AMC Connection
Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada
Martin Charlton Communications
#300-1914 Hamilton St.
Regina, SK S4P 3N6
Mary-Lynn Charlton
marylynn@martincharlton.ca
paul@martinchrlton.ca
www.martincarlton.ca
Martin Charlton Communications is one of the largest communications companies in Western Canada. For over 25 years we have served Canada's agriculture sector providing media outreach, event management, writing, design services and communications strategies.
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) has initiated a project to develop a new standard on design specifications related to grain bin entry. The new standard will direct bin manufactures to include interior anchorage points to which safety equipment can be attached. Proper use of such equipment would reduce the risk of a user falling through crusted grain or being pulled into flowing grain if other safety instructions are not followed.
Other items to be addressed include specifications for access doors, work platforms, extrication devices, operational procedures, and safety signs.
Finalization of the standard is expected by the summer of 2013.
The project involves individuals with a range of relevant expertise, who will study the draft and offer comments. Carol Jones, PE, PhD, of Oklahoma State University, is a member of the drafting committee. Jones notes that the initiative to develop the standard has been driven primarily by the bin users and by the steel bin manufacturers, but contributors also include university extension and research personnel. In total, more than 40 individuals will provide expertise in the development of the grain-bin standard.
For more information on the project, X624 Grain Bin Entry, contact Scott Cedarquist at ASABE, 269-932-7031, cedarq@asabe.org
ASABE is recognized worldwide as a standards developing organization for food, agricultural, and biological systems, with more than 240 standards currently in publication. Conformance to ASABE standards is voluntary, except where required by state, provincial, or other governmental requirements, and the documents are developed by consensus in accordance with procedures approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
ASABE is an international scientific and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural, food, and biological systems. Its members, from more than 100 countries, are consultants, managers, researchers, and others who have the training and experience to understand the interrelationships between technology and living systems.
Further information on the Society can be obtained by contacting ASABE at (269) 429-0300 (phone) or (269) 429-3852 (fax); hq@asabe.org. Details can also be found at www.asabe.org.
Powering the alliance is EarthRisk's newly developed TempRisk 4.0 software platform. TempRisk views the atmosphere at both high and low altitudes around the globe for variables ranging from pressure patterns and jet stream position to air temperature and thunderstorm activity. Analysis of these variables against historical weather records dating back more than 60 years results in improved risk assessment for either extreme cold or heat for regions of interest. TempRisk 4.0 has incorporated a new comprehensive empirical forecast model that intelligently combines the most important signals for a specific region and forecast window, significantly improving accuracy over analog methods alone.
"There is no other solution out there like EarthRisk's that can instantly show detailed risk to temperature in a given region around the world six weeks in advance," stated Larry Heitkemper, Vice President of Weather Services with MDA. "Our customers rely on long-range weather forecasts to determine the greatest risks and rewards. This partnership promises the most technologically advanced insight for helping make those critical decisions."
John Plavan, CEO of EarthRisk, commented on the alliance, "Bringing our two companies together will help shape the flow of quality weather information of all types into the traded energy and agricultural markets. This strategic partnership allows our team to stay focused on the research and development necessary to create new solutions to big problems, knowing that the MDA team can bring these products to market in a way that compliments their existing product line and provides a comprehensive solution for their installed client base."
About EarthRisk Technologies:
EarthRisk Technologies is a San Diego-based software company founded in 2010. The company's product suite, TempRisk, is a web-based platform that crunches over 60 years of weather data to formulate the odds of cold snaps and heat waves 40 days in advance, a lead-time that is twice as long as any in the industry. Trading groups, power producers, agriculture and energy traders around the globe use TempRisk for a climatological edge in their investments.
For more information, visit http://www.earthrisktech.com
About MDA EarthSat Weather:
EarthSat Weather is the leading consulting group for weather risk and commodity weather support in the world. EarthSat Weather maintains a full short, medium, and long range forecast service, provides special reports on key market-moving concerns, and maintains high levels of communication and 24/7/365 consultation with its worldwide client base. EarthSat Weather products support client decision making processes throughout the majority of the weather risk, energy and agricultural markets. MDA EarthSat Weather is a business area within MDA Information Systems LLC, a provider of essential geospatial data and analysis for decision making. For more information, visit http://www.mdaus.com or email metops@mdaus.com.
For more information, please contact:
Chris Hyde
MDA EarthSat Weather
Director, Weather Marketing
MDA Information Systems LLC
240.833.8322
christopher.hyde@mdaus.com
Miles Starr
EarthRisk Technologies, Inc.
858.413.RISK (7475)
miles.starr@earthrisktech.com
The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association is very pleased that Canada is now one of eleven nations that have formally joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations.
"Joining the TPP represents a good opportunity to expand Canadian agricultural exports to the Pacific Rim," says Kevin Bender, President of the Wheat Growers. "It ensures Canada keeps pace with the United States, Australia and others in terms of gaining access to Asian markets."
The Wheat Growers see the TPP negotiations as an important vehicle for lowering tariffs and other trade barriers in Asia, resulting in higher farmgate prices for Canadian grain and livestock producers.
Canada and Mexico formally joined the TPP on Tuesday. The eleven countries that are now members of the TPP are: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam.
"The TPP does not yet include Japan or other large Asian markets, but getting in at this stage will position us well, if and when other countries do join," says Levi Wood, Saskatchewan director.
Asian countries represent large and important customers for wheat, canola, barley and processed grain and meat products. Demand for grain and meat is expected to grow significantly in these countries due to rising population and prosperity.
"Improving access to these countries will allow us to capture a significant share of these growing markets," says Bender. "It will also help ensure our agricultural industry is not overly dependent on U.S. or European markets."
For further comment, please contact:
Kevin Bender
President
(403) 350-4949
Levi Wood
Director
(306) 535-2997
The standard, ASAE S269.5, Densified Products for Bulk Handling – Definitions and Methods, was previously titled Cubes, Pellets, and Crumbles - Definitions and Methods for Determining Density, Durability, and Moisture Content. The revision includes the use of biomass pellets and cubes.
ASABE members with standards access and those with site-license privileges can access the full-text of the standard by electronic download in about a week. Location for the download is on the ASABE online Technical Library at: elibrary.asabe.org. Others can obtain a copy for a fee directly from the library or by contacting ASABE headquarters at martin@asabe.org.
ASABE is recognized worldwide as a standards developing organization for food, agricultural, and biological systems, with more than 240 standards currently in publication. ASABE administers the ten US Technical Advisory Groups for the International Standards Organization (ISO), including ISO/TC 238, Solid Biofuels. Conformance to ASABE standards is voluntary, except where required by state, provincial, or other governmental requirements, and the documents are developed by consensus in accordance with procedures approved by the American National Standards Institute. For information on this or any other ASABE standard, contact Scott Cedarquist at 269-932-7031, cedarq@asabe.org. A current listing of all ASABE standards projects can be found on the ASABE web site at www.asabe.org/projects.
ASABE is an international scientific and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural, food, and biological systems.
GAITHERSBURG, MD - (November 5, 2012) Rainfall increased across northern Brazil this past weekend, favoring a region where dryness has been stressing corn and soybean germination and growth. The week ahead is expected to bring additional rains to the same region. "Widespread rainfall amounts of 1 to 4 inches (25 to 100 mm) are expected across northern Brazil over the next five days," said Kyle Tapley, Senior Agricultural Meteorologist for MDA Information Systems LLC. Dryness has been most severe across Goias, Bahia, and Minas Gerais thus far in the current growing season, and these areas should see some of the heaviest rains this week. "The rains across northern Brazil, particularly in northeastern Brazil, will significantly improve conditions for the corn and soybean crops," said Mr. Tapley. Looking beyond the near-term, the wetter trend in northern Brazil is expected to continue. "We expect the rains to continue in northern Brazil through most of the first half of November, erasing a large majority of the moisture deficits across northern Brazil," added Tapley.
While wetter trends are favored in northern Brazil, southern Brazil shows a drier trend in the upcoming forecast. "Little rainfall is expected in southern Brazil over the next 10 days, which should favor the wheat harvest and ease any minor areas of wetness," said Mr. Tapley.
About MDA EarthSat Weather: MDA Weather Services, sole provider of EarthSat Weather products, is the leading consulting group for weather risk and commodity weather support in the world. MDA Weather Services maintains a full short, medium, and long range forecast service, provides special reports on key market-moving concerns, and maintains high levels of communication and 24/7/365 consultation with its worldwide client base. MDA's EarthSat Weather products support client decision making processes throughout the majority of the weather risk, energy and agricultural markets. MDA Weather Services is a business area within MDA Information Systems LLC, a provider of essential geospatial data and analysis for decision making. For more information, visit http://www.mdaus.com or email metops@mdaus.com.
For more information, please contact:
Chris Hyde
MDA Weather Services
Director, Weather Marketing
MDA Information Systems LLC
240-833-8322
christopher.hyde@mdaus.com
