facing another challenge: Budget cuts that will slash subsidies for crop insurance and small growers. Trump’s 2020 budget, released Monday, calls for a 15 percent funding drop for the Department of Agriculture, citing “overly generous” subsidies. The president is seeking one of the largest-ever cuts… Continue reading Trump’s Budget to Cut Crop Insurance

U.S. Senate Passes $867B Farm Bill with Provisions on Crop Insurance, Hemp

crop insurance federal government

The 2018 Farm Bill that includes expanded safety-net programs for farmers could be voted on as early as Wednesday or Thursday after joint House-Senate negotiators released the final version of the legislation. The $867 billion bill follows many months of tense negotiations in conference committee and bickering over work requirement changes for food stamps. The… Continue reading U.S. Senate Passes $867B Farm Bill with Provisions on Crop Insurance, Hemp

U.S. Farmers Hope for Quick Progress on Farm Bill Amid Trade Tariffs

crop insurance federal government

U.S. soybean farmer Mike Schlosser does not expect President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, the single biggest headwind to his business, to end any time soon. But he is among many in farm country who expect at least some good news this year – in the form of a new Farm Bill. Congress comes… Continue reading U.S. Farmers Hope for Quick Progress on Farm Bill Amid Trade Tariffs

U.S. to Pay Farmers $4.7 Billion to Offset Trade-Conflict Losses

crop insurance federal government

The Trump administration pledged to pay farmers $4.7 billion to offset losses from trade disputes with foreign buyers of U.S. agricultural products. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the payments would help protect farmers from “unjustified tariffs” some nations have applied in response to President Trump’s trade policies. China, Mexico, the European Union and other trade… Continue reading U.S. to Pay Farmers $4.7 Billion to Offset Trade-Conflict Losses