Ag News for America
At the Cattle Industry Convention in Tampa, we stopped by the John Deere display and talked to product marketing manager Scott Hessel about the latest addition to their 6 series family of row-crop tractors—the new 6M model. Hessel says it’s perfect for those chores around the farm and ranch.
AUDIO: Scott Hessel (2:19 MP3)
The market for good used farm equipment has been red hot in recent years. And so has the growth in activity on the
online auction service BigIron.com. On a recent visit to Big Iron’s headquarters in St. Edward, Nebraska, we discussed the latest trends in used equipment sales with Big Iron’s Mark Stock.
Kubota Tractor Corporation is celebrating its 40th year as an American company.
At the Kubota display at Husker Harvest Days, we visited with sr. product manager Paul Williams about the company and the products it has to offer to American farmers.
AUDIO: Paul Williams (3:07 MP3)
One of the favorite stops for current farmers, former farmers and many others at the Iowa State Fair is the display of restored tractors that are entered in the FFA Ag Mechanics competition.
Hunter Wilz with his restored Oliver 66
The tractor restoration project has seen a big spike in participation in recent years. We discussed the reasons behind that growth with the supervisors of the FFA Ag Mechanics show at the Iowa State Fair, Evan Babcock and Dan May.
AUDIO: Babcock and May (5:30 MP3)
We also talked to one of the FFAers in this year’s restored tractor competition, Hunter Wilz of the Agri-Power FFA Chapter at Eddyville. Hunter won the grand champion award in this competition two years ago.
First-place winners in this year’s Iowa FFA restored tractor competition were:
To see a complete list of 2012 Iowa State Fair FFA results, click here.
Used equipment sales through BigIron.com continue to grow.
At Big Iron’s recent national sales convention in Lincoln, Nebraska, we visited with Mark Stock of Big Iron and Stock Realty and Auction about the success of their online auctions and some of the current trends in used equipment sales.
Stock told us that the drought has caused the market for used combines to soften from last year’s levels. He says that could mean some bargain prices on used combines for those in the market for a different machine.
The February sales report from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers shows a 7 percent increase in the sales of all tractors over last year’s numbers. So far this year, 18,600 tractors were sold compared to 17,780 through February of 2011.
For the month, 2WD smaller tractors (under 40HP) dropped 2 percent from last year while 40 to 100HP tractor sales increased 15 percent. Sales of 2WD 100+ HP were up 14% from 2011 and 4WD tractors increased 12 percent.
With just 311 units sold, combine sales were down 54 percent for the month.
The January sales report from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers shows a big drop-off in sales of four-wheel drive tractors and combines in the U.S. compared to January of 2010.
Sales of four-wheel drive tractors were down thirty percent, with combine sales off 50 percent from the same month last year.
Sales of smaller tractors—under 100 horsepower—increased five to eight percent for the month.
Case IH was one of new exhibitors in the NCBA Trade Show in Nashville this year. Public relations manager Scott Rasch says the company wants to better familiarize cattlemen with its full line of tractors and hay equipment, including the new generation of Farmall tractors.
Case IH has also launched its new Field of Deals sweepstakes promotion where one lucky grand prize winner will receive a 2012 Ram truck, plus free fuel for one year.
Rasch fills us in.
The market for used farm equipment remains very active.
Mark Stock with the online auction site BigIron.com says one reason is the backlog on orders of new equipment.
“I know a lot of people who wanted to buy brand new, they’re finding out that if you want a new tractor—if you’re going to order it—you’re probably not going to get it until after planting season is over,” Stock says.
“If you’re wanting a new planter, a lot of dealers that I’ve talked to said that they are not even able to get the planter they ordered last year—because the demand was so good—so they kind of had to segregate where the planters all went.”
Stock says used tractors, planters and sprayers are in high demand right now.
The popular online farm equipment auction site, BigIron.com, is adding a third auction each month.
Starting in January, Big Iron’s online auctions will be held the second, third and fourth Wednesdays of every month.
Mark Stock with Stock Realty and Auction gives us an update on BigIron.com and the farm equipment auction business.
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