Anti-tank ‘hedgehogs’ are seen in Maidan Nezalezhnosti Square in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, on March 9, 2022. Farmers are among those assembling the obstacles, set up to block roads against advancing armoured vehicles. (Yevhen Kotenko/Ukrinform/Abacapress.com via Reuters)

Bread and war: Farmers in the fight for Ukraine

Agriculture, being the most important industry in Ukraine, will play a large part in the war, a Ukrainian ag journalist writes

It is very difficult to explain what a person feels when they’re awakened at 5 a.m., when a rocket explodes near their house. That’s exactly what I experienced Feb. 24. The first thing I did was fill my car with gasoline. Then we bought a lot of products we thought we might need — medicines […] Read more


Adam Reid. (Photo courtesy Buhler Versatile)

Ag equipment firm Buhler Industries shakes up board table

Rostselmash's Babkin steps down, founder Buhler to retire

Board oversight of Winnipeg farm equipment manufacturer Buhler Industries will now include another of the company’s upper managers, as a co-owner of the company’s Russian parent firm and the company’s founder both step down. Buhler’s board announced Wednesday it has accepted the resignation of Konstantin Babkin, the president and co-owner of Russian holding company Novoe […] Read more

(Cummins.com)

Engine maker Cummins says expects ‘some impact’ in Russia

Deere says will abide by sanctions

Reuters — Diesel engine maker Cummins Inc. expects “some impact” to its business in Russia and is analyzing and preparing for current and anticipated sanctions, the U.S. truck engine maker said in an e-mailed statement on Monday. Many firms have idled operations in Russia after it invaded Ukraine last week, resulting in powerful Western sanctions. […] Read more


Buhler Industries board member Konstantin Babkin, shown here at left with the company’s then-president Dmitry Lyubimov during a visit to the company’s facility in Winnipeg in 2007, is seen as particularly vulnerable to sanction from Canada. (File photo by Dave Bedard)

Equipment maker Buhler distances self from Ukraine invasion

A Winnipeg farm equipment manufacturer is distancing itself from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Buhler Industries, which manufactures the Versatile tractor line and Farm King equipment, is majority-owned by the Russian firm Combine Factory Rostselmash. That firm purchased an 80 per cent stake in Buhler in 2007 and boosted that to 97 per cent ownership in […] Read more

A CNH manufacturing plant at Sorocaba, west of Sao Paulo in southeastern Brazil. (Photo courtesy CNH Industrial)

CNH sees revenues rising to 2024 on precision agriculture plans

Margin at agricultural unit seen at 14.5 to 15.5 per cent

Milan | Reuters — Italian-American vehicle maker CNH Industrial on Tuesday gave guidance for a total revenue growth of up to 24 per cent through 2024 as it presented a new business plan after spinning off its truck, bus and engine units. In a bid to focus on its higher-margin agriculture and construction machine businesses, […] Read more


(Video screengrab from CBSA-asfc.gc.ca)

Vaccine mandate to lead to inflation, empty shelves, trucking executives say

Parallel mandate for U.S. entry starts Saturday

Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian consumers should soon see higher prices and some empty shelves in supermarkets and other retail outlets because of disruptions stemming from a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers, top trucking executives warned this week. The mandate, imposed by Ottawa to help curb the spread of the virus, has cost six […] Read more



Russia’s Rostselmash in November 2021 launched a new Delta Track line of heavy-duty tractors, based on a similar line made at the Buhler plant in Winnipeg. (Rostselmash.com)

Versatile tractor maker’s majority owner boosts stake

Russia's Rostselmash raises ownership to almost 97 per cent

The Russian farm equipment manufacturer which held just over 80 per cent of Canadian tractor and equipment maker Buhler Industries has now taken up near complete ownership. Winnipeg-based, publicly-traded Buhler Industries announced Wednesday that Combine Factory Rostselmash has bought another 16.3 per cent of Buhler shares for $3 per share, or about $12.25 million. Buhler, […] Read more

(ClaasOfAmerica.com)

Claas sees more semiconductor chip snags in 2022

'It's going to be a tough next six months'

Paris | Reuters — Agricultural machinery maker Claas said Thursday it expects difficulties in securing semiconductor chips to persist for the first half of next year, which could curb a surge in profits linked to booming farm demand. An upturn in orders from farmers, who are benefiting from high crop prices after several lean years, […] Read more