Providing Southern rice farmers with the best chance to make the most money from their crop, year in and year out, is a mission that seed provider Horizon Ag takes seriously.
It’s a commitment driven by a vision for a sustainable U.S. rice industry today and for the future and for successful, productive and profitable farmer customers.
“Everything we do, from providing proven, high-performance Clearfield® rice varieties to bringing to market seed for the latest technology like the Provisia™ Rice System, is done with the goal of helping the industry be more viable over the long haul,” said Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag General Manager. “To achieve that, Horizon Ag is about providing the products, service and support rice farmers need to take more money to the bank in this challenging economic environment.”
For farmers planning for the 2019 season, it’s about maximizing profitability. Attempting to make the highest yield across every acre typically results in less net income because the resulting yields do not make up for the higher seed costs, increased maintenance and repair, and fewer premiums at the mill.
For example, leading Horizon Ag Clearfield varieties like CL111, CL151, CL153 and CL172 all offer proven, outstanding yield potential in the region. However, they also come with the most cost-effective weed control, desirable agronomic characteristics, and the grain quality needed to keep foreign and domestic buyers interested in purchasing U.S. rice, at a seed cost half as much as hybrids.
PVL01, the first Provisia rice variety introduced as part of the Provisia Rice System, proved its value in 2018 by enabling farmers to bring fields back into profitable production that had been rendered unproductive due to herbicide-resistant weedy rice. In addition to cutting strong yields with PVL01 this past season, farmers consistently reported that their Provisia rice fields were the cleanest on their farms and cost less than any other system.
“Working with our industry partner BASF to bring this technology forward, we knew that PVL01 and the Provisia Rice System were going to be important to farmers who needed to take back fields where weedy rice was considerably lowering production potential,” said Dr. Walker. “PVL01 did that in addition to displaying stellar grass control in a year where other grass control options were very costly with poor results. As a result of its outstanding weed control and yields, farmers from Louisiana to Missouri are saying they will be planting more PVL01 next year to improve profitability in those problem fields, as well as to manage against the development of harmful weedy rice.”
Dr. Walker said farmers who tried a new weed control program in conventional rice were disappointed with the results because of lack of grass control and, in many cases, injured rice, are indicating they’ll return to the consistent, and proven results they’ve received over the years with the Clearfield Production System for Rice.
“More than ever, now is the time for rice farmers
to choose proven varieties and a production
system that they know how to manage, and have
confidence in their ability to maximize profits,”
he said. “Horizon Ag and BASF brought the Clearfield Production System for Rice to market earlier this century and dramatically changed the rice industry for the better. With the addition of Provisia rice, which proved its merit in fields this past season, farmers have even more tools today to make the right decisions to strengthen the financial outlook for their operations.”
Fixed 0% APR Financing Now Available
Horizon Ag is also excited to announce that it and BASF are working together to improve farmer profitability by offering an opportunity to secure fixed 0% APR1 financing for seed and crop protection products for rice, through John Deere Financial.
Eligible Southern rice seed varieties from Horizon Ag include all of its Clearfield varieties, followed by Clearpath® herbicide or Newpath® herbicide. In addition, the program includes Provisia rice variety PVL01 followed by Provisia™ herbicide. Customers can also finance other BASF crop protection products applied to their rice acres, such as Beyond® herbicide, Facet® L herbicide, Sharpen® herbicide or Prowl® H2O herbicide.
The program, part of a farmers Multi-Use Account with John Deere Financial, runs from October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019, with payment due in full in December 2019. The offer is valid in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Illinois.
For more information, farmers can call 1-800-356-9033 or see their Horizon Ag and BASF Authorized Retailers.
