Oldest tractor for sale for $1m

Thousands of people flocked to Sheffield in Tasmania’s northwest to see whirring engines of the state’s industrial past brought back to life at the annual SteamFest. Source: ABC News This event showcases the machines that built the region’s early roads and harvested its farms carefully restored. On show this year was an 1897 Hornsby-Ackroyd oil tractor, the oldest […]

Caterpillar outlook cloudy

Caterpillar posted a quarterly forecast for the first time ever, and the outlook was not pretty. Source: Mining Monthly Management projected earnings per share of 65-70c for the first quarter, down from the consensus of 93c. Full year guidance was maintained, but Bloomberg analyst Karen Ubelhart said there were big doubts over whether the manufacturer […]

John Elliott to speak at Irrigation Australia

Irrigation Australia the international conference to be held in Melbourne from 24-26 May 2016 has announced John Elliot as a keynote speaker. Source: AFDJ eNews Mr Elliot will join other speaker such as Mr Phllip Glyde, Chief Executive of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and Luke Jewell from Irrigation Development New South Wales. Mr Elliott has […]

Rent a tractor in India

VST Tillers & Tractors Ltd has entered into an agreement with the Karnataka government in India for establishment of 92 Custom Hire Service Centres (CHSC) in nine districts. Source: FNB News The state has allocated money to give farmers access to farm machinery on a rental basis with a 75% subsidy to set up the CHSCs. According to BCS […]

Polaris purchases Taylor-Dunn

Polaris Industries has announced the acquisition of Taylor-Dunn, a leading provider of industrial vehicles, serving a broad range of commercial, manufacturing, warehouse and ground-support customers. Source: AFDJ eNews Taylor-Dunn, a privately owned company based in California will join GEM, Goupil, Mega, and Aixam, as well as Polaris Commercial Off road Vehicle (ORV) Sales, in Polaris’ […]

Canadian farmers opting for secondhand

Bumper crops have fattened western Canadian farmers’ wallets but troubling economic signals are making them more likely to buy used tractors than new — or fix what they’ve already got. Source: The Calgary Herald Two Calgary-based heavy equipment dealership chains reported a significant shift from new to used agricultural equipment sales last year versus 2014 as the strengthening American dollar led […]

Farm equipment sales to drop in Europe

Sales in Europe of soil working, sowing, fertilizing and plant protection equipment is expected to fall a further 11% in 2016. Source: Farmers Journal The overall market for arable farm machines in the EU fell by around 14% to €3.09bn in 2015, according to the European Committee of Associations of Manufacturers of Agricultural Machinery (CEMA). Europe’s leading […]

US to build tractor factory in Cuba

A large group of US business leaders traveled to Cuba with President Obama. They’re hoping to rebuild commercial ties starting with tractors. Source: CCTV America One deal that has already been signed will allow the first US factory to be built in Cuba in more than half a century. Thousands of Cuban farmers headed to Havana last […]

Address the skills gap to gain traction

New technology, changing business structures and new marketing channels are opening up a skills gap that could hurt Australia’s agricultural competitiveness according to a recent report published by Agricultural Appointments. Source: AFDJ eNews Agricultural Appointments, Managing Director, Dr Ray Johnson, said the 2016 Agrifood Talent Report highlighted a trend toward niche production of differentiated products […]

Funding for infrastructure upgrades for NSW irrigators

Irrigators in northern New South Wales can now apply for a share of $111 million in funding to upgrade on-farm water infrastructure, with Round 7 of the Sustaining the Basin Irrigated Farm Modernisation programme opening today. Source: AFDJ eNews Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce, and NSW Minister for […]