World Ag Expo Draws Masses and Tractor Sales Data In
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**The World Ag Expo, the largest outdoor farm trade show on the planet, lured throngs of attendees eager to see the latest in ag technology.
Amid field demonstrations and more than 1,200 exhibits at the February 13-15 event in Tulare, California, expo presenters pitched ag innovation as a means to address farm labor challenges.
Equipment manufacturers showed off autonomous or efficiency-enhancing machinery as answers to farmers’ struggles with rising labor costs and decreasing worker availability.
**January unit sales of four-wheel-drive tractors grew slightly in the U.S.
Association of Equipment Manufacturers says four-wheel-drive tractor sales increased 1.4% year-over-year and was the only segment to show growth.
AEM Senior Vice President Curt Blades says while overall sales fell in both the U.S. and Canada, they remain optimistic about long-term growth.
Overall unit sales of U.S. tractors dropped 21.2%, while combine sales finished 4.9% below last January.
**U.S. agriculture groups expressed appreciation for the EPA’s Existing Stocks Order on over-the-top dicamba use in 2024.
Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall says we’re grateful to
EPA for hearing farmers’ and ranchers’ concerns and addressing them quickly. Without EPA stepping in, farmers and ranchers were facing significant uncertainty and financial risk.
Ted McKinney, of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, was also pleased with the decision.
