The Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers’ (AEM) October U.S. Ag Tractor and Combine Report shows overall sales remained positive year-to-date, although a few categories recorded October declines.

U.S. sales of self-propelled combines gained 9% in September compared to last year, and U.S. sales of 4-wheel-drive tractors grew 52% month-over-month.

The pact may give U.S. farmers additional access to Canadian markets, which could facilitate additional equipment sales. Initial reaction from industry officials was generally optimistic, though some pointed out that other trade hurdles still exist that the new agreement doesn’t address.

So far, so good for North American tractor and combine sales during the first 6 months of 2018. The Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) attributes improving tractor and combine sales to both replacement needs and the farmers’ expectation that the ag market will improve further down the road.

In this podcast, we talk with Rocky Mountain Equipment president Garret Ganden about the dealership's ambitious growth plan. We also take a look at precision farming dealers' outlook for the year and the results from the June Ag Economy Barometer. We also caught up with Curt Blades, senior vice president of of agriculture for the Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers about the first 6 months of 2018 and his outlook for the second half of the year, as well as 3 trends to watch that will have a significant impact on agriculture in the near future.