Hoosier Ag Today (HAT), Indiana’s premier agricultural radio network and digital news source, today announced a groundbreaking strategic partnership with Circle City Broadcasting (CCB) to dramatically expand agricultural television coverage across the state. Under the new agreement, WRTV-ABC will officially become “Indiana’s Ag TV Station,” powered in part by the trusted, daily reporting of Hoosier Ag Today.
For two decades, Hoosier Ag Today has been the backbone of farm broadcasting in Indiana. This first-of-its-kind collaboration between a local agricultural media organization and a major broadcast television company will bring critical farm, agribusiness, and rural community stories into mainstream television markets.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to tell agriculture’s story on the radio for the past 20 years across this great state, becoming Indiana’s most trusted ag source,” said Eric Pfeiffer, president of Hoosier Ag Today. “We’re thrilled to partner with CCB to expand that reach into the television space, bridging the longstanding gap in understanding between the agricultural community and the broader public.”
While WRTV-ABC will carry the designation of “Indiana’s Ag TV Station,” agricultural content produced through this partnership will be amplified across all of Circle City Broadcasting’s major platforms. This includes the WISH-TV statewide network (covering Fort Wayne, South Bend, Chicago/NW Indiana, and Lousville/Southern Indiana markets), MyINDY-TV 23 (WNDY), and all associated digital and social media channels.
The partnership will launch with daily agricultural news segments integrated directly into local newscasts, with plans to expand programming in the near future.
“The importance of agriculture to our Indiana community deserves a consistent, in-depth presence in mainstream media,” said DuJuan McCoy, owner, president, and CEO of Circle City Broadcasting. “CCB is proud to lead this important and long-overdue initiative. Our partnership with Hoosier Ag Today—recognized as a trusted digital and radio source for farmers since 2006—marks a historic step forward for Indiana broadcasting.”
“Our radio network has built an incredibly loyal, daily audience of farmers who rely on us for critical market and weather data and ag news that impacts their operations,” Pfeiffer added. “This partnership doesn’t shift our focus; it amplifies it. By pairing the dominant reach of our radio footprint with the incredible visual storytelling power of television, we are creating an unprecedented media powerhouse that serves both the producer in the field and the consumer at home.”
The collaborative agricultural news initiative is scheduled to officially launch on-air during the third quarter of this year on WRTV-ABC.
Former Purdue DIAL Ventures and Serial Startup Veteran Tim Dixon to Focus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Joins AgriNovus Senior Leadership Team
AgriNovus Indiana, an initiative to grow the agbioscience economy, announced today Tim Dixon as its new senior director of innovation – a role charged with accelerating startup and entrepreneurial activity in the state.
Dixon joins the AgriNovus team after more than 30 years of experience in the startup space and will lead the organization’s efforts to accelerate commercial innovation and company creation, building coalitions across industry, academia, capital providers, governments, non-profits and donors to drive awareness around the need for agbioscience innovation and the momentum growing around the state.
“Tim brings to the AgriNovus team a unique mix of startup experience, strategic vision and a deep understanding of transforming big ideas into real-world impact,” said Christy Wright, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “As Indiana accelerates its position as a global leader in agbioscience, Tim’s experience will enable entrepreneurial activity, new company creation and strengthen ties across industry, academia and capital providers that are critical to our sector’s growth.”
Prior to AgriNovus, Dixon served as managing director of Purdue DIAL Ventures, where he fostered an ecosystem of corporate partners, successful entrepreneurs, startup investors and leaders in academic research to create companies that bring novel solutions to market to improve the global food supply.
DIAL’s venture studio employed an entrepreneur-first approach, resulting in the launch of 10 new companies in its first three years. Dixon also led Doyen Analytics, a human capital diligence firm, and InterOptic, a high-tech company backed by Pritzker Ventures that delivers high-speed optical networking solutions.
Earlier in his career, Dixon held various roles at startups and Fortune 500 companies in Silicon Valley, Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Europe, launching multiple multibillion-dollar data center products and raising more than $300 million in startup funding and private equity investment.
He serves as a business mentor for the Mandela Washington Fellowship and is a prefect and board member of the Indiana chapter of the Tripoli Rocketry Association. Dixon holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and a master’s degree in quantitative psychology from Ball State University.
Dixon will lead AgriNovus’ cornerstone innovation program, Velocity, an accelerator guided by research that focuses in three critical agbioscience areas: bioinnovation, farmer-focused innovation and food is health. Velocity culminates with a demo day event and three $25,000 cash prizes for each track winner.
The next Velocity accelerator will kick off in mid-July. Companies, individuals and entrepreneurs who want to apply to participate can access more information here.
Convergence research: the idea of taking major agricultural themes and breaking them down into simple, digestible insights for various audiences. Necessary? Absolutely. And it’s the work that Dr. Trey Malone, Boehlje Chair in Managerial Economics for Agribusiness at Purdue University, has been doing with his team for awhile now. He brings his expertise in the studio today to dive into the intersection of entrepreneurship, policy and a massive agbioscience supply chain. Many highlights follow, including:
What the role of Boehlje Chair in Managerial Economics for Agribusiness has meant to Trey in his career and how it has scoped the work he is leading at Purdue today
The realization behind convergence research and how they’ve seen it pay off in practice
Pressure points Trey sees creating the most concern for the industry at large and what the economics say about how industry is responding to them
The idea of “real options thinking” as less about predicting the future and more about preparing for it by placing small bets to widen your options rather than focusing on one path for success
How real options thinking applies across the value chain
How Trey has seen agbioscience businesses respond to the demands of the consumer and their shifting behavior over the last five years
What moves the needle for consumers versus what’s mainly just perceived to be marketing
The Health Halo effect, hard seltzer drinks and what they’ve taught industry about labeling, marketing and how they interact with the consumer
The gap Trey sees that academic research needs to address for industry in agricultural economics
Research that Trey wishes everyone had their hands on and used with regularity to drive insight and decision making
What’s ahead for his time this year
Creates a scaled global provider of specialty ingredient solutions for a healthier, tastier and more sustainable future of food
Broadens Ingredion’s specialty ingredients platform across texturants, sugar reduction, and fortification, adding complementary capabilities in multi-ingredient systems and recipe development
Expands Ingredion’s ability to address customer needs across a wider range of end use categories and applications
Brings together complementary geographic supply networks across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific to deliver faster, more reliable and cost-effective ingredients and solutions for customers and consumers worldwide
ESTCHESTER, IL., JUNE 8, 2026 – Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE: INGR) (“Ingredion”), a leading global provider of ingredient solutions to the food and beverage and industrial segments, today announced a recommended all-cash offer for the acquisition of Tate & Lyle PLC (“Tate & Lyle”), a global leader in mouthfeel, sweetening and fortification (the “Acquisition”). The transaction implies a total enterprise value of approximately £3.7B ($5.0B), based on the pound sterling to U.S. dollar exchange rate on June 5, 2026.
The Acquisition represents a compelling opportunity to bring together two complementary businesses with a shared commitment to innovation, customer partnership and scientific excellence. Together, the combined group will be better positioned to help customers address evolving consumer needs by delivering products that are nutritious and affordable, with the taste, texture and quality that consumers expect. By combining complementary ingredient portfolios, technical expertise and geographic supply networks, the Acquisition will accelerate Ingredion’s ongoing transformation and enhance its ability to support customers as they address the trends reshaping the global food and beverage industry.
“Combining Ingredion and Tate & Lyle’s complementary portfolios establishes a global leader in ingredient solutions with the innovation expertise and geographic reach that will help create the future of food,” said Jim Zallie, chairman, president and CEO of Ingredion. “The combined business will be better positioned to serve customers’ needs for the development of great-tasting, healthier and affordable food products that consumers demand. This compelling combination will create exciting new possibilities for employees and generate significant value for all stakeholders.”
Commenting on today’s announcement, David Hearn, Chair of Tate & Lyle said: “Over the last few years, Tate & Lyle has been successfully repositioned as a leading global specialty food and beverage solutions business aligned to growing consumer demand for healthier, more nutritious and sustainable food and drink. I would like to recognise the exceptional contribution of the team at Tate & Lyle for their talent, insight and commitment which has been a key driver of this transformation and the business we have built. Looking forward, we believe the next chapter with Ingredion will create a business with even greater potential, greater scale, and increased investment in innovation in support of customers. The Board of Tate & Lyle believes Ingredion’s offer represents an attractive opportunity for shareholders to crystalise value in cash, and that it will be an excellent steward of Tate & Lyle. The Board therefore unanimously recommends Ingredion’s offer to Tate & Lyle’s shareholders.”
Compelling Strategic Rationale
The Acquisition offers strategic, operational and financial benefits, including:
Bolstering Ingredion’s portfolio and creating significant strategic growth opportunities
Broadens Ingredion’s specialty ingredients platform across texturants, sugar reduction, and fortification.
Adds complementary capabilities in multi-ingredient systems and recipe development.
Expands Ingredion’s ability to address customer needs across a wider range of end use categories and applications.
Creating a complementary and differentiated portfolio in texture and sugar reduction
Combines Ingredion’s texture and sugar reduction capabilities with Tate & Lyle’s expertise in mouthfeel, sweetening, and fortification.
Positions the combined group to better help customers address growing consumer demand for food and beverage products that are safe, high quality, affordable, great tasting, and healthier.
Diversifying Ingredion’s global platform with critical scale in North America, Europe and Emerging Markets
Brings together complementary geographic supply networks across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.
Delivers faster, more reliable and cost-effective solutions for customers and consumers worldwide.
Enhances local market insights to better anticipate regional customer needs and consumer preferences.
Delivering solutions for diverse consumer needs across the value chain
Combines applications expertise, customer-led formulation capabilities and expanded customer-centric data insights to deliver more integrated, higher-value ingredient solutions at an affordable price for end consumers.
Enables closer partnership with customers – from concept development through to commercialization – by building cost-effective bespoke ingredient solutions to meet customer needs, and by deepening Ingredion’s innovation and formulation capabilities while accelerating and optimizing speed-to-market.
Enhancing IP and technological capabilities to drive innovation
Unifies two respected brands, each with over a century of history and known for innovation, quality, service, and trust in the ingredients space.
Combines complementary IP, technology, talent and applications capabilities to support faster innovation and next-generation ingredient systems development.
Enhances the ability to develop systems-based solutions across mouthfeel, sweetening, and fortification, including solutions that support healthier product offerings.
Delivering significant financial benefits and value creation under a prudent financial structure
The integration is expected to deliver significant run-rate net cost synergies of approximately $130 million, which are expected to be fully realized by the end of 2030. The one-time costs to achieve these annual cost savings are expected to amount to approximately $175 million in aggregate by the end of 2030.
The Acquisition is expected to be adjusted EPS accretive to Ingredion shareholders in the first year following transaction completion, and is expected to enhance the long-term growth profile and earnings potential of the combined group.
Transaction Details
Under the terms of the transaction, Tate & Lyle shareholders will be entitled to receive 595 pence per share, representing an approximate 59% premium to Tate & Lyle’s closing share price as of May 13, 2026. In addition, Tate & Lyle shareholders will be entitled to receive a final dividend in relation to the financial year ended March 31, 2026 of no greater than 13.2 pence per ordinary Tate & Lyle share and an interim dividend in relation to the six-month period ending September 30, 2026 of no greater than 6.8 pence per ordinary Tate & Lyle share.
Ingredion intends to finance the Acquisition through a combination of existing cash resources, new debt financing and, to the extent required, a drawdown on a fully committed bridge financing facility. Ingredion expects pro forma net leverage at completion of the Acquisition to be approximately 3.0x net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA (as calculated under Ingredion’s credit agreements). Ingredion remains committed to maintaining a strong investment-grade credit profile and expects to reduce leverage to approximately 2.5x net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA within approximately 18 months following completion of the transaction.
It is intended that the Acquisition will be implemented by means of a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the United Kingdom Companies Act 2006 (the “Scheme”), although Ingredion reserves the right to effect the Acquisition by way of a takeover offer, subject to the consent of the UK Panel on Takeovers and Mergers and the terms of the co-operation agreement between Ingredion and Tate & Lyle.
Timing and Approvals
Completion of the Acquisition is subject to the satisfaction of various conditions, including, among others, approval by Tate & Lyle shareholders, sanction of the Scheme by the High Court of Justice in England and Wales (the “Court”), and the satisfaction or waiver of the antitrust conditions. The transaction has been unanimously approved by Ingredion’s Board of Directors. Tate & Lyle’s Board of Directors intends to recommend unanimously that the Tate & Lyle shareholders vote in favor of the Scheme at the shareholder meetings to be convened by order of the Court for the purpose of, or on any shareholders’ resolutions prepared with respect to, approving the Scheme and related matters.
Ingredion has received an irrevocable undertaking from Huber Equity Corporation to vote in favor of the Scheme at the meeting of Tate & Lyle shareholders and the resolutions to be proposed at the general meeting of Tate & Lyle shareholders (and if Ingredion, with the consent of the Panel and subject to the terms of the co-operation agreement, subsequently structures the Acquisition as a takeover offer, to accept any takeover offer by Ingredion) in respect of a total of 75,000,000 Tate & Lyle Shares representing, in aggregate, approximately 16.8% of Tate & Lyle’s existing issued ordinary share capital as of June 5, 2026.
Completion of the Acquisition is expected to take place in the second half of 2027.
From volatile markets to high input costs, farmers are facing a number of challenges that could be offset by additional markets and revenue streams. Today, we’re joined by Fiber X CEO Dave Skibinski who’s working to give producers exactly that: a new opportunity rooted in the growing demand for natural fiber. Fresh off of a big win at TechPoint’s Mira Awards, Dave shares how FiberX is helping farmers diversify their operations and how agricultural byproducts are enabling the future of the bioeconomy. Highlights include:
The work FiberX leads and who they serve through their work in a growing bioeconomy
How their team chose the approach to leverage ag byproducts like corn stover to make bioindustrial resins and biocomposite plastics rather than other approaches
FiberX’s differentiation from traditional petroleum-based plastics – both in terms of performance and sustainability
Why they chose corn stover as the right feedstock for FiberX
New applications or industries showing the strongest demand for biocomposite materials in this rapidly growing bioeconomy; and how these companies have evolved over time
Performance metrics that industrial customers care most about and how FiberX is delivering on those benchmarks
Barriers their team has faced getting manufacturers to adopt bio-based materials and how they tackle objection
The FiberX // farmer relationship and how they execute that side; how their business model benefits them in terms of a new market unlock, additional revenue stream and more
How the farmer relationship, alongside the manufacturer, creates a circular economy – and what that means
The role of partnerships within the Indiana agbioscience ecosystem to grow and scale their technology
Winning the Agbioscience Innovator Award at TechPoint’s Mira Awards and how that honor validated the company’s work and its trajectory
Breakthroughs and milestones Dave believes will define the future of bioindustrial materials over the next decade
From agtech adoption to agronomy, inputs, animal health services and beyond, agricultural cooperatives exist under one common objective: to enable farmer success. For 100 years, Keystone Cooperative has delivered that effort to communities across Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois, employing more than 1,700 workers and differentiating themselves through service and relationships.
Vice President of Member Engagement and Public Affairs Drew Garretson joins this week to talk about the Keystone Cooperative journey, including their expanded footprint post-merger and the approach they take to ensure they are delivering best-in-class innovation and services to their farmer members.
Highlights include:
The work Drew leads at Keystone Cooperative – including his many titles over the years with the organization – and how they serve American farmers
Conversations with members as they head into the spring planting season
How Keystone helps farmers navigate decisions and navigating risk while operating under tight margins
Emerging technologies that Drew believes are having the greatest impact on U.S. farming operations over the next five years
Criteria Keystone follows to determine whether a potential technology or service is a good fit for their members
How Drew and the team have approached partnerships and collaborations over the years – and what makes quality partnerships work for Keystone
The generational transition for agriculture and how Keystone approaches the decision-making mindset on farms where thoughts on innovation and sustainability may differ
How the current economic and regulatory environment shapes the cooperative landscape and the challenges and opportunities those headwinds present
Areas of agriculture Drew believes we’ve just begun to scratch the surface on, our biggest opportunities that lie ahead for farmers to get more efficient and gain net farm income over the next five years
What’s ahead for the Keystone Cooperative team that has Drew most excited
WASHINGTON—MAY 19, 2026—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced a $7.5 million investment to expand Americans’ access to high-quality protein, strengthen nutrition security, and reduce food waste nationwide. Through a new agreement with HATCH for Hunger, HHS will support a national initiative to redirect surplus protein to families in need, improve health outcomes, and help reduce the burden of chronic disease. This effort aligns with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), which emphasize the importance of protein-rich foods like meats, eggs, and dairy as part of a healthy diet.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) also announced its intent to fund a competitive grant program to strengthen cold chain infrastructure for emergency food assistance operations, including faith-based partners who serve communities in need. USDA will provide up to $7.5 million to help eligible nonprofit organizations safely distribute nutrient-dense proteins such as meat, eggs, seafood, and dairy to Americans in need. Additional information will be forthcoming from the Department.
“Access to real, nutritious food is one of the foundations of good health,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “This investment will expand access to high-quality protein, reduce food waste, and help food banks deliver the nutrition families need to prevent chronic disease and live healthier lives. Under President Trump’s Make America Healthy Again agenda, we are putting nutrition back at the center of public health.”
“The 2025 DGAs encourage Americans to Eat Real Food—including nourishing foods harvested and raised by America’s farmers and ranchers,” said USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. “With this investment, USDA is strengthening the infrastructure that ensures our fresh, high-quality food reaches Americans in need. By expanding cold storage and distribution capacity, we are supporting our producers, reducing food waste, and delivering nutritious food consistent with the Make America Healthy Again agenda.”
“Charitable food networks face an estimated 800-million-pound protein gap every year, driven largely by infrastructure and logistics challenges,” said Jeff Simmons, CEO of Elanco Animal Health and Board Chairman of HATCH for Hunger. “I’m incredibly grateful to HHS and USDA for their efforts to improve accessibility, as well as America’s farmers and the U.S. protein industry for rallying behind this cause.”
Through this joint effort, HHS and USDA are aligning agriculture, nutrition, and public health policy to expand access to fresh, high-quality protein for American families, help prevent chronic disease, and Make America Healthy Again.
Phased launch of new anti-IL-31 monoclonal antibody is now underway, with product being used by select Early Experience Program veterinarians in clinics today
Befrena is effective for the treatment of dogs against allergic dermatitis and canine atopic dermatitis with no age or weight restrictions, and lasts 6 to 8 weeks, compared to the 4 to 8 weeks of the current market incumbent, lokivetmab
Starts controlling itch within 24 hours and is given as an in-clinic injection
Select Early Experience Program veterinarians are already using Befrena in clinical practice and seeing positive outcomes
Meet Beaux, Penelope and Zephyr, the first early experience patients to receive Befrena and follow their journeys to itch relief
Befrena is Elanco’s second monoclonal antibody to launch in the U.S. pet health market, joining Trutect™, the first and only approved therapeutic solution to treat canine parvovirus and has been shown to be effective for passive immunity
INDIANAPOLIS, May 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) today announced the phased launch of Befrena™ (tirnovetmab), a new anti-IL-31 monoclonal antibody (mAb) injection for treatment of canine allergic and atopic dermatitis. The launch comes at a key time, with a longer and more intense allergy season anticipated across the country this year.i With nearly 2 in 3 itchy dogs experiencing worse itch during allergy seasonii, Befrena expands Elanco’s dermatology portfolio by offering a new treatment option that starts controlling allergic itch within 24 hours. By neutralizing IL-31, a key cytokine involved in sending itch signals to the brain, Befrena offers a differentiated 6 to 8 weeks dosing interval, providing veterinarians and pet owners with a new level of convenience and efficacy.
Beaux, a 6-year-old Yorkie from Austin, TX before receiving his first Befrena injection on March 31st, 2026
Beaux, a 6-year-old Yorkie from Austin, TX on April 21st, 2026, just 3 weeks after receiving his first Befrena injection
Benefits of Befrena:
Offers at least 6 to 8 weeks of itch relief, in contrast to the 4 to 8 weeks of the current market incumbent, lokivetmab
Starts controlling itch within 24 hours
Given as an in-clinic injection administered by, or under the supervision of, a licensed veterinarian
Elanco received approval of Befrena from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in December 2025, making it the company’s second dermatology product, alongside Zenrelia™ (ilunocitinib tablets), to be approved and launched in the past two years.
Elanco is also now the only pet health company with two USDA approved mAb products – Befrena and Trutect. Trutect is the first and only approved therapeutic solution to treat canine parvovirus.
“The commercial launch of Befrena into the $1.3 billion U.S. canine dermatology marketiii is another exciting milestone in our innovation journey,” said Bobby Modi, Executive Vice President, U.S. Pet Health and Global Digital Transformation. “We are seeing positive results from our Early Experience Program veterinarians who have started using Befrena in their clinics and will continue to increase supply of this new monoclonal antibody, as we scale our bioreactors with the anticipated manufacturing ramp-up.”
Make Best Friends Better – Meet the First Dogs Treated with Befrena
Nearly 9 in 10 dogs in the U.S. are “itchy dogs” according to their pet owners, having experienced symptoms of itch at any point throughout the yearii. Data in Elanco’s America’s Itchy Dogs Report also found that veterinarians say that itchy dog owners wait too long before bringing in their dog, resulting in raw and infected skin and an irritated dog owner who wants their dog to experience relief quickly.ii
As a part of the Befrena Early Experience Program, select veterinarians and veterinary dermatologists have already started using Befrena in their clinics and seen initial improvements in itchy dogs.
Beaux from Austin, TX was the first dog treated with Befrena after experiencing significant hair loss due to his constant itch.
According to Dr. Matt Lane at Liberty Animal Hospital at Beaux’s 3-week checkup appointment, “Beaux is doing amazing, and his owner is excited to see his hair growing back. He stopped itching within 24 hours of receiving the injection and his owner and I are extremely pleased with the results.”
Penelope and Zephyr were also treated with Befrena at Gigi’s Animal Shelter in Columbus, OH. Both dogs experience seasonal allergies that impact their behavior and quality of life and after discussing with their veterinarian both owners chose Befrena to control their dogs’ itch.
“We want to get these dogs relief and make sure they have the most comfortable experience as possible, and I think Befrena shows some real promise for that,” said Dr. Meghan Herron, Senior Director of Behavior, Research, and Education at Gigi’s.
Zephyr’s owner is also a licensed veterinary technician at Gigi’s and helped administer Zephyr’s injection. You can follow along their journey below.
“I have been involved with two clinical trials and the Early Experience Program which has shown Befrena to be a highly safe and effective product,” said Dr. Tom Lewis, veterinary dermatologist and founder of Dermatology for Animals, a group of veterinary dermatology clinics committed to caring for pets with allergies. “This will become a very important treatment option for many allergic dogs and I am excited to use Befrena in my clinic.”*
“I’ve used Befrena in a few patients so far and while it’s still relatively early, I’m very optimistic and excited about what’s going to happen with these cases,” said Dr. Jason Pieper, veterinary dermatologist and tenured associate professor of dermatology at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “I’ve had several patients respond very well including one unique case that has failed multiple other treatments for atopic dermatitis. And so far, two weeks after receiving Befrena, this dog’s doing quite well, it’s wonderful.”*
Learn more about Befrena and sign up for future news and webinars at www.befrenaforvets.com.
*Drs. Pieper and Lewis are consultants for Elanco.
