Indiana lifts most bird flu-related restrictions
The State Board of Animal Health ended testing and surveillance requirements early Monday at poultry farms near a turkey farm where the H7N8 viral strain was first found.
Agriculture/Farming
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Fate of Indy employees still hazy in Dow, DuPont merger
Although the city will host a “global business center,” it will be months before details are known about how the combined agriculture operations will shake out. For now, the two firms are still competitors.
Ethanol ‘train wreck’ seen getting worse with record supply
Record stockpiles of ethanol are forcing some biofuels producers into the ranks of energy companies that are slowing operations in the face of $30-per-barrel crude oil.
Bill could put crimp in farm-to-table poultry trade
The bill’s sponsors say its purpose is consumer safety. Small poultry producers contend it would hamstring their ability to compete in a marketplace dominated by large producers.
Indiana preparing to lift most bird flu-related restrictions
Animal health officials monitoring the bird flu outbreak in southwestern Indiana say they will lift most restrictions in two weeks if ongoing testing finds no additional infections.
Indiana popcorn production falls after bounty years
Purdue University said federal statistics show popcorn production in the state fell by 29 percent last year.
Dow Agro sales slip 16 percent as parent firm’s merger looms
The Indianapolis-based agricultural division of Dow Chemical said Tuesday that lower demand, price pressures on herbicides and currency headwinds all hurt sales of its crop protection products.
Tax break in works for struggling farmers
Farmers across Indiana would get a big property tax cut under legislation moving through the General Assembly that would reduce their assessed land values an estimated $4.2 billion for taxes paid in 2018 and $8.9 billion for 2019.
Baggott, partners sell Indiana food startup Husk
ExactTarget co-founder Chris Baggott and two business partners have sold Greenfield-based food startup Husk LLC, nearly three years after starting it, shifting their attention to a farmers market website.
Health officials finish euthanizing 400K birds at Indiana farms
Animal health officials responding to a bird flu outbreak in southwest Indiana say crews have finished euthanizing more than 400,000 birds at 10 affected commercial poultry farms.
Officials hope rapid action contains Indiana turkey flu outbreak
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has quarantined and destroyed hundreds of thousands of turkeys and chickens in Indiana in an effort to avoid a repeat of last year’s outbreak that cost the industry $3.3 billion.
UPDATE: Bird flu outbreak contained to 10 Indiana farms
Confirmation of new bird flu cases alarmed industry officials after the rapid spread of the H5N2 virus last year led to the deaths of about 48 million turkeys and chickens, and drove egg prices higher. Indiana's poultry industry brings in about $2.5 billion a year.
Farm boom fizzles as crop surplus expands financial strain
While many growers remain profitable, the global commodity slump is increasing pressure on a Midwest economy that was largely shielded from the worst of the financial crisis by high crop prices and land values.
Indiana firm trades in frankincense, myrrh
Northwest Indiana Trading Co., based in LaPorte County, provides exotic resins and other substances to religious practitioners across the globe.
Expert predicts drop in Indiana farmland values
A Purdue economist says values will drop 5 to 12 percent in 2016 after nearly tripling from 2003 to 2014.
Dow’s merger plans with DuPont might hit antitrust roadblock
The proposed merger of Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co. would create the world’s largest agricultural-products company. But that’s bad news for farmers, according to some farm groups and antitrust experts.
Purdue ag, research foundation create $2M crop startup fund
Purdue University has created a $2 million fund that will help launch startup companies working to commercialize crop-boosting innovations developed by Purdue researchers.
Dow, DuPont agree to combine in historic merger of equals
Dow and DuPont plan to divide the combined company into three publicly traded businesses, one of which would focus on agricultural products including herbicides and genetically modified seeds—the core business of Dow's Indianapolis-based Dow AgroSciences unit. DuPont also has a large ag unit.
Boost of biofuel levels pleases neither refiners nor growers
The EPA’s rule could revive a congressional debate over the Renewable Fuel Standard and spill over into the presidential campaign, as candidates stump in Iowa and other corn-belt states.
Farm Bureau gets first new leader in 14 years
Vanderburgh County farmer Randy Kron was elected president Tuesday during the state convention of Indiana's largest farm organization.