It’s not a shock to anyone when I say over the last 5 years auction activity has greatly increased. At the end of 2014, used equipment inventories where at all-time highs. The auction market became a dumping ground for all kinds of equipment — late model, high hour and everything in between.

Implement guidance (IG) technology is getting renewed favorable glances from a growing number of farmers struggling with glyphosate-resistant weeds, alternative herbicide regimes and EPA-mandated sprayer controls. Also, a growing demand for organic produce has broad-acre farmers in traditionally commodity-producing areas looking for more precision tracking in their cultivators as they drop herbicide use.

I challenged readers of this column to “Make 2018 the Year of Human Capital Investment.” Training is likely a key part of your human capital investment. Below is a professional perspective on how to make training work and how to make it pay from one of my Machinery Advisors Consortium colleagues, Daniel Surprenant. — George Russell

It was 5 years ago when I visited with Mike Boehlje, the distinguished professor in the Dept. of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. At that time, signs were appearing that indicated the industry was in for a slowdown following 4-5 really great years of equipment sales. The special report that ensued was called “Dealing with Ag’s Boom–Bust Cycles.” Boehlje discussed a couple factors that directly impacted equipment dealers.

The strength of the U.S. economy continues to provide support for the smaller tractor sales but the recent declines in the stock markets will have a sobering effect upon some future purchases.

Ag equipment sales were starting to improve in the last few months. Dealer sentiment has been more positive the last several months. All in all, things were starting to look a lot better for the farm equipment world. Then last week, President Donald Trump pledged to impose a 25% tariff on foreign steel that is scheduled to be enacted this week.

Farm Equipment reached out to Vernon Schmidt, Executive Vice President, Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assn. for a statement following Trump’s announcement on steel tariffs.

The planter market has been a rollercoaster since 2014. Four years ago, if you had a planter larger than a single row you had a hard time getting rid of it. Like other equipment segments, planters were highly produced and the market was flush with inventory.

Like all good relationships, partnerships between shortline farm equipment manufacturers and dealers are a two-way street.

One of the things I’ve pondered for a long time is where the skilled workers that agriculture needs will come from, mostly as it relates to farm equipment dealers. As the overall economy improves, the need for workers will take on a new urgency.