Equipment manufacturers and equipment dealers have different opinions about the state of the ag equipment industry, according to a survey on ag equipment inventory by both associations. Those that produce ag equipment believe that both new and used equipment inventories are decreasing overall. Forty-three percent of manufacturers believe that dealer inventories are “about right.” By contrast, the majority of equipment dealers believe that both their new and used inventories are too high and that that inventories, used and new, are clogging up the pipelines.

Tractor Supply Co., the largest rural lifestyle retail store chain in the U.S., recently acquired 100 percent of Petsense, a leading specialty retailer of pet supplies and services with 136 stores in 25 states.

And finally, animal agriculture is under attack again. Forbes reports growing pressure on food companies to reduce environmental and health risks by changing the way they source protein. They cite The FAIRR Initiative, a trillion-dollar coalition of 40 investors that has teamed with 16 multinational food companies to target industrial animal production.

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