Ag Top-Rated Industry in Gallup Poll
While always among the favorites in this annual survey, agriculture for the first time tops the list of well-like industries. Researchers suggest renewed appreciation because of COVID-19.
Read moreAuthor: Kristi Ruggles
Trump, Biden Square Off on Taxes, Ag Issues
The American Farm Bureau asked the candidates to discuss rural life and health, regulatory reform, trade, and more. In this issue, see the candidates’ platforms on taxes.
Read moreBranstad Resigns as Ambassador to China
Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will step down as U.S. ambassador to China in early October, ending a three-year tenure.
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Startup Aiming to be Amazon for Ag Meets Resistance
FBN is an online marketplace for agricultural supplies positioning itself as an alternative that allows farmers to compare costs, negotiate prices, and gain control of expenses. Ag giants are resisting.
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Employers Hesitate to Adopt Payroll Tax Deferral
Beginning this month, employers can stop withholding part of employees’ share of Social Security taxes. The IRS will recoup the funds from employee paychecks in the first four months of 2021.
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Pilot Program Could Ease Interstate Trucker Shortage
The FMCSA is seeking public comments on a proposal that would open more interstate truck-driving jobs to 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds.
Read moreBell Equipment Will Stop Exclusively Selling Deere
Bell will cease to distribute Bell-branded equipment built by Deere. It also will transition to a non-exclusive dealer arrangement with Deere.
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Trump Tweets Good News for Biofuels Industry
Ethanol industry gets a win from Trump administration, but frustrated farmers argue the gesture falls short.
Read moreNebraska Launches Ag Branding Campaign
Government leaders in Nebraska have launched a “straight from the good life” campaign to raise awareness among prospective trade partners about the state’s ag industry.
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ASABE Shares Updates on Standards
See the latest from ASABE on new standards and revisions.
Read moreCanadian Herds Expected to Contract in 2021
Canadian pork exports are expected to be steady, and the U.S. will remain as the dominant trade partner for Canadian beef and pork.
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Association Seeks Input on Expanding Member Services
What’s your comfort level with an ethical hacker? Someone who, in the name of helping you prevent a cyber attack, stages a cyber attack to test the strength of your security system? It’s among possibilities for members.
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What Are Your Best Practices in Workforce Development?
The Association is seeking new ways to support members in workforce development. As a first step, we want to hear what’s working where you are.
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Watchdog Group Seeks Names of PPP Recipients at $25K Level
The SBA contends that disclosing the names of loan recipients could violate their privacy because the loans are scaled to the size of a business’s payroll. But advocates for disclosure say it is important to gauge the program’s effectiveness.
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Farmers’ Willingness to Buy Trends Toward Positive
The barometer and its two sub-indices posted their most positive readings since February, when record highs were established and before the pandemic began. The Farm Capital Investment Index improved by five points.
Read moreTitan Responds to Flap with Goodyear and Use of ‘MAGA’
Titan sought to clarify its relationship with Goodyear after training documents from Goodyear used “MAGA” as an example of unacceptable language on attire.
Read moreQ3 Sales Decline at Deere
Deere plans to spend $435 million this fiscal year on one-time moves, such as employee buyouts, employee reductions, and shuttering a small tractor manufacturing operation in China.
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Rural Mainstreet Shows Modest Economic Gains
The August farm equipment-sales index fell to 32.8 from 34.4 in July.
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Low Commodity Prices Add Stress to Tight Farm Budgets
Despite a wind storm tearing through the Midwest and drought conditions in isolated areas, a bumper crop of both corn and soybeans is expected this year.
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U.S. China Officials Remain Committed to Phase One
The primary significance of the talks is that they occurred at all, said trade experts, given the deepening divides between the two nations.
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Canada Faces Shortage of Cross-Border Drivers
An executive for one fleet describes it this way: “The situation in the states is so bad that people with the qualifications that we require don’t want to go to there. They want to work in Canada only.”
Read moreAGCO Announces Chairman and CEO Succession
Martin Richenhagen has chosen to retire. Succeeding him in 2021 will be Eric Hansotia, a long-time Deere exec who has been with AGCO since 2013.
Read moreTitan International Reports Ag Sales Down in Q2
In agriculture, net sales for the quarter were down 11.5 percent. For the first six months of 2020, net sales were down by just over 11 percent.
Read moreSeedMaster Announces NEW CEO
Don Henry will lead SeedMaster as new CEO. President Norbert Beaujot describes Henry as “a perfect fit.”
Read morePEER Bearing Recognized as Top Performer
PEER Bearing Company was recognized as a top-performing supplier at AGCO’s North America Virtual Supplier Event.
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New Round of Assistance Expected for Farmers
USDA Chief Sonny Perdue expects to deliver another round of funding to farmers soon through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.
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Farmers Prioritize Buying Equipment After Debt, Inputs
If farmers receive a fresh round of assistance this year, they will prioritize paying down debt. Competing for the funds after debt are equipment purchases and inputs.
Read moreKubota Ag Sales Down
In the farm and industrial machinery segment, overseas sales, which include North America, declined by 10.5 percent.
Read moreWhile Fewer Employers Test for Pot, Positivity Rate Rises
The proportion of U.S. workers who tested positive for drugs in urine in 2019 rose to 4.5 percent, the highest level in 16 years. Marijuana use appears to be driving the increase.
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Unemployment Fraud Is On the Rise
The prevalence of reported fraud is staggering. Georgia found more than 130,000 false claims filed in July. Illinois identified more than 120,000 counts of unemployment insurance fraud in August. Consider these tips to avoid trouble.
Read moreTexas, Mississippi Ports Most Affected by Laura
More than 60 percent of soybean and corn exports leave from ports disrupted by Hurricane Laura.
Read moreBalancing Desire to Meet with Safety
If we were shocked in March, we are weary in August. Interest in Zoom meetings, virtual farm shows, and webinars is wearing thin. But perspectives on the risk vs. the benefit of connecting are individual, and differences are dramatic.
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Association Explores Convention Questions
The Board of Directors meets virtually next week to discuss the convention.
Read moreFarm Bureau Lobbies Congress on PPP Tax Issue
The IRS in April issued guidance stating that expenses are not deductible if their payment results in a PPP loan being forgiven. The guidance has been criticized by some key lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, who argue it goes against congressional intent.
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U.S. to Reimpose Aluminum Tariffs in Canada
The White House said certain types of aluminum were surging into the U.S. and depressing the industry. The administration argued that a depressed U.S. aluminum industry threatens national security and imposed a 10-percent tariff.
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Farmers Share Thoughts on Mood to Buy, Info Sources
In this most unusual year, when farmers cannot kick the tires at farm shows, they are defining their preferences for getting business information.
Read moreGreat Plains Expands in Kansas
The new plant will focus on production of a Kubota compact track loader that’s built in Japan today.
Read moreAGCO Honors Alliance Tire
AGCO recognized Alliance for performance in cost, collaboration, innovation, account management, coordination and flexibility.
Read moreBuhler to Increase U.S. Production
News in the U.S. was good. The company experienced a 37 percent increase in sales for the first nine months of this year. It plans to expand operations in Willmar and cease production in Fargo.
Read moreAlamo Group Sees Dip in Income in Q2
The company reported that agriculture has fared better than industrial so far this year, and North American operations have been less affected by the pandemic than European.
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Nominate New Products for Innovation Award
Panelists are seeking entries that exemplify innovation and represent significant engineering advancement and impact on their markets.
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Waiting for COVID Test Results?
Member companies have turned to testing services that sell home tests and promise results within 72 hours of receiving a sample.
Read moreDeere Reductions Continue
The decision came immediately after a second round of buyouts for salaried employees concluded. The company cites its smart industrial redesign as driving the changes.
Read moreAGCO’s Net Sales Flat in North America
Increased sales of hay equipment, precision planting equipment and high horsepower tractors were mostly offset by lower sprayer and grain and protein sales.
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Iowa Receives Disaster Declaration After Derecho
The state estimates that hundreds of millions of bushels of commercial grain storage and tens of millions of bushels of on-farm grain storage were lost in the storm.
Read moreRocky Mountain Sees Results with Focus on Used Machines
The dealerships reported a 9.9 percent increase in sales compared to the same quarter last year, largely due to higher sales of used equipment.
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Financial Outlook Troubling for Farmers
The Trump administration is expected to distribute a record $33 billion in payments to farmers this year. The funds would push government payments to 36 percent of farm income but still be too little to keep some farmers afloat.
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USDA Identifies Mystery Seeds, Suspects Selling Scam
While the handful of seeds identified do not pose a threat, the agency continues to advise recipients of the packets against planting them.
Read moreSales Fall at CNH But Beat Expectations
The company said the market was recovering more quickly than anticipated from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Grain Storage Looks Complicated This Year
USDA estimates suggest that storage capacity will be the second tightest since 1988 and only slightly below the record set in 2016, when supplies filled 101.7 percent of the nation’s grain bins.
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