The case is part of broader scrutiny in the U.S. over so-called right-to-repair practices, with regulators and plaintiffs arguing that some manufacturers limit competition by controlling access to repair tools and software.

What does the settlement cover?

The settlement fund covers eligible plaintiffs who paid Deere’s authorized dealers for repairs to large agricultural equipment from January 2018, according to a document filed on Monday in the federal court in Chicago, Illinois.

In the settlement, Deere also agreed to make available to farmers for 10 years “the digital tools required for the maintenance, diagnosis, and repair” of large agricultural equipment, including tractors, combines, and sugarcane harvesters, the filing showed.

The proposed accord requires a judge’s approval.

“This settlement addresses the issues raised in the 2022 complaint and brings this case to an end with no finding of wrongdoing,” Deere said in a separate statement.

Deere faces FTC suit

Deere also faces a separate lawsuit brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. A U.S. judge ruled in 2025 that Deere must face that lawsuit, which accused the company of forcing farmers to use its authorized dealer network and driving up their costs for parts and repairs.

Deere is blocking farmers from acquiring the “tools and information necessary to repair their equipment in a timely and cost-effective manner,” the FTC had said in a court filing in April. Deere has denied the wrongdoing.

— Reporting by Carlos Méndez, Mrinmay Dey in Mexico City and Mike Scarcella in Washington

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The cumulative value of those outstanding shares determines the overall value or market capitalization of a company. Of course, those numbers change daily as share prices rise and fall with normal market fluctuations.

WHY IT MATTERS: While Fortune 500-level companies are typically somewhat better insulated against market shocks, reduced market cap can make it more difficult for publicly traded firms to obtain favourable credit or raise capital through share offerings.

Those fluctuations are the result of profits each company reports and the outlook on their future fortunes along with the condition of the overall economy.

Stock markets slide as war upends global trade

In recent days, however, there is another consideration to factor into those market trends: the war in Iran. That gambit, initiated by the Trump administration and Israel’s leadership, has roiled markets around the world.

The U.S. Dow Jones had been riding pretty high despite a global economy upended by U.S. tariff policy.

The Dow had reached a yearly high average on Feb. 10 of more than 50,000. However, the Middle East war cratered it, causing the average to drop to slightly more than 46,000 by March 25. Almost every other market around the world saw significant declines as well.

At the same time, oil prices have reached higher than US$100 per barrel as global supply is choked down by roughly 20 per cent due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, impacting urea fertilizer prices as well.

Iran war strikes at agriculture

All of this has affected the input costs farmers will face this year, but it has also had a negative impact on the market value of farm machinery manufacturers.

As their profitability and share prices were starting to rise from a low point in the cyclical equipment demand cycle, the stock market declines have caused significant reductions in the valuation of those companies.

Here’s a look at just how much the market capitalization of those brands had fallen from mid-February to late March:

John Deere shares peaked just before the war on Feb. 24 at US$664. By March 25, those share values had dropped $82. With about 270.1 million shares outstanding, that represents a market capitalization loss of roughly $22 billion.

Agco shares peaked Feb. 13, and by March 25 had seen a $1.7 billion valuation reduction.

CNH Industrial, parent company of Case IH and New Holland, realized a $2.5 billion decline. In the automotive sector, the story is the same. For example, Ford saw its market value decline by more than $8 billion.

The situation is the same for nearly all publicly traded companies listed on many different stock exchanges around the world, meaning globally, companies collectively have probably lost trillions of dollars in market value, at least temporarily.

Financial market fallout

At the same time, financial analysts are sounding the alarm over the possibility of insider trading on the U.S. stock market related to government announcements, with unusual trading patterns observed that could have netted millions for unidentified entities just minutes before a White House announcement.

More than a few analysts are now questioning the integrity of the U.S. stock market as a result. Since the current administration took office, the ability of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to prosecute violations has reportedly been significantly reduced.

This comes at a time when foreign investment in U.S. government treasury bonds is declining, reportedly due to a lack of confidence in the administration. Those bonds help finance the government’s deficit. Without continued investment, the U.S. treasury will find itself in a bind.

Add to that the recent increase in global oil trades conducted in yuan, rather than the standard U.S. dollar transaction, which came to be known as the petro-dollar.

The so-called petro-dollar has helped prop up demand for U.S. currency for decades. That has been an economic boon for the United States, but the continued decline in U.S.-dollar oil transactions would lead to significantly reduced demand for greenbacks.

As a lack of confidence in the U.S. among investors, trading partners and allies grows, there could be a very rocky road ahead for the U.S. economy, and the valuations of U.S.-based corporations could continue to take a beating.

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“I want John Deere and Case and all of – they’re great companies, Caterpillar… I want these companies to give it to you in the form of lower tractor and equipment costs,” Trump told hundreds of farmers and ranchers gathered under drizzle at an event on the South Lawn of the White House.

Deere & Co shares dropped two per cent after the statement. Case IH manufacturer CNH Industrial fell one per cent while Caterpillar Inc was down nearly 1.2 per cent in late-session trading.

The three companies could not immediately be reached for comment.

Trump seeks support from struggling farmers

Trump called for lower prices in an aside during a speech that otherwise focused on shoring up support among the Republican president’s loyal constituency of rural voters, who have backed Trump in all three of the last presidential races.

For the fourth straight year, U.S. crop producers are facing tight margins, high production costs and low commodity prices – and are struggling financially – despite near-record government payments.

The Trump administration is distributing $12 billion (C$16.7 billion) in aid to U.S. farmers — a move that farm trade groups and agricultural economists have said is helpful in the short-term but will not fully compensate farmers for financial losses that have topped $30 billion in recent years.

On Friday, Trump said he would seek even more such aid for farmers from Congress. More than 50 farm-interest groups, such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, are urging Congress to approve additional aid in a military funding package.

Trump pledges new loan guarantees

The event happened as the administration finalized new biofuel blending mandates for U.S. oil refiners, requiring them to mix more of the fuels made from corn and other agricultural products into the nation’s gasoline and diesel than initially proposed, in an apparent win for farmers.

Trump also said the U.S. Small Business Administration would open up new loan guarantees for farmers and food suppliers.

Farmers are entering the critical spring planting season under a cloud of uncertainty as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran disrupts global trade, causing fertilizer and diesel costs to spike.

The long-term U.S. trade relationship with China also remains unclear amid the ongoing trade war launched by Trump’s administration with the country, the world’s top soy importer.

Rural voters constitute a fifth of the U.S. electorate, and they favored Trump by a two-to-one margin over Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

— Additional reporting by Bhargav Acharya

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“The FX4 SP and FX4 18S are built for grain operations that require reliable, high-throughput conveyors that range from 8,000 to 10,500 (bushels per hour),” AGI’s senior vice-president for North American farm and global portables, Paul Brisebois, said in a press release.

The self-propelled mover kit available for the FX4 SP with all-terrain tires makes moving the conveyor around for those less-than-perfectly-located grain bins a little easier. The conveyor comes with a 37-horsepower Vanguard gas engine that moves grain through a 10-inch tube using a 15-inch belt.

Those features give this model an 8,000-bushel per hour capacity.

An under-hopper skid plate improves belt protection and allows for easier cleanup at the end of a job. It also offers a low-profile collapsible hopper and handler to allow for more clearance under trucks and hoppers.

The FX4 SP is available in 39-, 44- and 49-foot lengths. It’s available under the AGI Batco, AGI GrainMaxx, AGI Hutchinson and AGI Westfield brand names.

The FX4 18S electric top drive conveyor uses a larger 12.75-inch tube and an 18-inch belt, giving it a 10,500-bushel per hour capacity. It’s available in 39- and 44-foot lengths.

A new steel hopper option is available as well as what the company calls a “no-nonsense” discharge hood to better direct grain flow straight down. For durability and better performance, the belt runs on a new, larger drive roller.

“The FX4 18S is all about capacity and control,” AGI director of global product management Kent Woods said. “We’ve upgraded the belt, rollers and hopper to give farmers a conveyor that performs under pressure and simplifies setup.”

This model will also appear on dealers’ lots under the same four brand names as the FX4 SP.

“This series launch reflects AGI’s commitment to building smarter, more efficient grain handling solutions for farm operations of all sizes,” Brisebois said.

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RB Global Inc. announced last Wednesday (March 4) it will buy Nebraska-based BigIron for an undisclosed sum, expecting to close the deal in the second half of this year.

BigIron, whose roots in the auction business date back to 1984, is now billed as “a scaled, agriculture-focused online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of agricultural equipment, land, livestock, and other farm and ranch assets.”

According to RB Global, BigIron processed about $885 million in gross transaction value in the 12 months ending last Sept. 30, including about $520 million worth of farm assets and vehicles and about $365 million in farmland and real estate transactions (all figures US$).

“BigIron brings a talented team with deep ag sector knowledge and an established sales footprint that will continue operating as a stand-alone brand while being complemented by the Ritchie Bros. industrial footprint,” RB Global CEO Jim Kessler said in a release. “This will create opportunities to serve even more customers through a combination of onsite, offsite, and digital channels and solutions.”

BigIron co-founder Ron Stock noted BigIron will remain a stand-alone operation within RB Global, with he and co-founder Mark Stock “involved in the business as usual.”

“Through this combination, we gain a larger platform and additional resources, which is expected to help us deliver even greater choice and liquidity to all the sellers we serve,” Mark Stock said in the same release.

RB Global dates back to the founding of Ritchie Bros. in Kelowna in 1958, from which it expanded its services into the U.S. and overseas and bought several Canadian and U.S. auction firms, becoming publicly traded in 1998. Its corporate headquarters has since moved to the Chicago area.

In its last fiscal year ending Dec. 31, RB Global booked $412.8 million in net income on total revenue of $4.28 billion, handling a gross transaction value of $15.9 billion.

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Its shares climbed 8.1 per cent in morning trading.

The world’s largest farm-equipment maker previously scaled back factory production to counter weak demand for new machinery as lower crop prices and higher input costs push farmers to postpone big-ticket purchases.

The company is also working closely with dealers across its network to reduce inventory.

Construction, small agriculture demand recovering

It expects net income for 2026 to range between $4.5 billion and $5 billion (C$6.16 billion and C$6.85 billion) compared with its prior forecast of $4 billion to $4.75 billion. Analysts on average expect Deere to post full-year net income of $4.45 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.

“We’re encouraged by the ongoing recovery in demand within both the construction and small agriculture segments,” CEO John May said.

“These positive developments reinforce our belief that 2026 represents the bottom of the current cycle.”

Deere now expects 2026 net sales in two segments — Small Agriculture & Turf and Construction & Forestry — to rise about 15 per cent each compared with its earlier forecast for a roughly 10 per cent increase.

Oppenheimer analyst Kristen Owen said the company ended the quarter with relatively lean inventories, building historically less stock in the fourth and first quarters and leaving room for a potential upside as inventory normalizes through the year.

Deere posted net income of $656 million (C$898.7 million), or $2.42 per share, for the quarter, down from $869 million, or $3.19 per share, a year ago, but above analysts’ estimate of $2.05 apiece.

It’s first-quarter revenue rose 13 per cent to $9.61 billion (C$13.16 billion).

Tariffs drag, farm income remains weak

U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs have weighed on Deere’s operating profits. The Moline, Illinois-based firm has struggled with higher, tariff-driven production costs as it relies significantly on imported raw materials to manufacture its green and yellow tractors.

U.S. farmers are heading into another season of weak crop prices and elevated costs, forcing tough decisions about how, or if, to continue operating as ample grain supplies pressure markets.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture earlier this month forecast net farm income — a broad measure of profitability in the agricultural economy — to fall 0.7 per cent to $153.4 billion (C$210.14 billion) in 2026 from a year ago.

Deere expects a pre-tax tariff hit of around $1.2 billion in fiscal 2026.

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Shares of the company were down more than four per cent in premarket trading.

The Basildon, U.K.-based company said it expects retail demand in 2026 to fall about five per cent from 2025 levels and plans to keep production subdued as it works with dealers to bring down excess inventory across its network.

Farm equipment makers have scaled back factory output amid persistently weak demand for new machinery, as softer crop prices and rising costs prompt farmers to delay large purchases. That slowdown has left dealers carrying elevated stock, resulting in a more cautious approach to restocking.

CNH expects full-year adjusted profit to be between $0.35 and $0.45 per share (C$0.48 to C$0.61) , below analysts’ estimates of $0.54 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Farmers in the U.S. are facing another season of low prices, high costs and difficult decisions about how, or whether, to keep operating, as abundant grain supplies weigh on markets.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture earlier this month forecast net farm income, a broad measure of profitability in the agricultural economy, to fall 0.7 per cent to $153.4 billion (C$209.5 billion) in 2026 from a year ago.

“Agricultural equipment industry demand is expected to resume growth in 2027,” CNH said.

The company, which makes Case IH and New Holland tractors, reported fourth-quarter revenue of $5.16 billion (C$7.05 billion), beating analysts’ estimates of $4.61 billion.

On an adjusted basis, it reported a profit of 19 cents per share for the quarter ended December 31, compared with estimates of 10 cents per share.

— Reporting by Abhinav Parmar in Bengaluru

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They included mowers and small sprayers at one end of the spectrum to numerous units that do everything from tillage to sensing of high-value crops to row-crop units with more than 200 horsepower.

WHY IT MATTERS: The glut of options and innovation in autonomy feel like a tipping point and over the next few years the most valuable uses of autonomy will be sorted out.

Then there are the big players, who continue to work towards autonomous operation of their largest cabbed equipment.

The largest companies, such as John Deere, Claas and Amazone were clear that each year they announce something new, it’s a step in the continuum to autonomy.

All the major companies are working on autonomy, but a common question is if the implements will be ready to help the power units make the decisions needed to fully replace a human.

The market leaders

AgXeed reportedly has more than 100 units in the field, SwarmFarm 150 and FarmDroid has sold close to 1,000 of its solar-powered, slow-moving vegetable planting, weeding and tilling machines.

AgXeed and SwarmFarm are power units, similar to conventional tractors, which pull implements similar to those now used in the field, whereas FarmDroid is an all-in-one system.

SwarmFarm, an Australian company, works directly with implement makers, especially in the spraying and spreading areas to build an ecosystem in which the implements are designed for autonomy.

AgXeed, a Dutch company, is closely tied to German agriculture equipment leaders Claas and Amazone in a partnership called 3A, and it’s no surprise to see AgXeed autonomous units running the field with Amazone implements.

Slow and deliberate steps

Jahmy Hindman, John Deere’s senior vice-president and chief technology officer, said at Agritechnica that John Deere’s work over the past 30 years has been a pathway to autonomy, from the beginnings of GPS tracking with the company’s acquisition of NavCom in the 1990s.

Since then, parallel tracking, AutoTrack, section control, AutoTrack turning control and AutoPath, planning software for autonomy, have been steps towards autonomous operation of farm equipment.

John Deere has made acquisitions where it could more easily purchase technology than create it, such as Bear Flag Robotics, GUSS automation and AI visioning company Light.

John Deere is working to automate its largest tractors, with the 9R and 8R tractors the first with in-field autonomy in limited production.

Hindman spoke to media in front of an autonomy-enabled 9R tractor at Agritechnica. Cameras and sensors sprouted from the top of the machine, which also includes significant in-field processing capabilities.

Claas’ s new Axion 9 tractor includes autonomous operation options, as long as the operator is in the seat. The routing can be pre-planned. That means it’s a Level 2 autonomous vehicle.

The tractor includes Claas’s Auto Load Anticipation, which helps the tractor learn when more engine power and RPMs will be needed. The tractor automatically adjusts for those situations, such as when implements are about to be lowered after turning on a headland.

It also has some autonomous guidance features, created with the co-operation of AgXeed.

However, a Claas spokesperson, during an international press tour, said full autonomy is another leap for large tractors, including the need for specialized braking systems and more sensors on board.

“Level two is the next step for many farmers, from the current system with automation like asset management to the next step here with task management,” he said.

John Deere’s 8R and 9R tractors are at Level 4 and can be used without an operator in the seat.

The operator would get the tractor ready in the field to pull a tillage tool, unfold the tillage tool, leave the tractor cab and from the ground start up the autonomous operation that’s been preplanned in John Deere’s Operation Centre, said Hindman.

“When it’s done, it will notify the operator that the operation is done and will come and park itself in a location,” he said.

Sixteen cameras cover 360 degrees around the tractor. The automation software recognizes vehicles, humans and fences and learns what it should do to manage around those objects, said Hindman.

John Deere runs Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) with Nvidia chips, running at about 80 watts of processing power to interpret all the information coming from the cameras.

Kubota is taking a difference approach, becoming an investor, supporter and dealer for some autonomous solutions. A Kubota-orange Robotti unit was on display in the Kubota booth, as the Robotti are now available through European Kubota dealerships. Earlier in the development process, with Kubota as a partner, is the Kitler robot from Norway, which does autonomous spot spraying of high-value crops.

Kubota also had a cabless orchard sprayer and an M7004 conventional tractor set up for autonomy on display at the show.

Getting implements ready

Amazone, the large German manufacturer of fertilizer spreaders and sprayers, also highlighted its march to autonomy at Agritechnica.

The company has won awards at the past nine Agritechnicas for its increasing automation, including a silver award in 2025 for its AutoSpread technology, which detects fertilizer spread and makes adjustments so the optimal spread is achieved.

“All the research in there is optimized for a perfect pattern in the field,” said Markus Strobel-Froschle, the head of Amazone’s spreader application service.

He’s spent years with the company refining spreader technology to get to the AutoSpread level, including other innovations that manage wind, headlands and edge of field automatically.

A fertilizer spreader with AutoSpread is equipped with radar which monitors the spread of the fertilizer and automatically adjusts it for uniformity. The spreader software knows the usual spreading range of many kinds of fertilizer, so it will tell the operator to check to type of fertilizer if there’s been a mistake.

Who wasn’t there?

It’s worth noting that two of the companies with the most-developed autonomous products at Agritechnica 2023 were not exhibiting at the 2025 show because of financial difficulties.

Naio, which makes several autonomous tools for farms — the Ted and the Oz were the ones most seen in the Canadian market — looks like it is emerging from court supervision in France, but wasn’t at Agritechnica.

And Monarch tractors, one of the most mature electric and autonomous tractors in the global marketplace, has also laid off staff and has stopped manufacturing tractors. Its tractor assembly partner, Foxconn, sold its Ohio plant, and it’s becoming a data centre.

The company is also being sued by a dealer claiming that the tractor did not function autonomously as claimed.

Looking ahead

The next few years will be fascinating in the autonomy space with the current rate of innovation.

The overexuberance can’t last and there will be a rationalizing of the companies who will be around to supply autonomy in the long term.

There will be some surprises, but there will also be tough times for some companies, as the fortunes of once-market-leaders Naio and Monarch illustrate.

For farmers, this will mean a clearer choice about how autonomy will fit on their farm.

The post The long march to autonomy appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Zoomlion, a Chinese company that manufactures construction and farm machinery, had a lot of people talking when it displayed its entire tractor and combine lineup powered by diesel-electric hybrid drives.

Category-busting one-power-unit company Nexat also drives its machine using electric motors.

WHY IT MATTERS: Farms are pressured to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and are look to save money through fuel efficiency, which has resulted in more engine options than ever before.

Diesel-electric drives are used in locomotives and in construction equipment and have been slow to find their way into agriculture. They are based on the theory that systems can be made simpler and more energy efficient if the power is applied by electric motors at the points in the equipment where the power is needed.

A diesel engine is usually fitted with a generator off the back of the engine and the generator distributes power where it’s needed.

The major producers of engines for agriculture have shown some concepts powered by diesel-electric systems, but there are few on the market.

John Deere has a generator option for its 8R tractors, the eAutoPowr electronic variable transmission, which provides power for implements from a generator powered by the diesel engine, but it isn’t a full diesel-electric system.

Why are there more agricultural engine options?

However, the major machinery providers are building flexibility into their new engines, making them ready with some modifications to burn various types of fuels, ranging from ethanol to biodiesel and hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), popular in Europe as a completely renewable fuel.

That means farmers should be ready for engines that can burn most of the fuels they can lay their hands on, with some modification.

Agco Power unveiled the largest of its new Core engine lineup at Agritechnica, the 80, which is an eight-litre engine. It will end up in the Fendt 800 lineup, said Jarno Ratia, director, sales and marketing and project management for Agco Power.

The engines are highly efficient, he said.

“It revs at 1,700 (revolutions per minute), which is matched with the tractor power train perfectly,” he said.

The tuning of the continuously variable transmission with the engine means the engine can hit top speed at 1,400 r.p.m.

The Core engines are set up to use other sources of fuel, such as biodiesel, hydrogen and methane, depending on which fuel the farmer can source.

The bottom line is that none of them are better than the power that can be produced from a litre of diesel.

Hydrogen, for example, results in a drop of about 30 per cent in the power output of an engine.

There are supply chain and structural limits to hydrogen at this point, including being able to store it on farms and on tractors in enough volume to prevent frequent refilling.

JCB is betting heavily on hydrogen and has a working model that it sells to companies looking to reduce their emissions.

To help offset the power loss of hydrogen, Agco has added a hybrid system to its hydrogen energy.

However, Ratia says hybrids are a step, not a permanent solution. There were numerous tractors and combines with concept hybrid-battery boosters at Agritechnica 2023. There were few in 2025.

“Earlier, the whole industry thought that hybrid would be the first step to go full electric, but now we think a little bit different. So we know that adding hybrid is adding complexity and cost, but end of the day, not really giving too much benefit for the vehicle.”

The idea that farmers could produce their own fuel is also being discussed.

Jahmy Hindman, senior vice-president and chief technology officer at John Deere, pitched the idea that farmers could produce their own fuel on the farm, taking up a limited amount of a previous-year’s crop to produce the next and completing an energy cycle on the farm.

John Deere’s Justin Rose, president of the company’s Worldwide Agriculture and Turf division said at a media event at Agritechnica that the company will continue to produce options that farmers look for around powertrains.

New Holland showcased its T7 methane-powered tractor at Agritechnica, including the fact that it has made commercial sales. It would epitomize the ideal of energy circularity on the farm, using methane produced by manure to power the tractor.

Battery technology

There continues to be evolution in battery technology, too, and at Agritechnica John Deere showcased its 130 h.p. equivalent tractor and numerous autonomous systems that run on electricity, while Agco presented a new stackable battery concept.

Both are scalable so that the amount of working time needed for the tractor can be matched by its battery cost.

With current technology, 120 to 130 h.p. will be about as large as battery-only tractors will get before weight and charging capacity become limited.

Autonomous vehicles also are being powered by a soup mix of power types that range from a battery at the smaller end to diesel engines used in tractors for the largest. In between, there are options such as the New Holland R4, an autonomous concept vehicle that runs on diesel-electric hybrid power.

The Nexat is powered by two 550 h.p. engines, but the wheels are driven by electric drives, which helps make the unique concept work.

Diesel electric helps Nexat distribute power more flexibly throughout its system.

At Agritechnica, the Zoomlion combines and tractors were attracting lots of visitors and opinions.

The company’s combine has a diesel engine that powers a generator, which distributes power to 12 motors to drive the wheels, the feeder housing and header, grain augers, dual rotor threshing system and the straw chopper. The combine is rated at 480 h.p. The system also includes a battery to help manage the power flow.

That means fewer belts, says Kevin Song, technical manager for the combine. It means a simpler unit with fewer moving parts.

The company says using electric drives will reduce the linkages — chains and sprockets and belts and pulleys — by 70 per cent compared to a conventional combine. That means fewer breakage points, although sorting out an electrical problem can also be challenging.

The motors can all reverse, which means easier cleaning out of plugged headers and feeder housing, said Song.

Zoomlion’s tractors are rated at 160 to more than 700 h.p. in a tractor that was just announced but wasn’t at Agritechnica. Company spokespeople at the show said diesel-electric drives can improve fuel efficiency by 15 per cent.

The company also demonstrated an autonomous tractor in a live video demonstration from a site in China.

Zoomlion’s tractors and combine aren’t yet available in North America but are working in Australia and South America.

Fuel efficiency and reducing particulate and greenhouse gas emissions continue to drive evolution in powertrains and are resulting in more options for farmers but also more complexity in the engines and fuel-supply systems.

The post At Agritechnica, farm power options get more diverse appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The first 15 are already out. From tariff tensions to invasive wild pigs to weather, here’s a taste of what farmers wanted to read most over the last year:

No. 25 — Port of Churchill searches for year-round trade: In November, KAP hosted Arctic Gateway Group’s CEO to talk future plans for Manitoba’s northern port. Part of the big expansion planned is a goal to keeping the ice open, and trade flowing, all year long.

No. 24 — Weather school: It’s all about the clouds: Do you know your cumulus from your nimbostratus? This piece from way back in 2020 re-emerged on our most-read list for 2025.

No.23 — Fishing the deep water of Manitoba: Want fishing success farther from shore? Our outdoors columnist Tim Sopuck ran readers down some tips and tricks for catching deep water fish in Manitoba.

No. 22 — Manitoba’s wild pigs not headed for population boom, expert says: The co-ordinator for Manitoba’s Squeal on Pigs program says our cold climate situation isn’t comparable to U.S.

No. 21 — We’ve seen trade wars before, but this time is different: Throwing back all the way to January for this one. This early 2025 editorial looked down the barrel of changing U.S. trade policy and what it could mean for Canadian agriculture.

Nov. 20 — Riverside Hutterite Colony gets top honours: It was a western Manitoba sweep at this year’s Royal Manitoba Winter Fair Pork Quality Competition back in spring.

Other highlights so far include beekeepers battling for survival, more trade and tariff stories and Manitoba’s first bovine tuberculosis case in years.

Want to see the full list? Check out our top stories landing page in the top-left corner of our website. Keep checking back until Jan. 31 as we unveil our top 10.

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