The 2016 hay and forage season is winding down. With large inventories, producers in some regions are considering leaving the last crop in the fields.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an evaluation of the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate (trade name: Roundup), declaring no links to human cancer were found.

At the 2016 National Hay Association annual convention, Bill Plourd, President of El Toro Export in El Centro, California and a member of the U.S. Forage Export Council (USFEC), posed the question, “Is it time for alfalfa futures contracts in the marketplace?” 

It’s a deal. Bayer and Monsanto have signed a merger agreement. Bayer announced the agreement for $128 per share in an all-cash transaction.

Hanjin Shipping, the largest shipping company in Korea (seventh largest shipping company in the world), filed for court receivership on Aug. 31, 2016.

Deere & Company and The Climate Corp. said they plan to contest legal action announced yesterday by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that seeks to block Deere’s acquisition of Precision Planting.

U.S. hay growers are entering the final four months of 2016 facing economic conditions shared by many other agricultural commodity producers: Higher production levels are adding to supplies at a time when global economies are still on the slow road to recovery, putting pressure on producer prices and income.

Robots and drones have already started to quietly transform many aspects of agriculture. Indeed, the IDTechEx Research report “Agricultural Robots and Drones 2016-2026: Technologies, Markets, and Players” finds that this is already a $3 billion market in 2016, growing to $10 billion by as early as 2022.