One 2021 agricultural issue stands out from the rest for Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Dan Miller: Farm equipment and parts shortages.

“I've covered COVID-19's impact on farm machinery manufacturing and on farmers for 18 months,” he wrote as part of a series highlighting staff “favorite” stories for 2021.

The roots of Miller’s stories start 2 years ago when Titan International noticed something amiss in China. Titan employees, who typically took off 3 weeks for New Year festivities, didn’t return to work.

"Well, we started to realize something big was going on," Titan President and CEO Paul Reitz told the Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers.

Miller turned to Robert Crain, then senior vice president and general manager, North America for AGCO Corp., to talk about its European plants closing. The last 30-day supply of Fendt tractors were on U.S.-bound and “he wasn't sure when more would be manufactured,” Miller recalls.

“Yet, industry adapted,” Miller writes. “Adjustments were made to factory floors and finding parts became the everyday job for even some CEOs.”

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