Latest News From The Packer Staff

Prima Wawona, a stone fruit producer in Fresno, Calif., announced in October it filed for bankruptcy with more than $600 million in debt.

The purple tomato is heading to market.

The USDA recently reviewed soybean, tomato, and potato plants modified using genetic engineering to determine whether they presented an increased plant pest risk compared to similar cultivated plants.

The USDA and NASA are doubling down on agency collaborations that will improve agricultural research and data application, along with fostering the next generation of science and agriculture leaders.

The second annual Western Growers Specialty Crop Automation Report reveals a 25% increase in average year-over-year agtech investment.

Carbon Robotics plans to use new funding to expand sales regions for its weed control platform, as well as scale manufacturing, develop new software and hardware products, and launch into international markets.

Satellite imagery alongside ground measurements will be analyzed using the Agmatix platform to inform sustainable on-farm decisions.

Norway-based crop nutrition company Yara and the Syngenta Group have entered into a partnership with agtech startup Varda, which was founded by Yara.

The Hayward, Calif.-based company's commercial robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) services a variety of specialty crops on thousands of acres with orders pending for tens of thousands of additional acres.

Bayer has announced the company has closed its previously announced transaction with Ginkgo Bioworks to begin a multiyear strategic partnership to accelerate research and development of ag biological products.

The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer farmer sentiment index rose 14 points in August to a reading of 117.

BioConsortia displayed its innovation pipeline on Aug. 30 at its Davis, Calif., headquarters in an investor-focused Technology Showcase event.

Finding generally strong compliance with federal standards for pesticide tolerances in food, the FDA has published its annual Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Report for Fiscal Year 2020.