Bayer Touts the Benefits of its $2.6 M Bee Care Center

Apr 24, 2014

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

Bayer CropScience opened a new Bee Care Center in North America.

The official grand opening of the U.S. facility was on April 15.

The state-of-the-art center which is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, cost $2.6 million, will serve as an education and research hub for honey bee health initiatives.

According to Bayer, the hub will encourage collaboration between industry stakeholders including - beekeepers and growers. Research will focus on a variety of issues affecting bee health including, disease, parasites, mites, genetics and weather factors.

Canadian and U.S. growers and beekeepers stand to benefit from the research that will take place at the 6,000-square-foot facility.

The center will add to Bayer’s bee-focused research locations. The company also has a Northern Bee Care Technology Station in Rockwood, Ontario, the Eastern bee Care Technology Station in Clayton, North Carolina and its European centre at its headquarters in Monheim, Germany.

In addition to the creation of the North American center, Bayer highlights some of its bee health efforts in Canada. For the 2014 planting season, it introduced Fluency Agent – a product that is required for neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seeds.

The company says it is in the development stages of creating a smartphone app for growers and beekeepers. Research is also being conducted in Ontario to better understand honey bee health during and after corn planting. The results of the research project are expected to be published later this year.

Video: U.S.-China Trade “Truce” + U.S. Fed Cuts Rates Again

The market was hoping for a US-China trade deal, but we got a trade “truce” for now from the keenly awaited Trump-Xi meeting at the APEC Summit.
China commits to minimum purchase commitments of 12 MMT of U.S. soybeans during the “current season” and a minimum of 25 MMT annually through 2028.
U.S. Treasury Sec Bessent said other Asian countries have agreed to buy additional 19 MMT of US soybean.
Soybean futures trading above $11 now- they normally tend to rally to $12.
As expected, US Fed cuts interest rates by -0.25% again in October to 3.75%–4.00%. No further cuts promised for this year but trade looking out to the Dec FOMC.
The Bank of Canada cut interest rates to 2.25% but raised concern over trade war damage.
Soy meal futures, remarkably, have had 14 consecutive higher close sessions. A bull market in soybeans is a bull market in soy meal!
Cattle futures lower as funds unwind out of cattle for now due to Trump headlines and objective to lower beef prices.
All major stock indices climb to new record highs. It was Mag 7 reporting week, which had mixed results. But we now have the first $5 trillion company in Nvidia!