The Indonesian government is working on implementing a change in parliamentary law that could spell disaster for all major foreign investors in the seed industry in Indonesia. If the government goes through to implement the parliamentary law No. 10 2010 100 it would imply that no foreign investor can have more than 30% share in the seed companies. If the law will be sanctioned in the parliament it is likely to be implemented by November of 2014.

Just three of the six newly recommended barley varieties have progressed to the next stage of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling’s approval process.

Accepting applications from eligible school and community garden programs now through Sept. 15, 2013. Three grant recipients will be awarded garden package including seed, supplies and a monetary stipend.

Syngenta, a Switzerland-based international agri-business Goliath, Thursday announced it would be closing its Coon Rapids seed corn production and supply facility effective Dec. 31, a move expected to cost 31 people their jobs in Coon Rapids.

This decision is not related to the other Syngenta Coon Rapids facility located at 615 Main St., which employs about 20 people in customer relations, company officials.

Rasi Seeds Pvt Ltd has acquired the hybrid corn seed business of Bayer BioScience in India for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will immediately help Rasi double its share in the fast growing Indian hybrid corn seed market, estimated at close to Rs 1,000 crore annually.

Smithers Viscient's inaugural conference Advances in Metabolism & Environmental Degradation Science will put the spotlight on current practice in the metabolism and degradation studies that form the basis of almost every pesticide registration data package filed today.

For the first time in its 42-year history, the Hawai‘i Crop Improvement Association will hold its annual meeting on Kaua‘i.

The HCIA is comprised of five member companies — Syngenta, BASF, DOW, Pioneer and Monsanto. Today’s conference at the Kaua‘i Marriott Resort and Beach Club in Lihu‘e is not open to the public.

Monsanto Co is hosting a "Bee Summit." Bayer AG is breaking ground on a "Bee Care Center." And Syngenta AG is funding grants for research into the accelerating demise of honeybees in the United States, where the insects pollinate fruits and vegetables that make up roughly a quarter of the American diet.

Seed treatments have taken a step forward this year with the addition of new fungicide Group 7 products. 


The new products, along with expanded labels, mean producers have new options for controlling soil borne pests and early season insects.