WQAD-8 ABC in Moline, Ill., is reporting that 345 more layoffs have hit John Deere's manufacturing operation in Waterloo, Iowa.
The equipment company has now dismissed over a thousand workers from its plants and offices around the Midwest.
Over 500 employees in total at the Waterloo plant, which normally employs north of 3,000 production workers, have been given walking papers. An additional seven employees in a Coffeyville, Kan., facility will also be dismissed as of August 9, according to WQAD.
Deere told WQAD the changes are due to reduced demand for the products made at the Waterloo and Coffeyville facilities.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) June 2024 U.S. combine and tractor sales metrics show both segments down considerably compared to June 2023. Deere assembles many of its combines at the Waterloo facility.
John Deere says the dismissed employees are eligible for recall and severance packages.
This latest round of layoffs comes fresh on the heels of mounting online criticism levied at the equipment manufacturer after a conservative film maker named Robby Starbuck published a vlog on X taking issue with Deere's internal Diversity and Equity Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Starbuck said he will release additional information on DEI programs at Deere in the coming weeks.
John Deere, through its public relations firm of record, Bader Rutter, declined comment to Farm Journal at this time.
Despite staring down a potential ban in the world's largest drone market - the U.S. - DJI says its drones are making a big impact in global agriculture.
The world's largest drone company recently shared its 2023-2024 Agricultural Drone Industry Insight Report white paper.
Among the insights shared in the report:
DJI says by the end of 2023 over 300,000 agricultural drones were in use globally, spanning more than 100 countries and regions.
As of June 2024, drones have been used to treat over 1.2 billion acres of farmland (500 million hectares) globally, with 6,000 instructors and 300,000 pilots trained to operate them.
The white paper includes several interesting case studies detailing how spray drones are being used in various cropping systems around the planet.
Head here to check out the full 35-page report. Skip ahead to page 25 of the PDF to read DJI's report "Agricultural Drones Operating In The Middle And Late Stages Of Corn Production."
Click here to see more...