While opinions vary on the impact the drought will have on farm equipment sales for the rest of this year and next, most analysts agree the lower yields will result in higher commodity prices. This combined with the wider use of crop insurance is likely to blunt a major falloff in ag machinery sales in 2013.
In its November 9 World Agricultural Supply & Demand Estimates report, USDA once again revised 2010-11 corn yields down, but raised its pricing by 4% year- over-year.
Media coverage, burgeoning ethanol demand and the drive by production agriculture to meet a self-imposed goal of 300-bushel-per-acre corn yields by 2030 — to meet the world’s projected population growth and growing demands for higher protein diets — is driving increased awareness of twin-row cropping methods.
Two years ago, the U.S. Congress mandated a huge increase in ethanol use that took corn production to new highs and provided enormous incentives to invest in ethanol production.
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There was plenty of technology on display at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., a few weeks ago. Farm Equipment editor Mike Lessiter caught up with Monarch Tractor’s John Issacson and got his take on the top 5 applications in autonomy right now.