Sugar Producer

12 Sugar Producer JANUARY 2021 Off the Top Amalgamated, AGRANA Partner for Betaine Production The Amalgamated Sugar Company, along with fruit, starch and sugar group AGRANA, has begun producing crystalline betaine at a newly constructed facility in Tulln, Austria. The partnership, Beta Pura GmbH, spent 15 months building the facility. The new plant, with a production capacity of around 8,400 metric tons of crystalline betaine per year, makes the Beta Pura site the third manufacturing site in the world where premium-quality, natural crystalline betaine is produced. Betaine is found naturally in sugarbeet molasses. It is a methyl donor with osmoregulatory properties, and aids the liver in processing fats and biologically degrades the amino acid homocysteine, which can damage blood vessels when present in high concentrations. Betaine can be used in food supplements or sports drinks to promote muscle development for human consumption, as well as a component in livestock feeds. Betaine is also used in cosmetic products, surfactants and detergent substances. Amalgamated Sugar Unveils New Logo Amalgamated Sugar has announced the launch of a new logo and tagline. The company has only had two other logos in its 123-year history. After 60 years of using the White Satin "sugar bowl" logo, the decision to innovate the company's image was made. After careful research, consideration and consultation with the company's grower-owners and employees, a new logo was adopted. The green in the stylized "A" symbolizes rows of sugarbeets. The blue, which completes the "A", symbolizes the on- farm and in-factory technology that tie the agriculture and production sides of Amalgamated Sugar together. Along with the launch of the new logo, the company announced a new tagline: "Real Sugar. Real People. Real Community." While packaging will be updated, the White Satin logo will remain in use for retail sugar and other applications, due to its customer and grower recognition. Learn more at www.amalgamatedsugar. com. IA Scholarship Program Open Open to students at two- and four-year institutions of higher education, the Irrigation Association scholarship program provides students with financial support. Students who are pursuing irrigation-related degrees and careers are encouraged to apply. The scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $2,500, are awarded based on each candidate's letter of intent, financial need, résumé, list of irrigation courses and letters of reference. Scholarship applications are due by Feb. 15, 2021, with notification to applicants by April 1. For more information, visit www.irrigation.org/scholarships or call (703) 536-7080. AGCO to Establish New Dealership AGCO Corporation recently announced its intention to acquire certain assets of Boyd Company of Louisville, Ky. Upon completion of the agreement, AGCO will form AgRevolution, an agricultural equipment dealership providing industry-leading products and support services to the farming community throughout Kentucky and southern Indiana. The new company is expected to begin operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of AGCO on Jan. 1, 2021. AgRevolution intends to operate Boyd's current dealership locations in Columbia and Mayfield, Ky., and to temporarily share space with Boyd's construction equipment locations in Hopkinsville, Ky., and Evansville, Ind. AgRevolution leadership is currently identifying additional permanent locations and building a customer-focused staff from current Boyd ag employees and seeking talented new team members. AgRevolution will be led by Stacy Anthony, a successful veteran of the farm machinery industry. Fumasi Named Head of RaboResearch North America Rabobank has appointed veteran food and agribusiness research analyst and economist Roland Fumasi to lead its RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness (F&A) team in North America. Rabobank's RaboResearch F&A group is a global team of more than 90 analysts who monitor and evaluate global market events that affect food and agriculture worldwide. Fumasi will lead a North America-based team of more than 20 internationally respected experts in sectors ranging from animal protein to produce, farm inputs to consumer foods. The team collects key insights into commodity markets; conducts in-depth analysis of the factors that drive sector success or failure; and examines the megatrends that ultimately influence clients' business strategies. As head of RaboResearch F&A North America, Fumasi says his goal is for the team to continue providing unparalleled insight and value.

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