Reuters — U.S. farm equipment maker Deere and Co. on Friday sued Precision Planting and Agco Corp., accusing them of infringing on 12 of its patents. In filings to the U.S. district court in Delaware, Deere alleged that products made or sold by Precision Planting, including vSet seed meters along with SpeedTube products, infringed on […] Read more

Deere sues Precision Planting, claiming patent infringement

Steel tariff shrapnel hits U.S. farmers
Kane County, Ill. | Reuters — Lucas Strom, who runs a century-old family farm in rural Illinois, canceled an order to buy a new US$71,000 grain bin last month — after the seller raised the price five per cent in a day. The reason: steel prices jumped right after U.S. President Donald Trump announced tariffs. […] Read more

Climate FieldView data system ready for Prairies
In beta testing in the region for much of this year, the Climate FieldView crop data system from Monsanto’s Climate Corp. has gone live on the Prairies. The Climate Corp. announced Wednesday the Climate FieldView platform is available for purchase in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta on a per-acre basis, allowing farmers to start using it […] Read more

Agco to ramp up Regina parts distribution
Prairie farmers using Agco equipment brands such as Massey Ferguson and Challenger can expect more types of parts to be in stock more often at the company’s Regina warehouse. The U.S. farm equipment firm’s Agco Parts arm on Friday announced a major expansion of its parts distribution centre in Regina, to be completed by early […] Read more
AGCO to acquire Precision Planting from The Climate Corporation
Equipment manufacturer AGCO has made a deal with The Climate Corporation to acquire the Precision Planting LLC equipment business. “Precision Planting is a strong business that plays an essential role in the growth and adoption of innovative precision ag practices that help farmers enhance their productivity,” said Mike Stern, chief executive officer for The Climate […] Read more

Robot milker firm Lely to shed forage equipment business
Dutch dairy equipment manufacturer Lely, best known in the Canadian market for its robotic milking systems, plans to focus on that business and sell its forage equipment lines to Agco. The two companies announced Monday they have an agreement in principle for Lely to sell its forage division, including two German manufacturing plants, to U.S.-based […] Read more

Deere challenges U.S. federal block on Precision Planting bid
Reuters — Deere and Co. said its proposal to buy Precision Planting, an agricultural equipment and technology company, will increase consumer choice and directly benefit growers, in a response filed on Wednesday to the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit to block the acquisition. Deere announced its planned acquisition of Precision Planting in November 2015, for […] Read more

What’s new in tractors
A roundup of the recent tractor introductions and updates making news this fall
There’s been no shortage of news this season when it comes to new tractor model unveilings and improvements to existing machines. Virtually every brand had something new to show off this year on that front. Many of those new machines debuted at the U.S. Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, in August. To help you[...]
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Farm tech investment drops off after record year
Reuters — Investor backing for agriculture technology startups cooled in the first half of 2016 after record global investment last year, according to industry data released on Monday. Funding from venture capitalists and others totaled US$1.8 billion through the first six months of the year, down 20 per cent from a year earlier, while the number[...]
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Que. Caterpillar dealer to shed ag equipment arm
Caterpillar’s dealer for Quebec and the Maritime provinces is set to sell its Quebec farm equipment business to a chain of Agco dealerships. Hewitt Equipment — the authorized Cat dealer for Quebec and western Labrador and, through its Atlantic Tractors and Equipment arm, for the Maritimes — announced recently it will sell its ag division[...]
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