Outlook For Ag Equipment Industry

Chuck Zimmerman

Massimo GoldoniAgrievolution 2010 is a very international event. We’ve got participants and presentations from countries like Russia, Brazil, Venuzuela and China. I met one of our delegates, Massimo Goldoni, President, UNACOMA, the Italian equipment manufacturers association, who attended the first Agrievolution in Rome in 2008.

Massimo says that back in 2008 they thought it would be helpful to pull together the worldwide associations and company executives to discuss the future for the industry. That first event took place during a boom period he says but the forecast they were looking at took a plunge in 2009. So they found that the idea of an event like this every 2 years might need to be revisited in light of quicker changes in the industry. Looking at the forecast now he says that he thinks we’re at the bottom and are starting to recover.

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

You can listen to or download my interview with Massimo below:

Audio, International

AGCO Supports Agrievolution at AG CONNECT Expo

Chuck Zimmerman

Martin Richenhagen AGCOAttending today’s Agrievolution program is Martin Richenhagen, President/CEO, AGCO. I had the opportunity to talk with him about this new ag show – AG CONNECT Expo. AGCO is supporting the show in a big way.

Martin says says that although the U.S. is one of the biggest countries in farming, the biggest farm shows are in Europe and they wanted to change that by having the industry association (AEM) put on the show so that the money made goes back into the industry. He says this gives companies a real vested interest in the show. In fact, he says “we feel pretty much like shareholders.” He really likes what the AEM staff has done with the show.

AGCO has invited about 1,500 dealers and customers to the show and they’ll have some new equipment on display. The idea has been very well received according to initial feedback.

AGCO is also sponsoring the first ever AGCO/AEM/AgChat tweetup following tomorrow’s opening session/reception at approximately 6pm in the news media center which is located in room W221 of the convention center.

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

You can listen to or download my interview with Martin below:

AEM, Audio

An Agrievolution Taking Place in Orlando

Chuck Zimmerman

AgrievolutionOne of the co-located events taking place with AG CONNECT EXPO is Agrievolution. Opening up the program this morning is Doug DeVries, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing Services – Agriculture and Turf Division, John Deere. I spoke with him just prior to the start of the program. Doug is pictured on the right with Rusty Fowler, Krone NA and Martin Richenhagen, AGCO.

Doug says that over the years ag equipment companies have seen an opportunity to work more closely together so two years ago there was a first meeting of a broad range of equipment manufacturing groups from around the world who met in Rome to seek ways to work together for the benefit of the industry. He says it’s no coincidence that this second meeting in taking place in conjunction with AG CONNECT Expo. The show is a global showcase for agricultural technology and it made sense to co-locate Agrievolution. Participants are here from all over the world representing a high percentage of the industry. They’ll talk about the state of the industry today and then tomorrow meet in groups to determine areas of opportunity to come together as a broader set of organizations. And that leads them right into AG CONNECT Expo.

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

You can listen to or download Doug’s full opening remarks about the U.S. ag industry here: agconnect-10-devries-2.mp3 Download (mp3)

You can also listen to or download my interview with Doug below:

Audio, Equipment, International, John Deere, Technology

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • NMPF announced a reorganization of its staff to achieve the best possible results in the year ahead.
  • Keith H. Heffernan will serve as senior vice president of operations and industry relations of the Washington, D.C., based U.S. Grains Council.
  • Farmers National Company is pleased to announce that Rod Ferguson, Accredited Farm Manager (AFM) of Argenta, Ill., has been named the company’s 2009 Farm Manager of the Year.
  • Gibbs & Soell, Inc., has promoted Kerry Henderson to managing director of its Raleigh, NC, office, effective Jan. 1, 2010.
    Zimfo Bytes

    AFBF President Meets the Press

    Cindy Zimmerman

    afbfIn his annual press conference, American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman answered questions from reporters about every thing from climate change and animal rights to crop insurance and estate taxes.

    With opposition to cap and trade legislation in Congress a major focus at the meeting, Stallman was asked what kind of climate change legislation he would support. “A lot of people say the only thing you can have is a carbon tax or a mandatory cap and trade program, we disagree,” said Stallman. “We think we can move forward with the renewable electricity standard, more incentives for solar and wind energy, continue with the Renewable Fuel Standard, create more supplies of natural gas, research and development of carbon capture and storage” and nuclear power.

    Listen or download Stallman’s press conference here:

    AFBF, Audio

    Farm Bureau Petition: “Don’t CAP Our Future”

    Cindy Zimmerman

    afbfHundreds of Farm Bureau members were signing their names to a banner telling Congress “Don’t CAP Our Future” at the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) annual meeting in Seattle Sunday on the trade show floor.

    American Farm Bureau has been collecting signatures on a petition opposing the Climate Change bill being considered by Congress that they believe will create an energy shortage, reduce food production and hit families the hardest.

    afbf AFBF president Bob Stallman says Farm Bureau has become a strong voice for agriculture. “I think the strength of the organization, the breadth of the organization and the influence we have, I think we have expanded that over the last ten years and we can continue to expand it.

    Even after 91 years, AFBF membership continues to increase with a new total of 6,277,664 and 49 years of continuous growth.

    American Farm Bureau Federation 91st Annual Meeting Photo Album

    AFBF

    #afbf10 Tweetup Number One

    Cindy Zimmerman

    AFBF Tweetup The first of two American Farm Bureau Federation “tweetups” was held at 3 pm in the #afbf10 annual meeting trade show. More that a dozen regular Twitter posters in the ag industry showed up at the Monsanto booth at 3 pm to meet each other in person and exchange tweeting tips.

    For those of you on the Twitter fringe, tweetups are gatherings where people who tweet about a certain topic or industry meet up. Most of those who showed up for the tweetup are also very involved with #agchat , an agricultural industry Twitter conversation. The hash tag thing is a way to connect posts made on the same topic or from the same event.

    Click on the photo for a bigger version and see some of the folks who are tweeting ag’s horn, including farm media, organization representatives like several in AFBF, company public relations like Monsanto, and real farmers and ranchers.

    The Flickr photo album is now on-line with downloadable photos from the American Farm Bureau 91st Annual Meeting.

    AFBF

    An Ag Show For The Ag Industry

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Russell Fowler CEO Krone NAThe first person I spoke with on the show floor at AG CONNECT Expo was Russell Fowler, President/CEO, Krone NA. Of course it’s still setup time so there was a lot of construction going on.

    However, Russ took a few moments to talk about the company’s decision to become involved in the first ever show and share some of the new things visitors will see in their exhibit. He says the idea for this show goes back many years stemming from a desire “to have a show that was put together by the ag industry, for the ag industry.” That’s what he says AG CONNECT is all about. He says AEM has done so much work to put the show together that it “makes me tired.” Russ says Krone is taking the opportunity to put their best foot forward and will be showcasing among other things their new folding 12 row corn head for the Krone Big X self propelled forage harvester.

    AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

    You can listen to my interview with Russ below:

    Agribusiness, Audio, Equipment

    On Location at AG CONNECT Expo

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Chuck at AG CONNECT ExpoWhile Cindy is covering the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in Seattle I’m in Orlando for AG CONNECT Expo. The show doesn’t officially start until Tuesday afternoon but there are a number of co-located events going on starting with tomorrow’s Agrievolution program. I’ll be there as well as other locations but got myself all comfortable here in the news media center at the Orange County Convention Center.

    Of course I have a photo album started which you can find here: AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

    You can also see photos in the official AG CONNECT Expo photo album as well and are encourage to join their Flickr group and add your own.

    Uncategorized

    AFBF President Gives Annual Address

    Cindy Zimmerman

    afbfAmerican Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman gave a rousing “rally the troops” address to thousands meeting in Seattle for the AFBF 91st Annual Meeting Sunday morning.

    “We gather in Seattle this week to measure progress along our own Passage to Success,” Stallman began, continuing on to talk about the many challenges currently impacting the industry – from critics to carbon credits.

    Stallman was especially critical of the climate change legislation, or “cap and trade,” being considered by Congress, and he called on members to tell lawmakers – “Don’t CAP Our Future!” – by stopping by the trade show booth and signing a petition.

    “At the very time that we need to increase our food production, Climate Change legislation threatens to slash our ability to do so,” Stallman said, noting that USDA estimates it could take as much as 59 million acres out of production. “That’s like setting aside every acre of land used for crop and food production in California, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee…that means eliminating about 130,000 farms and ranchers that grow food and crops.”

    Listen to or download Stallman’s 2010 AFBF annual meeting address here:

    AFBF, Audio