CropLife Retail Week: The Andersons Acquisition, Longshoremen Negotiations, and Drones Market Future

Eric Sfiligoj and Lara Sowinski discuss a CropLife 100 retailer merger, the latest on dock workers, and predictions for the drones industry.

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*Below is a partial and edited transcript:

Eric Sfiligoj: Hello. Welcome to another edition of CropLife Retail Week. I’m Eric Sfiligoj, editor, CropLife here again with Lara Sowinski. Lara, how are you doing?

Lara Sowinski: Well. Thank you. How about you?

ES: I am doing fine. It is a rainy fall day in Ohio, and, you know, cold. That’s why I got the long sleeves on now. Broke out the long sleeve shirts over the weekend, and I think I’ll be using them the rest of the year. So no more 80 degrees. And, I suspect those days are in our past and will not pop up again until the calendars, which is over to 2025. So, let’s hope not. Yeah. So, hey, speaking of fall, of course, this is that time of year when CropLife magazine readers are getting ready to dive into the annual CropLife 100 report.

I know we put that together, and that report will appear in our December revision. But the, the early reviews on that can be seen on our website, starting on December 1st. But I did want to mention one item regarding a CropLife 100 retailer, and that is The Andersons of Maumee, Ohio. They, of course, are a member of the a long time member of the CropLife 100.

And we found out last week that the Andersons has acquired, majority ownership in a company called Skyland Grain of Ulysses, Kansas. So this transaction enables the Andersons to expand its core grain and fertilizer businesses into new states, including Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Texas. So according to their CEO, Bill Krueger, CEO and president of The Andersons says that, with Skyland becoming part of the Andersons, we are confident that we are now well positioned to capitalize on significant opportunities in this region, which boasts the fastest growing feed demand in the country. So again, the, Crop Life 100, retailer. And this won’t be reflected in the survey data that I was reporting on in our December issue.

But, look for The Andersons to make a little bit of a jump up the listings in the 2025 CropLife 100 because of this acquisition. So, yeah, for sure. That’s great. Congratulations. Yeah. So, hey, I guess, one other thing. Of course, we’ve been following through several videos over the past year or so, or, of course, our friends, the longshoremen and their contract negotiations.

And I guess according to what you said before we got on, on air here, you have an update on that, so please enlighten our viewers.

LS: It was funny because I’ve kind of been thinking, you know, January 15th is right around the corner, and this was the date that they, both sides, International Longshoremen’s Association, representing East Coast, Gulf Coast one Sherman and, waterfront employers, you know, they kind of walked out for a day or two there.

Everyone got back together. Okay, we’ll extend contract negotiations until January 15th and hadn’t heard anything. And lo and behold, Wall Street Journal logistics report, said that the two sides, reconvened this week, this week of November 11th. And, they, right after they got together, talks broke down immediately. The ILA is insisting that any deal must include a firewall against new or expanded automation on the docks.

So, again, the number one sticking point between the two sides. Nonetheless, the initial conversations were entirely grim. According to the Wall Street Journal, the employers group said that there was, quote, progress on a number of issues, but there’s no sign that the sides are ready to even bargain over automation at this point. Technology impasse has grown since an interim agreement last month to raise dockworker pay by 62% over six years.

The shipping lines and terminal owners at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports are hoping to make up some of the higher labor costs, from that deal through productivity, including expanded automation. The Wall Street Journal concludes, mentioning that a change in presidential administration will take effect January 20th, and shipping industry officials see the new Trump administration as more sympathetic to maritime employers.

And the Biden administration has been so, yeah, gosh, what the drama, the drama continues. I don’t know, I don’t even know I don’t know what are they saying in Las Vegas? And where do we stand? Where, yes or no? Well, in any major and you gotta wonder to me again, I know they’re going to be negotiating through January 15th, obviously.

ES: But you know, this this is that time of year where the holidays start rolling around. And a lot of people, you know, take time off from their jobs and what they’re doing to spend time with family and friends, in different parts of the country, not necessarily sitting in the negotiating table. So, you would hope that something will get done while, while folks are in the holiday spirit and everybody will be feeling festive and maybe, maybe they’ll come to some agreement.

LS: But, you know, automation. Yeah, I know we’ve talked about how much of a sticking point that’s going to be, but, you know, it’s the world we live in. We see automation all the time. I mean, you know, I’m wondering in ten years of GDP is going to be doing, Retail Week with our, our avatars, you know, and, and so that’s not going to be you and me.

It’s just going to be, visions of us, perhaps. So. God, I hope I’m not here this morning. This is my stand. If this is you, you’re an avatar now. All right. Nice to know. All right, well, fingers crossed that the, the, the longshoremen and, and their employers will we’ll get something done before January 15th rolls around, and then we can all start focusing on other issues.

Like the other, unresolved things that. Yeah, God knows there’s other unresolved things out there, so.

ES: But, hey, speaking of automation, since you did mention it, I did run across a report, friends at Straits Research. They put out a report where they were talking about, basically ag technology and their read on the market is that the agricultural drone drones and robots market, will surpass $100 billion by the end of this decade.

They basically say that most of the drone use, drones and robots will be used to aid in crop monitoring, pesticide and herbicide application, fertilization and harvesting and that, like I say, $102.15 billion market by 2033. So again, you know, whether or not, automation, automation is coming it bottom line, it’s going to be a big, big part of, of agriculture going forward.

And, we will have to follow this, as, as ag drones become more prevalent. You know, I’ve seen more of them in the fields this year. And I suspect in 25 we’ll continue to see them. So. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, it, remains a, a bright spot for sure. Not only what they can do, but certainly the capacity, you know, payload, that battery life,

It’s great. It’s really cool. I’ve been enjoying watching drone technology evolve over the past year or so. Pretty exciting. Yeah. No, like I say, it’ll be it’ll be fun. You know, again, the winter trade shows are just around the corner starting in January. And it’ll be interesting to see how many how many drones I see on display.

And now when I get to the, National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville in mid-February, how many drones? I mean, there were several drones on the floor of the, exhibit center in Louisville last year, and I imagine that the, space for those will be even more prominent this upcoming year. So we’ll have to watch. But again, viewers, stay tuned for CropLife Retail Week. We’ll probably have lots of pictures of those drones and talk about what we’ve seen. So that’s cool.