SBA Simplifies Forgiveness for Some PPP Loans
There are about 7.1 million PPP loans that remain outstanding and about 6 million are for $150,000 or less. That is the category the SBA seeks to support with this program.
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Mooove Over Almonds, Potato ‘Milk’ is Here
The latest plant-based alternative in the “milk” market brands itself as gentler on the environment.
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Fall Convention: Step Back, Reconnect, Cultivate Relationships, Sell
We get it. Many of you are not looking for new orders right now. The Marketing & Distribution Convention in Oklahoma City is your opportunity to take a step back from the daily rush to think, learn, and plan long-term.
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Members Discuss Industry Troubles
In late May, executives from member companies talked to Ag Innovator magazine about their biggest battles and how they’re faring in the fight.
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Washington Wants China to Stop Buying U.S. Farms
By the start of 2020, Chinese owners controlled about 192,000 agricultural acres in the U.S., worth $1.9 billion. That’s less than farmland owned by people from other nations, but it represents a trend of increasing purchases.
Read moreBoost in Unemployment Pay Leads to ‘No’s on Job Offers
Morning Consult surveyed 5,000 U.S. adults from June 22-25 and found that among those actively collecting unemployment benefits, 29 percent said they turned down job offers during the pandemic.
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Tractor, Combine Sales
Sales of big tractors saw big growth in June.
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July Rural Mainstreet Index Shows Strength
The July farm equipment-sales index extended the longest run in growth territory that the index has recorded since 2012.
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Biden Takes Aim at Tractor, Combine Repairs
Regardless of the outcome, the president’s actions have turned the hot light of public opinion on the right-to-repair issue.
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Art’s Way Reports Strong Quarter, Half-Year
In agriculture, second quarter sales increased by 25.6 percent. Year-to-date ag sales increased by 22.1 percent.
Read moreAGCO, DEUTZ Become Strategic Partners
The partnership includes a supply agreement for engines, cooperation on future technologies, and closer cooperation on engines or engine installation components.
Read moreDealer News: Acquisitions, Expansion
See news about changes in the dealer landscape in Florida, Texas, and Iowa.
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Show Your FEMA Pride at Farm Progress
We look forward to seeing you. Heck, we look forward to the dust, the heat, even the potholes … It’s been too long.
Read moreFarmobile Exec Named SVP at AGI SureTrack
Jason Tatge co-founded and was CEO of Farmobile, a business recently acquired by AGI.
Read moreS3 to Manufacture, Sell Haukaas Bin Door Inserts
The product, renamed “The Portal” will be on display at a series of upcoming “Thanks for Farming” tours in Canada.
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Millions of Job Seekers, Millions of Jobs, Few Connections
Workers and jobs are mismatched because people have moved or opted for a new direction, and the openings often don’t line up with job seekers’ skills or ZIP codes.
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Canada Loosens Border Restrictions with U.S.
More than a year after Canadian authorities closed the 5,500-mile U.S. border to most travelers, it plans to allow vaccinated Americans to enter for recreational reasons beginning Aug. 9.
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Convention in OKC: Sales, Solve Problems, Learn
Since the Summit in April, we’ve turned a corner in the pandemic and the industry. Business is booming, and with the boom comes questions around supply chain, labor, product pricing, and more. Your answers await at fall convention.
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Spouses/Guests to Visit OKC Bombing Memorial
The memorial and museum honors the victims, survivors, first responders, and others who were affected by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.
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States Debate Marijuana in Context of Work Comp
Courts and lawmakers are facing questions about whether workers’ comp should cover medical marijuana and whether a positive test for marijuana changes an employers’ responsibility to pay for workplace injuries.
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Biden to Sign Right-to-Repair Executive Order
A right-to-repair advocate called the move “great news for everyone concerned with repair monopolies.” Dealer groups have pushed back against legislation on the same issue.
Read moreDid You Get Your Summer Issue?
See thoughts from industry peers on how they are navigating supply chain disruptions and the labor shortage in the latest issue of Ag Innovator magazine.
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Growth in Ag Equipment Sales Hits High Mark
The farm equipment sales index in June logged the greatest growth it has shown since 2012. This marked the seventh consecutive month of growth.
Read moreCNH Industrial to Acquire Raven Industries
The acquisition, which closes in the fourth quarter, builds upon a long partnership.
Read moreAgrisolutions Acquires Andersen
A president in Agrisolutions’ global landscape said the acquisition “will strengthen our market position in Europe, especially with leading OEMs.”
Read moreIn Memoriam: Donny Jones
Jones held several patents for designs in the drilling bit industry. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, raising bird dogs, barbecue cook-offs, the America’s Cup, and NASCAR.
Read moreTalk to a Pro About Succession, M&A
The Association has formed a partnership with KCoe Isom to offer members no-cost, confidential consultations on succession planning and mergers and acquisitions.
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Farmers’ Reluctance to Build Weakens Investment Index
About a third of farmers expect farm input prices to rise by 8 percent or more in the upcoming year, which would be more than four times the average rise over the last 10 years.
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Firms That Pay Cyber Ransoms Get Hit Again
Eighty percent of businesses that pay ransoms in cyber attacks experience a subsequent attack, often by the same perpetrator.
Read moreDealer News
See who’s building, buying, and retiring.
Read moreHappy Anniversary, and Thanks for Joining
We publish these company names each month as a reminder that the Association continues to build upon its strength as an organization with fresh ideas and long-standing wisdom.
Read moreMembers Can Sell, Buy Surplus Supplies
Unverferth has more than 1,000 bolts and nuts for sale to other member companies. They are selling the supplies through the Association as part of a member benefit.
Read morePöttinger Expands in Austria
On the same day that operations began, the company broke ground on a second phase of expansion at the site.
Read moreBrandt Plans to Add 1,000-Plus Jobs
The Brandt Group of Companies plans to hire more than 1,000 new employees this year with the biggest expansions in Hudson, Ill., and two locations in Saskatchewan.
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Louisiana Passes Law on Machinery Repurchases
Legislators in Louisiana recently passed changes to a law that relates to the repurchase of certain machinery by a wholesaler or manufacturer.
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112 Percent Increase in Open Jobs
Some 1.4 million people were laid off or furloughed from February to April 2020. But as of May, manufacturers were trying to fill 851,000 positions—a record high for the industry and a 112 percent increase since last February.
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Commodity, Consumer Prices May Prompt Fed Rate Hike
The world hasn’t seen such across-the-board commodity-price increases since the beginning of the global financial crisis, and before that, the 1970s. Corn, soybeans and wheat have jumped to their highest levels in eight years.
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Shipping Costs Create Pricing Problems in Every Sector
The surge is the cost of freight is threatening to boost the price of products across virtually all sectors. One analyst suggests that the longer these extreme shipping freight rates last, the more companies will take measures to shorten their supply chains.
Read moreSpread of Virus Further Jams Freight in China
Amid a surge in COVID cases, ports issued notices suspending vessels from entering ports without reservations. The ports are only accepting bookings for export-bound containers.
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Half of States Stop Unemployment Boost
The U.S. Chamber has argued that one in four recipients of unemployment compensation are making more than they earned while working.
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Tractor/Combine Sales
Sales of big machines saw big growth in May.
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Equipment Dealer Cheats Lenders, Manufacturers
In total, three banks, the SBA and manufacturer financing divisions lost $6.4 million because of the fraud.
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White House to Launch Supply Chain Task Force
The task force will address the bottlenecks in the agriculture, construction, transportation and semiconductor sectors.
Read moreWhite House Pitches 15 Percent Minimum Corporate Tax
It is a response to situations in which companies have avoided paying federal income taxes despite turning a profit.
Read moreIt’s Back: Obama-Era Clean Water Rule Revisited
In response, AFBF President Zippy Duvall said that “clean water and clarity are paramount, and that is why farmers shouldn’t need a team of lawyers and consultants to farm.”
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Association Webinar: Tax Credits for Manufacturers
Participants will learn about the Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit and Employee Retention Credit. The webinar is 9 to 10 a.m. Central on Tuesday, June 29. Go to FarmEquip.org/taxwebinar.
Read moreHow Do You Take Your News?
In the spirit of helping you manage the pile of papers on your desk and the number of emails in your inbox, the Association invites you to tell us how you prefer to receive this publication.
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Dealer News
A Florida dealership has expanded, and a former Deere exec joins All States Ag Parts.
Read moreHappy Anniversary, and Thanks for Joining
Every company strengthens our presence in the industry and enriches our opportunities to learn from one another, influence policy, and solve problems together. Your membership matters.
Read moreManufacturers Not Part of OSHA’s New COVID Order
Initial communication on the order suggested it would apply to all industries, but White House officials said the science didn’t call for that.
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