Early spring, dry summer Farmers delay tire buying in 2012; pent-up demand is predicted for 2013

摘要

It all looked great at first. Spring came early in 2012 for many farmers, placing them in a good position. They were planting more acres, the weather was warm and dry, projections were great and farmers were happy. "Parts of the country experienced unseasonably warm weather early in the year," says Robyn Conrad, Michelin North America Inc.'s director of ag marketing. "Farmers were really happy because they got into the field early in the year. That's typically when they would be purchasing tires. They weren't. They were busy planting."