News from the week of February 14 - 20, 2010

News Topics

• Ag Biotech
  Soya & oilseed-related biotech and seed breeding
• Biobased Products
  Biofuels, polymers and other new, oilseed-based products
• Commodities and Trade
  International trade in soybean and oilseed commodities
• Grains
  Wheat, corn, rice, barley, oats and other grains
• Ingredients and Nutraceuticals
  Soya & oilseed-derived food and nutritional ingredients
• Soybean & Oilseed Processing
  Crushing, refining and other processing
• Soyfoods
  New food products, nutrition research and market trends

Ag Biotech top

Live Commodity Prices on Soyatech.com Grains - Oilseeds - Soybean Complex - Ethanol MORE

Now Serving 9 Billion: Global Town Hall on Biotechnology and Meeting Food Needs Works to Identify Solutions An eminent panel of science and policy experts braved a historic blizzard today to identify solutions for the greatest agricultural challenges of all time. The global dialogue comes in response to a final call for action from … READ MORE »

Dow AgroSciences, Government of Australian State Expand Research Alliance A new research alliance between the Victorian Government and Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, will create 30 new Victorian agricultural biotech jobs, the Premier John Brumby announced … READ MORE »

Biotechnology Resource Added to Soybean Checkoff Web Site A core responsibility of the United Soybean Board and the soybean checkoff is to inform U.S. farmers and all parts of the U.S. soybean chain how checkoff dollars are being spent. One key tool to disseminate checkoff … READ MORE »

Biobased Products top

Global Biodiesel Market Worth US$12.6 Billion by 2014: New Study According to a new market research report, ’Global Biodiesel Market (2009 - 2014)’, published by MarketsandMarkets, the total global biodiesel market is expected to be worth US$12.6 billion by 2014, out of which … READ MORE »

ASA Calls for Senate to Put Biodiesel Jobs Back in Jobs Bill The American Soybean Association is calling for the Senate to reinsert a retroactive extension of the biodiesel tax incentive in the first Jobs Bill it passes to save the jobs of 23,000 people working in the biodiesel … READ MORE »

New California Fuel Standards Could Hurt Midwest Ethanol Production, Trade Group Officials Say Fuel standards on the West Coast could be harmful to Midwest corn ethanol, officials say. California’s low-carbon fuels standards, a set of regulations aimed at combating global warming, were officially approved last … READ MORE »

British Airways to Build Production Facility for Biobased Jet Fuel British Airways has secured a deal to build the first eco-jet fuel plant in Britain. Around 500,000 tonnes of waste will be used at the facility every year to produce 16 million gallons of jet fuel. The plant is scheduled … READ MORE »

Ethanol Production Revs Up in Argentina In a measure that was delayed by supply problems, Argentina will begin this year to require that gasoline be mixed with ethanol and diesel fuel with biodiesel at a proportion of five percent to possibly reach 20 percent by … READ MORE »

New Milling Technology Boosts Corn Ethanol Yields in Commercial Test EdeniQ, a California-based technology company serving the global biofuels industry, today announced results from the first commercial deployment of its Cellunator mixing and milling device. The announcement was made at the … READ MORE »

Research Gains Traction Into Miscanthus as Biofuel Feedstock As it gently swayed in the crisp winter breeze, the small batch of jumbo grass stood out against a dreary, snow-swept landscape. Unbeknownst to many drivers hurrying along nearby Interstate 29, this perennial grass could one … READ MORE »

Plans Take Shape for Biodiesel Plant in West Virginia An Illinois-based alternative energy company has renewed plans to build a $45 million biodiesel plant at the Bayer CropScience site in Institute. Kanawha Biodiesel, a subsidiary of Emerald Biofuels of Goff, Illinois, hopes … READ MORE »

German Fim Develops New Catalyst System for Biodiesel Production, Plans to Build Pilot Plant in Minnesota Sachtleben, a unit of Rockwood Holdings Inc. and the leading producer of specialty titanium dioxide and functional additives has developed catalytically active particles that stand to revolutionize the production of biofuels … READ MORE »

Dutch Firm Gemalto Introduces Biobased SIM Card Digital security company Gemalto today launched a pilot of bio-sourced SIM cards by SFR, a French operator. The company said that the card body, made from plant-based bioplastics, is easily recyclable and compostable through … READ MORE »

Commodities and Trade top

Global AgInvesting 2010 to Offer Insights Into Complex Investment Opportunity May 6-7, 2010 The Roosevelt Hotel New York, NY MORE

U.S. Corn and Soybean Export Progress Comes Into Better Focus: University of Illinois Economist As the marketing year nears its midpoint, prospects for the year are coming into better focus. In its February report, USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board revised projections of 2009-10 marketing year corn and … READ MORE »

USDA Secretary Vilsack Announces Soybean Board Appointments Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the appointment of 17 members and one alternate member to the United Soybean Board. All appointees will serve 3-year terms beginning immediately. "These appointees represent … READ MORE »

Soybean Checkoff Selects USSEC as International Marketing Contractor Farmer-leaders of the United Soybean Board and soybean checkoff selected the U.S. Soybean Export Council as its primary contractor to implement its 2011 International Marketing program. For more than a day, the board heard … READ MORE »

ADM Executives Outline Growth Strategy Chairman, CEO and President Patricia Woertz said growth strategies for each of ADM’s four business units seek to leverage ADM’s current geographic footprint and expand to capitalize on future market opportunities … READ MORE »

Economists Predict Little or No Increase in Food Prices for 2010 The last two years have been something of an economics lesson to food buyers and grocers. Record energy and commodity prices led to high costs for groceries. Then costs for many products fell with petroleum prices and … READ MORE »

Global Palm Oil Market to Exceed 100 Million Tons by 2015: New Report The world market for palm oil is projected to exceed 100 million tonnes by the year 2015. The increasing standard of living in regions of the Third World is driving the demand for palm oil, which unlike annual food crops is … READ MORE »

Government of Canada Invests in Flax Industry Innovation The Government of Canada is investing in innovation to help Canadian flax farmers deliver high quality products to consumers here and around the world. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced today that the Flax Council … READ MORE »

Free Trade, Loss of Support Systems Crippling Food Production in Africa: New Oregon State Study Despite good intentions, the push to privatize government functions and insistence upon "free trade" that is too often unfair has caused declining food production, increased poverty and a hunger crisis for millions of people … READ MORE »

Scientists Facing the Corn Nematode Problem in Illinois Illinois farmers know corn nematodes are a problem. Nearly 80 percent of attendees at the Illinois Corn & Soybean Classics agreed this was true in surveys conducted across the state by University of Illinois Extension … READ MORE »

Growers, Researchers Trying Different Things to Keep Up With Soy Aphids, Mites University of Minnesota soybean researchers and leaders say the industry is peddling fast to help farmers stay ahead of aphids and other yield robbers, but a short-term fix doesn’t always work in the long run. Aphids … READ MORE »

Grains top

Eating Oats May Reduce Arterial Inflammation: Tufts University Research Nutritionist Mohsen Meydani, director of the Vascular Biology Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, led the research on the oat compounds … READ MORE »

NutraCea to Sell Non-Core Cereal Ingredients Business NutraCea, a world leader in stabilized rice bran nutrient research and technology, today announced that it has signed an asset purchase agreement to sell NutraCea’s existing cereal ingredients business and certain … READ MORE »

Prairie Malt Limited, Sierra Nevada Brewing Partner With Canadian Barley Growers Prairie Malt Limited, a joint venture that is majority owned by Cargill, has teamed with Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. on its "Farming with your Brewer" program to support Canadian barley growers. The program is designed to … READ MORE »

Rye Bread Shown to Be Effective in Relieving Constipation Rye bread and lactobacilli modify the colonic environment and have the potential to relieve constipation and could be a safe and convenient alternative to laxatives, according to research carried out at the University of … READ MORE »

The Philippines Has Tripled Its Rice Yield Over Last 50 Years In the last fifty years, the Philippines has more than tripled its rice yield, while the world average rice yield has increased only about 2.3 times. Despite being criticized as a poor rice producer because of its status as … READ MORE »

TreeHouse Foods to Use Public Offering to Fund Sturm Foods Acquisition TreeHouse Foods, Inc. announced today that it priced an underwritten public offering of $400 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.750% senior notes due 2018. TreeHouse will use the net proceeds of the notes offering … READ MORE »

U.S., Brazil Seek Patent to Sorghum From Tanzania Tanzania is planning to move to court to stop the U.S. and Brazilian governments, jointly with two multinational firms, from patenting a sorghum gene isolated from Tanzanian farms. The strain of sorghum -- a staple food … READ MORE »

Ingredients and Nutraceuticals top

Fermented Soyfoods May Help Prevent or Delay Progress of Type 2 Diabetes: Korean Study Historically, the incidence of type 2 diabetes has been lower in Asian populations compared with those in Western countries. One possible reason for the lower incidence among Asians is that they consume fermented soybean … READ MORE »

Plant Sterol and Stanol Esters From Rapeseed Oil May Help Prevent Atherosclerosis: Danish Study Rapeseed oil is a novel source of plant sterols, containing the unique brassicasterol in concentrations higher than allowed for plant sterol blends in food products in the European Union. Effects of RSO sterols and stanols … READ MORE »

Meta-Analysis Examines Relationship Between Saturated Fat and Heart Disease The Food Standards Agency states that people are currently eating far more saturated fat than is recommended. Rising levels of obesity indicate that energy intakes currently exceed energy requirements which can raise serious … READ MORE »

Food Companies Committed to Low-Linolenic Soybean Oil, Says Monsanto in Call for Producers to Grow the Beans Interest by food companies to reduce trans fats has supported continued demand for Vistive(R) low-linolenic soybean oil. As a result, processors across the Midwest are actively seeking contracts with growers for Vistive acres … READ MORE »

Success Using U.S. DDGS in Canada Trickles Down to Mexico: USGC A 2009 study, co-sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council, showed feeding high levels of distiller’s dried grains with solubles to Canadian swine reduced producers’ input costs and provided "excellent" growth … READ MORE »

Soybean & Oilseed Processing top

Practical "Hands-On" Short Course on Snack Food Processing March 7-12, 2010 Texas A&M University MORE

Australian Watchdog Examines Cargill's Proposed Acquisition of Goodman Fielder Edible Fats & Oils Business The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today issued a Statement of Issues on the proposed acquisition of Goodman Fielder Limited’s commercial edible fats and oils business by Cargill Australia Ltd. The State … READ MORE »

Canola Protein Isolate Quality Exceeding Expectations, BioExx Confirms BioExx Specialty Proteins Ltd. is pleased to confirm that it continues to make strong progress toward the completion of construction of the protein isolate addition to its 40,000 MT per year canola processing facility … READ MORE »

DSM Announces Management Changes Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, today announces the following management changes: Mr. Mauricio Adade, at present President, Human Nutrition & Health … READ MORE »

Soy Innovation Africa to Provide Strategic Insights Into Use of the Soybean in Emerging Markets Save the Date! August 26-27, 2010 The Westin Grand Hotel Cape Town, South Africa Soyatech * WISHH * Soy Southern Africa * NSRL In conjuction with IUFoST World Congress! MORE

Blaze Consumes Cargill Animal Nutrition Warehouse in Pennsylvania The investigation starts Tuesday into the fire that destroyed a 90,000 square foot warehouse at the Cumberland Valley Business Park with damage estimates at $2 million. Firefighters from Franklin, Cumberland and Adams … READ MORE »

Some Soy Oil Margarine Recalled in Canada The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people with milk allergies not to consume Incredible Edible Spread’Em-brand soya oil margarine. The CFIA said the manufacturer, A & M Home Products of Hensall, Ontario … READ MORE »

Soyfoods top

Soyfoods Sales Mixed in 2009, Says Report to Be Highlighted at Soyfoods2010 What does the future hold? March 10-11, 2010 Anaheim Hilton Anaheim, CA Co-located with Nutracon, SupplyExpo and Natural Products West MORE

Maker of Soy Sterol-Fortified Foods Adds V.P. Sales, Extends Distribution Network Kardea Nutrition(tm) LLC announced today that Robert Lukasik has joined the company as Vice President of Sales. Separately, Kardea has announced that it has extended its distribution network in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic … READ MORE »

Whey-Based Ice Cream Aims to Take Market Share From Soy- and Rice-Based Frozen Desserts Lactose intolerant? No problem! A new ice cream replacement product in the freezer case is turning heads and not souring stomachs. One can throw out the old substitutes made with rice and soy and look to something a bit … READ MORE »

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Hain Celestial's Natural and Organic Foods Fuel the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., a leading natural and organic products company in North America and Europe providing consumers with A Healthy Way of Life(TM) today announced that Vancouver 2010 is the first-ever Olympic … READ MORE »

GE Capital Is Co-Lender in $300 Million Credit Facility for Kehe Food Distributors GE Capital, Corporate Finance today announced it is co-collateral agent for a $300 million asset-based credit facility for Kehe Food Distributors, a leading U.S. distributor of natural and specialty food products. The loan … READ MORE »