Shares of Hellmann’s mayonnaise owner Unilever and Frank’s RedHot sauce maker McCormick fell on Tuesday following the announcement over concerns about the transaction’s structure, long path to closing and antitrust risks.

The top U.S. spice maker, home to more than 30 household brands, is playing the long game, some analysts said.

While many food companies are scrambling to reformulate products and resize portions as the surging popularity of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs reshapes eating habits, McCormick argues that flavor will remain essential even as calorie counts fall.

“We will continue to flavor calories while others compete for them,” McCormick CEO Brendan Foley, a packaged-food industry veteran, said on a call with investors on Tuesday.

“As consumers increasingly focus on cooking at home, adding more protein and produce, and pursuing healthier lifestyles, flavor plays a critical role in elevating those choices,” Foley said.

The GLP-1 bet

The surge in weight-loss drug use has consumers craving more flavor ‌in their food, leading to condiment and spice makers benefiting and attracting more interest in the M&A marketplace, dealmakers have said.

“Consumers shifting away from fatty, greasy, or overly sweet foods … creates a massive opportunity for flavor enhancers (spices and hot sauces) that provide sensory satisfaction without adding calories,” said Timothy Malefyt, professor of marketing at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University.

The deal will also help the U.S. company tap into Knorr stock cubes maker Unilever’s global scale and expertise, executives said on Tuesday’s investor call. Unilever executives highlighted its popular flavors such as Asian and Chinese.

“McCormick with this could be well-positioned to create the right nutritional functional benefit in food that is lacking in America right now,” said Mike Anstey, founder of Pilot Lite, a global CPG (consumer packaged goods) commercialization partner.

It would also open up key emerging markets such as Brazil, China and countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

“(The deal) represents a step-change in scale, broadening MKC’s exposure to faster-growing emerging markets and expanding opportunities for its foodservice platform,” Jefferies analyst Scott Marks said in a note.

Unkind market conditions

McCormick is seeking new markets and flavors against the backdrop of a tough U.S. market, where consumers are eating healthier and also looking for cheaper pantry alternatives and smaller pack sizes to stretch budgets hit by inflation.

“We’re certainly aware of the near-term pressures facing not just the food industry but broadly … the conflict in the Middle East and the broader CPG space. However, we continue to believe in just the long-term fundamentals that really underpin the confidence in this combination,” McCormick’s Foley said.

The company’s total volume growth has slowed over the last year, and was down 0.7 per cent in the most recently reported quarter, falling across both its consumer brands and flavor solutions segments.

“Despite the combination’s strategic merits, we think this may be a ploy to incite growth in an industry where gains have stagnated,” said Erin Lash, analyst at Morningstar Research.

Rival Kraft Heinz, which media reports said had explored a bid for Unilever’s food business, underscored the tougher U.S. market when it paused plans for a split.

“Investors should look at this transaction more optimistically than broken deals like Kraft Heinz because it creates value through greater depth in a single category, flavorings, rather than diversification,” said TD Cowen analyst Robert Moskow in a note.

The post McCormick bets on flavor in $65 billion Unilever merger appeared first on Grainews.

U.S. government economic aggression and unpredictability resulted in significant trade disputes that severely affected overall global trade and corporate profits across the ag equipment sector.

The imposition of countervailing tariffs on U.S. soybean sales caused a major income loss for U.S. farmers.

Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola in response to our country’s agreement to follow the United States and apply tariffs on electric vehicles pressured some farm incomes here.

Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada, which represents Canadian ag equipment manufacturers, estimates the sector saw a 30 per cent sales decline over 2025 as a result.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers, which tracks tractor and combine sales, shows sales were down in both the U.S. and Canada.

In two-wheel drive tractors above 100 horsepower, the U.S saw an overall decline of 22.6 per cent for the year. Four-wheel drive tractor sales declined 41.6 per cent and combine sales fell 35.6 per cent.

The picture in Canada was a little brighter, but there were still declines in tractor sales — 100-plus horsepower tractor purchases fell 12.1 per cent and four-wheel drives 23 per cent. However, combines grew about three per cent.

All of this happened as the ag equipment industry was already near the bottom of a demand cycle with slow sales going into 2025.

With Chinese tariffs on canola returning to more normal levels, Canadian farm income is likely to improve in 2026, assuming weather events aren’t a factor.

In the U.S., the government has promised a second bailout to mitigate reduced incomes from trade disruptions caused by the Trump administration. As a result, there is some optimism for improving sales conditions in 2026.

However, as the U.S. administration remains aggressive in its posture toward imposing sanctions and tariffs on an apparent whim, as well as threatening military actions toward former allies, it’s anyone’s guess how the gross domestic product of western nations will be affected, as well as farm incomes.

It is clear, however, that ag machinery brands will continue to face reduced margins in 2026. John Deere, for example, estimated in mid-year 2025 that tariff costs to its manufacturing that fiscal year would amount to about US$600 million. It expects the problem to continue into 2026.

All brands in the machinery and automotive sectors are facing similar cost increases.

A statement from AEM said tariffs on steel and aluminum alone would impact manufacturing costs for brands by about seven per cent. That almost certainly means farmers will face higher sticker prices on future machinery purchases.

Highlights by brand

Case IH

In August 2025, another, bigger Steiger, the Steiger 785 Quadtrac, debuted, with 853 peak engine horsepower, making it the most powerful model Case IH has yet offered.

The only other tractor introductions from the brand in 2025 were updates to the Farmall utility class, including models below 150 h.p. such as the Farmall 120C.

MTZ

MTZ’s Kirovets K-744 continues to be available as a low-cost, alternative to more familiar high-horsepower tractors, despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Parts and tractor availability remains good, according to the Canadian distributor, even though MTZ tractors are built in Belarus and the Kirovets in Russia.

The brand also expects to soon begin production of three larger M8 models offering up to 620 h.p. There are no specification updates to the K-744 for 2025.

JCB

With 284 and 335 peak horsepower FPT diesel engines mated to ZF 3.1 four-range, step-less transmissions, two new 6000 Series JCB models (Fastrac 6300 and 6260) fit in between the brand’s exiting 4000 and 8000 Series lines, bringing the total number of JCB Fastracs to seven.

Claas

Claas’s Axion 900 Series tractor line was first introduced to Canada in 2019, joining the two-model Xerion line of unique four-wheel drive tractors the brand had been offering.

In 2022, the Axion 960TT Terra Trac half-track tractor joined the Canadian lineup. The latest offering from the brand is the 12 Series, Xerion 12.650, which were first introduced in 2023. The basic tractor specifications for high-horsepower models carry forward for 2026.

New Holland

New Holland showcased new models in 2023. Most notably, it pushed the horsepower limits of the T9 Series, boosting the flagship model T9.700 to 645 rated engine h.p.

The T9 SmarTrax versions were announced in early 2024 for the 2025 model year. T8 Series tractors got a five to 15 h.p. boost for 2025. The model specifications carry over to 2026.

John Deere

John Deere made headlines in 2024 with the introduction of the largest production tractors on the market, the articulated 9RX 710, 9RX 770 and 9RX 830, pushing rated engine h.p. to 830 in the flagship model. Last year was the first full production year for them.

Versatile

Versatile continues to offer the same high-horsepower model lineup for 2026 with some specification upgrades for the current model year, including the DeltaTrack 620DT and 620 4WD.

Fendt

Agco’s Fendt brand continues to grow market share across North America and represents the company’s premium equipment line. It offers both wheeled and two-track high-horsepower models.

PTx Trimble’s Outrun autonomous grain cart system is now compatible with the 1000 VARIO Series wheeled tractors such as the 1052 VARIO and 1167 VARIO MT.

Massey Ferguson

Over the past five years Agco has been updating the Massey Ferguson tractor line with the S Series models.

At Agritechnica 2023, it introduced the 9S Series, which pushed at the top end of the horsepower range previously offered in the Massey Ferguson brand.

In late 2024 the 9S Series debuted (including the 9S.425) in North America and replaced the 8700S models. They began arriving on dealers’ lots in 2025.

McCormick

The McCormick brand, now owned by Argo of Italy, has one model available in Canada that tops the 300 h.p. mark, the X8.680. This MFWD model sports some high-end options and is fully compatible with Isobus-controlled implements.

The company hasn’t announced any changes to the basic specifications for this model as we move into 2026.

Deutz-Fahr

Germany-based Deutz-Fahr continues to offer its 300 h.p. 9340TTV Agrotron tractor in Canada.

The low-revving Deutz diesel engine and a ZF-built CVT transmission remain the main driveline components for it for 2026. Basic specifications also carry over for current models.

In detail

Case IH

In early 2020, Case IH introduced the updated AFS Connect Steiger tractor line, which was given a refresh in 2023.

The 715 Quadtrac was added in 2023. It was the brand’s flagship model until 2025 when its larger brother, the 785, debuted. Both tractors are built on the same chassis, but the 785 was given some upgrades to handle the additional ponies under the hood.

Both get power from an FPT 16-litre two-stage turbo diesel, but on the 785, some internal components have been enhanced, such as fuel injectors, pistons, rings and some of the oil flow that feeds the cylinder walls.

The FPT diesel uses SCR emissions technology, requiring the use of DEF.

Channeling all that power to the track modules is the Steiger PS6 16F-2R power shift transmission, which is standard equipment across the Steiger high-horsepower line.

The 785 uses the same PS6 power shift transmission as all 595 models and larger do. However, there were some enhancements specifically for the 785, such as shot-peened gears for additional strength. All PS6 transmissions will get those upgrades starting in 2026.

The longer 264-inch track modules available in 30- or 36-inch widths on the 785 are the same as those that debuted on the 715.

A bigger drive sprocket spreads the turning force out over an extra tooth to extend the life of the track.

The larger drive sprocket also allows for a boost in maximum road speed from 25 m.p.h. (40 km-h) to 26.5 m.p.h. (42.5 km-h).

The 785’s hydraulic system is an upgrade from the Smart Torque version with which the Steigers have been equipped.

In February 2024, Case IH introduced the new Quadtrac Heavy-Duty Suspension (HDS) for Steigers.

The current AFS Connect Magnums were first introduced in 2019.

In February 2024, Case IH also unveiled its 2025 model year Magnum tractor line. And in keeping with the industry trend of horsepower creep up, those tractors also saw a horsepower boost.

The 380 and the 400 both were given five additional h.p., creating the 385 and 405. Everything else in the large frame, starting at 250 and larger, got 15 additional h.p.

The tractors get power from what the brand calls the Cursor 9-litre diesel, which, technically speaking, actually has an 8.7-litre displacement.

The 355 was given a new transmission, a 21F x 5R power shift, which was included in its base equipment list.

The new transmission offering will make the 355 compatible with future autonomous operating systems by simplifying what’s required to make that workable when Case IH eventually offers it.

Another significant change for the 2025 Magnums came in how the brand offers technology packages for them. Buyers can pick and chose their preferred individual features from two complete package options.

At the rear, the Magnums adopted the hydraulic coupler design used on their larger brothers in the Steiger line.

In 2021, the AFS Connect Optum line first debuted.

Two of the two AFS Connect Optum models are at or above the 300-horsepower mark, the model 300 and the 340, which was new for the 2024 model year. They use an FPT 6.7-litre diesel, which features a 50 km-h capable CVXDrive CVT transmission. It offers a little lower hydraulic flow rate, with a standard 43.5 g.p.m. (166 l/m), which can be upgraded to 58.9 g.p.m. (223 l/m).

The Optums pack more horsepower into a smaller package with a lighter footprint than an equivalent Magnum.

The 300 Optum weighs in on average with a standard front axle at 24,603 pounds (11,160 kilograms), compared to 28,800 lb. (13,082 kg) on the 310 Magnum.

MTZ

Arie Prilik, vice-president of MTZ Equipment, the North American distributor of MTZ and Kirovets tractors, said the tractors and replacement parts, which originate in Belarus and Russia, still enjoy good availability.

The brand’s current flagship model, the 435 h.p. Kirovets K-744 four-wheel drive tractor, gets its power from an OM 470 Mercedes diesel and routes it through the Power Quad 16 X 8 transmission.

The tractors use a Bosch hydraulic system capable of 74 g.p.m. (280 l/m) and provides four rear remotes. They also have a Category IV rear three-point hitch with a 9,000 kg lift capacity.

A dedicated hydraulic pump provides a 21 g.p.m. (79 l/m) flow to the tractor steering system, and they are auto-steer ready.

Unique to the North American tractor market is the old-school front leaf-spring axle suspension used by the K-744. The tractors also have a suspended cab for improved operator comfort.

The K-744s use an air brake system, getting pressure from a Bendix pump. It can also be used as external compressed air source. The tractors even include a 20-foot auxiliary air hose.

The brand will soon begin production of three new, larger articulated four-wheel drive M8 models offering 500, 550 and 620 h.p. Its introduction date isn’t yet established, but it’s expected to debut in 2025.

The brand emphasizes the tractors’ lower cost and simple design with the marketing tag line, “Simple, dependable, profitable.”

JCB

In late 2025, JCB introduced the two-model 6000 Series to its Fastrac line.

They offer 284 and 335 peak h.p. PFT diesel engines mated to ZF 3.1 four-range, step-less transmissions and fit in between the 4000 and 8000 lines, bringing the total number of Fastracs to seven.

Their 6.7-litre, six-cylinder FPT diesels deliver peak power at 1,850 r.p.m. The 6.7’s torque curve rises as the revs are drawn down, where it peaks at 940 foot-pounds at 1,400 r.p.m. on the 6260 and 1,023 foot-pounds on the 6300.

The two 6000 Series tractors have a top speed of 66 km-h, which also fits in between the 60 km-h and 70 km-h top speeds of the other two ranges.

The 6000 Series tractors use air brakes with externally mounted discs, which makes changing worn pads much simpler than on the inboard brakes used on many other tractors. The brakes use electronic ABS to avoid uncontrolled skidding on hard surface roads.

The tractors can be equipped with dual NovAtel GPS receivers that enable the high precision guidance to steer both axles.

All of that rides on a newly designed chassis, using a cast front section that houses the engine and front axle, as well as a fabricated steel structure for the rear half that carries the cab, transmission and rear axle.

The largest Fastrac, the 8330, offers 348 h.p. in a tractor that can hit 70 km-h (43 m.p.h.) on the road.

For safety, they use a dual-line hydrostatic steering system, and the Rapid Steer option reduces the number of steering wheel turns from lock to lock by 50 per cent to make field operations easier.

To bring the tractor safely to a stop, it uses external brakes on both axles and has an ABS system to help maintain steering control during hard braking.

The 8330 uses an 8.4-litre Agco Power diesel engine matched with an dual-range CVT transmission.

The 8330 auxiliary hydraulic flow rates hit 178 l/m (47 g.p.m.), with up to five rear and two forward remotes. Rear three-point hitch lift capacity is 10,000 kg, and the optional front linkage capacity is 3,500 kg.

The new 6000 Series tractors beat those hydraulic numbers with a standard 205 l/mn (54 g.p.m.) flow rate, or an optional 410 l/mn rate available in the larger 6300 model.

Claas

The Axion 900 iine includes three models above 300 h.p.: the 940, 950 and 960. There is also a variation on the 960, the 960 TT Terra Trac half-track tractor. Together, those models offer 334, 357 and 391 advertised power take-off h.p.

Under the hoods of all 900 Series models is an 8.7-litre, six-cylinder FPT diesel engine. Mated to that engine is a CMATIC four-range continuously variable transmission.

The brand has also been offering the unique rigid-frame four-wheel drive Xerions, which were originally only available in just two models: the 517 h.p. 5000 or 476 h.p. 4500. Both use a 12.8-litre Mercedes OM 471 LA diesel.

Behind the Mercedes diesel is a ZF-made CVT transmission, making them capable of travelling at 50 km-h, even in reverse.

In 2023, the Xerion line was expanded to include two new 12 Series models: the 12.650 and 12.590, which offer 650 and 590 h.p., respectively. They’re available in both wheeled and tracked versions.

Behind the 15.6-litre Mercedes diesels that produce peak torque at just 1,300 r.p.m. is a “purpose-built,” in-house design CMATIC Eccom 5.5 CVT transmission that offers the precise settings and easy speed adjustments typical of a CVT, and it can move the tractors down the road at 40 km-h on the Terra Trac versions and 50 km-h on the wheeled models.

The Terra Trac models use a unique track module, which was designed by Claas and Camso for the high-horsepower demands of the 12 Series.

The wheeled versions come with 42-inch, 800-70R42 duals, which Claas claims is the largest tire currently available in the industry for production high-horsepower ag tractors.

The newest Xerions can deliver a high hydraulic flow, which maxes out at a whopping 142 g.p.m. (537 l/m) with the optional three-pump system.

Four priority remotes can be used to keep essential systems such as air drill fans running at optimum speed. The base, single-pump hydraulic system delivers 58 g.p.m. (220 l/m).

The new Axion model 9.450, with several changes and a new model number designation format, debuted at Agritechnica last year year, but it is not yet available in North America. It won a Tractor of the Year award at that show. It is an entirely new design, according to the company.

New Holland

At the top of New Holland’s tractor line is the T9 with PLM Intelligence Series. The latest model of those four-wheel drive T9s introduced in August of 2023 pushed at the upper horsepower limits of the line.

The T9 SmarTrax versions were announced in early 2024 for the 2025 model year. The T9 Series now covers the 425 to 645 rated engine h.p. range.

Of the six models for 2024, the T9.470, T9.520 and T9.580’s 12.9 litre engines have been changed to an electronic variable geometry turbo (eVGT) to boost horsepower, improving fuel economy by two per cent. The three other models, which are wide-frame models (the T9.615, T9.655 and T9.700) also use the 12.9 diesel but sport two-stage turbocharging — fixed geometry, first stage and wastegate second stage.

Gross vehicle weight (GVW) has been increased across all six of the new T9 models: 56,000 lb. (25,401 kg) for the smallest three and up to 67,000 lb. (30,391 kg) for the T9.700.

Buyers get a choice of two transmissions for all but the top two models, which are only available with the Ultra Command 16 X 2 powershift. The others can be ordered with the optional Auto Command CVT as well.

Total T9 hydraulic flow rates can be boosted up to 113 g.p.m. (427 l/m). A large coupler is available for very high flow demands, and tractors can be equipped with up to eight remotes.

The remote valve controls on the Sidewinder Ultra armrest are customizable and can be arranged to control whichever remotes the operator prefers.

The Genesis T8 with PLM Intelligence series wheeled models (T8.320, T8.350, T8.380, T8.410, and T8.435) get five to 15 h.p. ratings boosts, with five models from 325 to 435. There are also the 410 and 435 horsepower T8.410 SmartTrax and T8.435 SmartTrax models.

Depending on the model, T8s offer a choice of an 18 X4, 19 X 4 or 21 X 5 Ultra Command full powershift transmission or the brand’s CVT. T8s have the 8.7-litre FPT Cursor 9 engine under their hoods.

Of course, just like the T9s, the T8s with PLM Intelligence offer the highest level of digital connectivity the brand has ever offered. PLM Intelligence allows for remote tractor diagnostics, remote viewing, data collection and sharing, among a host of other functions.

Two tractors in the T7 Series now break the 300 rated engine h.p. mark, the T7.315 and T7.340 Heavy Duty with PLM Intelligence models. Both use the 6.7-litre FPT engine mated to the brand’s 50 km-h-capable Auto Command CVT transmission.

John Deere

John Deere currently offers three tractor ranges with models rated above 300 engine h.p., three in the 7 Series offering 310 to 350 h.p. and 12 in the 8 Series, all of which use the brand’s 9-litre diesel.

The big news for Deere in 2024 was the introduction of the three very-high horsepower 9RX models that offer 710, 770 and 830 h.p., making them the largest production models currently available.

The articulated 9 Series tractors up to 640 h.p. get Deere’s 13.6-litre JD14X diesel under the hoods.

This engine produces 13.5 per cent more power than the 13.5-litre engine it replaced, takes up less real estate, runs significantly quieter and drinks seven per cent less fuel. That engine gets mated to the brand’s e18 (18F x 6R) 40 km-h-capable power shift transmission.

The three big new tractors get an all-new John Deere 18-litre engine mated to the e21 powerShift transmission.

Deere’s 8 Series tractors get the company’s nine-litre diesel for power. They use the brand’s Intelligent Power Management system to boost output by up to 35 h.p. during p.t.o. or transport work.

The 2023 model year introduced 410 h.p. 8R, 8RT and 8RX models with a step-less electric variable transmission (EVT). Deere says that design enables precise speed control and enhanced drivability. They’re also available with the e23 power shift.

The EVT uses electric motors instead of hydrostatic motors to improve transmission performance.

To the operator, it will feel much like an Infinitely Variable Transmission (IVT), only much quieter. Deere says it will provide better overall tractor control, along with easy serviceability and diagnostics

Other transmission options in the 8 Series include the brand’s 40- or 50-km-h capable IVT, as well as the e23 and 16-speed power shifts. The optional CommandPRO control is available on 8 Series tractors equipped with the EVT or IVT transmissions.

The three largest 7 Series models, the 7R 310, 330 and 350 also break the 300 h.p. mark. They use Deere’s 9.0-litre diesel as well, and the 330 and 350 are available with the choice of an e23 (23F x 11R) or IVT transmission.

Buyers of the 7R 350 will have to take the IVT because it’s the only option on that model.

In early 2025, Deere announced the next generation perception system, an autonomy precision upgrade kit for select tractor models that can bring autonomy to tillage work. This system is available as a precision upgrade for model year 2022 and newer 9R and 9RX tractors and model year 2020.5 and newer 8R and 8RX tractors.

Versatile

Winnipeg-based Versatile continues to offer six wheeled and three tracked DeltaTrack versions of its articulated four-wheel drive tractors: the 530DT, 580DT, and the 620DT.

The wheeled models (the 530, 580 and 620) span the 400 to 616 h.p. range, with the three smallest tractors getting power from an X12 Cummins, while the three largest tractors in the series, which includes the three DeltaTrack models, get an X15 Cummins.

Behind those Cummins diesels is a Caterpillar 16 X 4 powershift transmission. The X12 mates to the TA19 Caterpillar, and the X15 routes power through a larger TA22. All use the brand’s trademark outboard planetary final drives for ease of maintenance and durability.

Versatile four-wheel drives are equipped with a standard 59 g.p.m. (223 l/m) pump or an optional 112 g.p.m. (424 l/m) high flow hydraulic system. Six rear half-inch hydraulic remotes are standard with two additional, optional three-quarter inch types available. Flow rates can be varied through the in-cab monitor.

Two cab comfort packages are available, the Deluxe and Deluxe Pro, which includes upgrading the monitor from the standard 10-inch to a 12-inch. Three different lighting packages allow for upgrades from a 14 halogen package to 19 LED and two halogen with a total output of 47,500 lumens.

Farther down the horsepower line, three of the brand’s MFWD tractors top 300 h.p.: the 315, 335 and 365.

As Versatile’s long-standing exclusive engine supplier, there are Cummins engines under the hoods of these tractors, too — this time, a QSL9 mated to a 16 X 9 powershift for all five tractors in the series. All have a total hydraulic flow of 55 g.p.m. (208 l/m), or 72 g.p.m. (272 l/m) with the optional hi-flow hydraulic system.

Fendt

The current Fendt 900 Vario MT line of tracked tractors includes three models with 380 to 431 h.p.: the 938 Vario MT, 940 Vario MT and 943 Vario MT . They use a 9.8-litre, seven-cylinder diesel and offer up to 116 g.p.m. (439 L/mn) hydraulic flow.

The wheeled 900 Vario line includes five models topping out at 415 rated h.p. They get that power from a six-cylinder 9.0-litre diesel.

The 900 Vario models have an integrated tire pressure control system that is controlled through the touch screen. The intelligent VarioDrive system provides seamless speed control from creep all the way up to 33 m.p.h.

As well, there is no need to manually switch to all-wheel drive when it’s required. The system handles that automatically.

There are now four 1000 Vario Series models from 426 to 550 h.p.: the 1040 Vario, 1044 Vario, 1048 Vario and 1052 Vario. These tractors can now be unlocked from the factory to use with the PTx Trimble Outrun autonomous grain cart system.

The 1000 Series has a standard 58 g.p.m. (220 L/mn) hydraulic flow rate, but that can be upgraded to an optional 113.5 g.p.m. (430 L/mn).

A self-cleaning air filter system uses on-board compressed air to periodically blow out the filter, extending filter life by up to 15 times compared to standard intakes.

The wheeled 900 and 1000 Series tractors get power from six-cylinder MAN engines (a nine-litre in the 900 Series and a 12.4 in the 1000s).

Equipped with the Fendt iD low engine speed concept that works with the tractor management system (TMS) and Fendt’s signature VarioDrive continuously variable transmission, the tractors have a maximum engine operating speed of just 1,700 r.p.m. That, according to Fendt, means less fuel consumption and reduced wear on engine components.

The high-horsepower, two-track tractor designs originally introduced under the Challenger brand were made available to Canadian farmers wearing Fendt colours in 2020.

There are now four models, including the 1151, 1156, 1162, and 1167 in the 511- to 673-h.p. range in the 1100 Vario MT Series, powered by a 15.2 litre engine. As well, there are three others in the smaller 380 to 431 h.p. 900 Vario MT Series, which use the seven-cylinder 9.8 litre diesel engine.

In 2024, Agco introduced the ErgoSteer retrofittable joystick control option for 500 to 1000 Series tractors.

Easily installed in late model machines it allows the operator to steer the tractor with a joystick mounted on a left-hand armrest, rather than use the steering wheel. It’s available as a kit from Agco parts.

The system was recognized for an AE50 award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) for 2025.

Massey Ferguson

Agco has given its Massey Ferguson brand the “straightforward and dependable” marketing tagline, positioning Massey as the go-to option for those not looking for the same high level of technology its sister brand Fendt offers.

However, that isn’t to say Masseys are all bare bones and low tech.

Along with those models that can be ordered with more basic features, there is a lot of technology that can be packed into many of the brand’s traditional red and grey tractors as well. They offer buyers a wide range of technology levels.

In late August 2024, Agco debuted the new 9S models (photo up top) at the Farm Progress Show in the U.S., and they began arriving at North American dealers in 2025.

First introduced at Agritechnica in 2023, the 9S line will include six models in the 285 to 425 h.p. range (9S.285, 9S.310, 9S.340, 9S.370, 9S.400, 9S.425) pushing up at the top of the horsepower range offered by Massey.

The 9S models use a closed-centre hydraulic system with an optional flow rate of up to 400 L/mn.

An 8.4 litre engine, which delivers maximum power at 1,850 r.p.m., has its power routed through the brand’s Dyna-VT, 40 or 50 km-h-capable CVT transmission.

The 9S tractors are relatively light and can weigh up to 3.1 tonnes less than competitors’ tractors in that horsepower category.

The Datatronic 5, nine-inch touchscreen is fully Isobus compatible and allows the operator to control tractor functions on the nine-inch screen.

It offers MF AutoTurn, which can store three separate steering modes for headland turns. Images from up to four cameras can be displayed on the screen to help monitor implements.

McCormick

Topping out McCormick’s flagship X8 model line is the 310 h.p. X8.680. It gets that muscle from a 6.7-litre six-cylinder BetaPower engine that breathes through a variable geometry turbocharger so it can deliver up to 945 pound-feet of torque.

Behind that engine is the brand’s 50 km-h-capable VT-Drive continuously variable transmission, which has four programmable “virtual” operating ranges.

Built for McCormick by ZF, the VT-Drive has three operating modes: automatic, manual and p.t.o. It can even be set to maintain speed and engine settings by automatically adapting to changing load conditions.

The closed-centre hydraulic pump provides 56 g.p.m. (212 l/m). An additional 30 g.p.m. ( 115 l/mn) pump supplies dedicated flow to the steering system.

Tractors can be equipped with up to six electronically controlled rear remotes, as well as two more at the front. The transmission and hydraulic fluids are kept in separate sumps to prevent cross contamination and help ensure driveline oil levels remain at the proper levels.

The rear three-point hitch has a lift capacity of 26,450 lb. (12,000 kg), and a front hitch is also available. It gets a lift rating of 11,000 lb. (5,000 kg). A front p.t.o. is also an option.

A suspended front axle is standard equipment on the X8s, and the tractors are compatible with the brand’s L88 front-end loader.

The McCormicks have fully compatible Isobus connectivity to make digital communications with implements seamless. Operator interface is through a 12-inch touchscreen colour monitor.

Deutz-Fahr

The 9 Series TTV Agrotron models in Deutz-Fahr’s lineup break the 300 h.p. mark. However, only the largest model, the 9340, gets imported into Canada. It has a rating of 336 maximum h.p.

Behind the 7.8-litre Deutz TTCD diesel engine is a ZF-built CVT transmission, which offers 40, 50 or 60 km-h capable versions, along with precise speed selection from 0.2 to 60 km-h at reduced engine speed.

The Deutz engine delivers 90 per cent of its available torque at just 1,000 r.p.m., and maximum torque remains relatively constant from 1,200 to 1,600 r.p.m.

Hydraulic flow rate is 160 l/m, but that can be increased to 210 l/m as an option. Flow rates and activation time of the flow to remotes can be adjusted from the operator’s seat independently for each circuit. Up to six rear and two front remotes are available.

Hydraulic oil uses a separate sump from the transmission fluid to avoid contamination.

The 9 Series tractors offer what the brand describes as “unique operating comfort.” The MaxiVision cab 2 gets a lighting package using LED work lights.

Inside the cab is a colour 12.8-inch iMonitor 2.0 and upholstered leather seating. And for a smoother ride, pneumatic cab suspension is standard on these tractors.

The 9 Series come equipped with a suspended front axle, too. It offers a tight 50 degree turn angle with power disc brakes for improved stopping capability.

Rear three-point hitch lift capacity comes in at 12,000 kg. Front hitch lift capacity is 5,000 kg.

The 9340 includes a built-in guidance package and is fully Isobus compatible, which means it’s TIM (Tractor Implement Management) ready. A fold-out cooling package and easy access to filters make maintenance chores a little easier.

The tractors’ appearance is the result of styling developed in collaboration with the design studio Italdesign Giugiaro.

As well, for those who want to look under that stylish hood, no heavy straining is necessary. A button in the cab lifts it with ease.

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They don’t know if they can stop it, but they do aim to try.

“We know at the end of the day it’s going to destroy the condiment mustard industry in Canada, that that’ll be the end of it,” said Rick Mitzel, chief executive officer of Mustard 21 and executive director of SaskMustard.

Industry has been meeting with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Agriculture Canada and BASF, which announced last June it was going to introduce the crop in the United States in 2027 and in Canada a couple of years later.

WHY IT MATTERS: InVigor Gold is a genetically modified LibertyLink-resistant crop, which the European market won’t accept. Although BASF has called it a yellow canola, it is actually a brassica juncea, or from the mustard family, and not brassica napus, which is the canola grown in Western Canada.

Sask Mustard officially opposes the introduction of InVigorGold.

In December, it issued a news release and letter to producers to draw attention to what it called a critical threat from the crop. Saskatchewan supplies about 80 per cent of Canada’s mustard and 50 per cent of global supply.

Sask Mustard, Mustard 21 and the Canadian Mustard Association strongly disagree with BASF’s assertion the technology won’t negatively affect mustard producers, they said.

“The introduction of a GM B. juncea crop threatens to irreversibly contaminate Canada’s non-GM mustard supply through expected gene flow within a single species,” they said.

“This would destroy the trust we have built with international buyers, particularly in the European Union and Japan, who rely on the guaranteed non-GM status of Canadian mustard seed.”

French’s and France

In an interview, Mitzel said the next step is to consult with companies such as McCormick and others to gain their support.

In December he went to France to meet with four major processors that control about 80 per cent of the mustard in Europe. Some of them attended the recent mustard meetings online and are planning a trip to Saskatchewan this summer.

“They’re very concerned about it,” Mitzel said.

“They don’t want to lose the Canadian supply because it’s such high quality. They did tell me that 50 per cent of the mustard they buy comes from Canada. They’re not backing down on GMOs.”

The French would be faced with buying lower-quality crop from competitors such as Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan if Canada couldn’t guarantee GMO-free. That would cause milling issues, Mitzel said.

During the meeting, Kacy Gehring from Mountain States Oilseeds said U.S. farmers are also concerned. The first effects of possible contamination will be seen there and could limit their markets.

She asked if pressure from U.S. signatories would help the Canadian cause.

Others at the meeting likened their fight to a “David and Goliath” situation and wondered how they could possibly take on a huge company with far more money and people. They noted the similarity to when Triffid flax appeared years after the GM variety had been discontinued, resulting in expensive testing.

Howard Love, crop breeder for Mustard 21, said the crop is “absolutely not” canola. He discussed the science behind InVigor Gold’s development and how contamination could occur.

Contamination won’t be a problem in year one but will take a few years to develop, he said.

‘The right reasons’

In Canada, BASF would be targeting the brown soil zone where about 80 per cent of Saskatchewan mustard is grown, said Sask Mustard chair Norm Hall. Cross-pollination is a huge concern.

CMA chair Dave Macfarlane said his members see the threat based on Triffid and also from a 2009 finding of GM canola in European mustard. That incident led to testing as well.

He said the industry doesn’t know if the EU would allow similar testing protocols if InVigor Gold is approved.

Some growers asked what support they have from oilseed producers. Mitzel said the Canola Council of Canada appears “very much on side with what BASF is doing. They feel they need this product to continue to grow canola.”

During the SaskOilseeds meeting, chair Dean Roberts said his organization does not have an official position.

“Right now we’re gathering as much information as we can,” he said.

He said they have to be aware of what it means to come out against an innovation, particularly when a company is willing to invest in research and development.

“If we were to say no, we want to be sure we’re saying no for the right reasons, but we also want to be aware of the impacts those decisions could have on other markets,” he said.

“One hundred per cent, we’ve got our eye on it.”

The mustard industry is pinning its hopes on the CFIA and its regulatory process. Although often seen as burdensome, both Mitzel and Macfarlane said in this case that system is their best bet to save their sector.

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That’s why this McCormick-Deering, on display at the World Ag Expo in California earlier this year, caught my attention.

At first glance it looked like just another restored model. But on closer examination, this tractor was now very different than how it rolled off the assembly line, probably in the 1930s.

Aside from sporting oversized tires and a glossy new paint job, it was re-powered with a Cummins diesel engine.

It’s hard to say exactly what model this was originally — probably a 22-36, which was in production from 1929 to 1934. If so, it would originally have had a massive 425-cubic inch (seven-litre) gasoline engine under the hood, but it would only have delivered about 30 horsepower on the drawbar despite all those cubic inches.

The Cummins almost certainly delivers at least that much but takes up barely half the space under the hood.

The tractor was also probably delivered to its first owner riding on steel wheels rather than rubber tires.

The McCormick-Deering brand name was used by International Harvester Co. (IH) from the 1920s through the 1940s. The brand was a callback to the names of two of the companies merged in 1902 to form IH — which itself later merged with Case in the 1980s and with New Holland in 1999 as CNH.

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McCormick Canada, the Canadian arm of Baltimore-area condiment and spice maker McCormick and Co., on Monday announced it had completed a “multi-million dollar expansion” at its London, Ont. plant to blend, bottle and package French’s ketchup.

Bottling of French’s ketchup began at the London plant last month, the company said Monday, but added that “full production ramps up this week.” An exact dollar figure wasn’t given for the cost of the expansion.

McCormick said it would continue to source 100 per cent of its tomatoes for French’s ketchup in Canada from the Leamington, Ont. area and would continue to offer the product in four varieties: original, garlic, low-sodium, and no-sugar-added.

By bringing its ketchup line to London, McCormick said it would be “deepening its local roots” and transitioning away from a “third-party Canadian supplier.” The French’s line has been packed in Canada by Toronto-based Select Food Products since 2016.

McCormick has operated at London since 1959, when it bought the Club House brand of spices and extracts, a business founded there in 1883 by Gorman, Dyson and Co.

The French’s brand, along with Frank’s RedHot and others, came to McCormick in 2017 when it bought the food business of British consumer health and hygiene firm Reckitt Benckiser for US$4.2 billion.

Shortly before that sale, the French’s brand had made a splash in Canada by promoting its use of tomatoes grown in the Leamington area and by bringing the product’s bottling to Toronto.

Ketchup provenance by then had become a sore spot among some Canadian consumers, after Kraft Heinz shed its Leamington tomato processing plant in 2014 and began bottling its Heinz ketchup for the Canadian market at plants in the U.S.

Kraft Heinz sold the Leamington plant in 2015 to an Ontario consortium, Highbury Canco, and still sources some tomato products from the latter company. Kraft Heinz also announced last November it would resume packing Heinz ketchup in Canada for the Canadian market, this time at its plant in Montreal. –– Glacier FarmMedia Network

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Cultivated painstakingly over years from an orchid plant, vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world, after saffron.

In less than five years, the wholesale price has risen nearly 500 per cent, partly because of growing global demand for healthy, natural ingredients. But supply is an issue too: Cyclones, drought and crop-theft have hit Madagascar in recent years, slashing into the tender crop’s quality and quantity. The African island nation produces about 80 per cent of the world’s vanilla.

For McCormick and Co., the world’s largest spice company, the scarcity of vanilla has become too big a risk to ignore, spurring it to begin cultivating an alternative source on the north coast of Papua, Indonesia. McCormick, which sells vanilla and its extract to retailers, restaurants and packaged food makers, said it has been passing the higher costs on to buyers.

The price of black whole-bean Madagascar vanilla, the benchmark product, costs $520 per kilo (all figures US$). While this isn’t quite the spice’s record-high of $635 per kilo — reached after a ruinous cyclone in 2017 — it is still nearly six times the price of $87.50 per kilo in early 2015.

Back-to-back typhoons in 2017 and 2018 “definitely put input pressure on costs,” Nestle U.S. CEO Steve Presley recently told Reuters.

The world’s No. 1 food company raised prices for U.S. ice cream products in 2017, partly due to mounting vanilla prices, he said. The Swiss food giant makes Haagen-Dazs, Edy’s and Skinny Cow ice creams, which tout natural vanilla flavouring or beans on their labels.

General Mills, which sells Haagen-Dazs outside the United States and in the brand’s international ice cream parlours, said higher vanilla costs were forcing prices upward.

Now, Donald Pratt, managing director of McCormick’s global procurement arm, said the company is looking to Indonesia as a possible solution to the industry’s supply problem.

But pulling this off may be an uphill task.

Indonesia produces only about 100 tonnes of whole vanilla beans a year, a far cry from Madagascar’s output of about 2,000 tonnes, Pratt said. And some others who have tried to cultivate a secondary source for vanilla have not been successful — Unilever’s Ben and Jerry’s, for instance, “invested heavily” in a similar project that backfired in Uganda.

‘The dark side of vanilla’

Vanilla — sometimes called green gold — is so coveted thieves will kill for it.

“This is the dark side of vanilla. You don’t realize because it’s such a sweet thing,” said Cheryl Pinto of Ben and Jerry’s, which uses vanilla in most of its ice creams, as well as in other items such as cookie-dough chunks. Pinto said she is in charge of managing the company’s supply chain with a “social mission” in mind.

To protect their crop in Uganda, “farmers were sleeping in these fields and there were murders and beatings,” she said. “It was awful.”

This month, when setting harvest dates, the Ugandan government called out “cases of theft and loss of lives” spurred by higher prices. The violence goes both ways: Last year, Reuters reported Malagasy growers defending their fields by beating apprehended suspects to death.

Vanilla is valuable largely because it is laborious to grow.

New vanilla vines take three to four years to produce orchids and can only be pollinated — by hand — a few days each year during a pre-dawn, four-hour window. From bloom to sale, the average production cycle is 16-18 months, and 600 hand-pollinated flowers yield only about one kilo of dried beans.

The vines can flourish only if intertwined with small trees that provide support and shade. And they must be grown close to the equator.

Bourbon vanilla, which McCormick sells, is by far the most popular variety in the world. Though it has historically been cultivated in Mexico, it mostly has been produced in Madagascar for the past century because many farmers elsewhere found it such a time-consuming, delicate crop, not worth the uncertainty and price fluctuations.

Pratt said he doesn’t yet know how much Indonesia would have to produce to calm market prices.

Tam Hun Man Tombo, a vanilla exporter in Madagascar, is skeptical farmers elsewhere are up to the task.

“I’ve been in the vanilla business for more than 30 years, and every time I hear the same refrain: Buyers are looking for other origins, buyers will be working with farmers in other countries,” he said.

“It is a threat to which we are accustomed. But we do not fear that too much. Indonesia cannot produce vanilla as good as Madagascar.”

To boost production quickly, McCormick is scaling up training programs in Papuan farming communities. To produce beans of Madagascar’s quality — to which consumers are accustomed — McCormick has been changing some practices related to soil and water management.

McCormick is in discussions with CARE, a non-governmental organization that helped re-establish the market in Madagascar after the 2017 cyclone destroyed about 30 per cent of the island’s vanilla crops. The agency has founded co-operatives in Indonesia as well as Madagascar that provide training for growers — often women — on crop production and management, as well as aspects of financial literacy.

CARE has suggested other geographic alternatives, as well, including Uganda and Tanzania, said Elly Kaganzi, deputy director of CARE’s agriculture and market systems.

Pinto told Reuters Ben and Jerry’s efforts in Uganda foundered, however, because eastern buyers — mainly from China — swooped in and “showed up to the village with a boatload of cash” ahead of the government-sanctioned harvest date.

“We have not been able to get any vanilla out of Uganda,” Pinto said.

Ben and Jerry’s says it hasn’t raised prices due to vanilla costs, choosing to absorb them and stay competitive. But retail prices for other companies’ vanilla-containing products, from coffee sweeteners to yogurt to extract, continue marching upward.

As of May 30, a two-fluid ounce bottle of McCormick’s Vanilla Extract from Walmart.com cost $8.12, up from $5.94 in May 2015, according to the retail consulting firm GlobalData.

“Vanilla has always been a store-cupboard staple, a common product,” said Neil Saunders, who heads the firm. “Consumers might be surprised at the high cost, but what can they do if everyone from Amazon to Walmart is raising prices?”

— Reporting for Reuters by Richa Naidu in Chicago and Lovasoa Rabary in Antananarivo.

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Sales of California-grown garlic are now increasing after decades of losing ground to cheaper Chinese imports. Sales are poised to get even better as Chinese garlic faces even higher tariffs, with no end to the trade war in sight.

“In a perfect world, we’d love to see the tariffs stay on forever,” said Ken Christopher, executive vice-president of family owned Christopher Ranch, the largest of three remaining commercial garlic producers in the United States.

While many farmers are suffering through the trade war because they relied heavily on imports to China, U.S. garlic growers benefit because they rely overwhelmingly on domestic sales.

Tariffs on Chinese garlic increased from 10 to 25 per cent on May 9, when the U.S. hiked tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods and dashed hopes that a U.S.-China trade deal could come soon (all figures US$).

While soybean farmers in the U.S. Midwest watched silos fill with unsold crops as top buyer China all but stopped purchases, Christopher Ranch saw domestic garlic sales rise 15 per cent in the last quarter of 2018 after the U.S. applied a 10 per cent tariff on imports of Chinese garlic in September.

Then Trump ordered even higher tariffs this month after trade talks broke down when China backtracked on a host of issues crucial to U.S. officials.

The escalation came just a few weeks before the U.S. garlic harvest.

“The timing couldn’t be better for us,” Christopher said. “We anticipate a surge in demand for California garlic in the coming weeks.”

Christopher, 33, whose farm has 5,900 acres of grass-like garlic fields at Gilroy, traveled to Washington, D.C. in July to urge the Trump administration to include garlic in the list of imports that would face tariffs.

In lobbying for tariffs, Christopher follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, who fought to implement an anti-dumping duty of up to 400 per cent on Chinese garlic in the 1990s.

“We understand in a broader economic sense that a trade war is not in the U.S. best interest,” he said, “But since the tariffs were happening anyway, we needed to be sure that garlic was part of the equation.”

Not everyone is a fan of the garlic tariff. While Christopher was testifying in favour of tariffs to the U.S. International Trade Commission, executives from one of the world’s top seasoning companies, McCormick and Co., were arguing against them.

McCormick says its recipes mostly rely on Chinese garlic, calling it a different product from what is grown in the U.S.

“They’re not substitutable,” CEO Lawrence Kurzius told Reuters in an interview. “Just like wine, origin matters and terroir matter.”

Taste differences aside, California garlic has traditionally sold at far higher prices than Chinese garlic. It now sells for about $60 per 30-lb. box on the wholesale market, according to Christopher. Until recently, Chinese garlic sold for $20 per box, but that has risen to $40 with tariffs and will likely soon rise further, he said.

The new profits U.S. garlic farmers have enjoyed from tariffs are an exception in the U.S. farm sector.

China last year retaliated to Trump’s tariffs with duties on U.S. goods including soybeans, corn and pork. Farm incomes in U.S. Midwest and mid-southern states continued to decline in the first quarter of 2019, according to banker surveys released this month by regional federal reserve banks.

Trump has pledged up to an additional $20 billion in aid to help U.S. farmers hurt by the prolonged dispute after groups such as the American Soybean Association criticized the failure to reach a deal. That’s on top of $12 billion the administration promised last year to compensate farmers for trade-war losses.

The trade war has also left many West Coast specialty crop farmers, like nut and cherry growers, scrambling to find alternative markets after China imposed steep duties on imports that made their products too expensive to sell there.

Jamie Johansson, an olive farmer and president of the California farm bureau — which represents 400 crops and 36,000 members — said the Trump administration had put California farmers in the middle of tariff wars with four of the state’s five top markets, including China.

“Among our members, I have not heard of anyone benefiting from the current trade war and tariffs,” Johansson said.

— Reporting for Reuters by Lucy Nicholson and Richa Naidu; additional reporting and writing by Caroline Stauffer.

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London-listed Reckitt said in April it was reviewing options for the unit, which includes French’s mustard and Frank’s RedHot sauce, to cut its debt following the $16.6 billion purchase of baby formula maker Mead Johnson (all figures US$).

The sale, announced late on Tuesday, will reduce Reckitt’s net debt to EBITDA ratio to 3.3 times from 4.1 times. It will also enable it to focus more closely on its consumer health and home brands, which include Durex condoms and Mucinex cold medicine.

It gives McCormick, the maker of Lawry’s and Old Bay seasonaings and Billy Bee honey, a leading position in the U.S. condiments category.

At $4.2 billion, the price represents a multiple of more than seven times the annual sales from the business and 20 times its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.

That is much higher than the long-term average of major deals in the sector, which Bernstein analysts say is 3.3 times sales and 16.2 times EBITDA.

Sources had previously estimated that the business, which attracted interest from several strategic U.S. players, would fetch more than $3 billion. They also noted that private equity funds were not invited to the process as they would have had trouble competing on price with industry players.

In the final stages of the auction, McCormick competed with Unilever and Hormel Foods, one source said on Wednesday. That source also said that PE funds would have slowed the process due to more lengthy due diligence requirements.

Unilever declined to comment, while Hormel could not immediately be reached.

RBC Capital Markets analysts said it “feels to us like a very high price for a U.S.-oriented ambient food business.”

Morgan Stanley analysts said the high price tag confirmed the value placed on unique assets like French’s, which is the world’s leading mustard brand.

Rating agency Moody’s said that the sale was credit positive for Reckitt as “the proceeds will be used to pay down some of the existing debt which will help faster deleverage.”

Maryland-based McCormick, which expects the hot sauce category to continue seeing robust growth, has been trying to expand through acquisition.

Last year it approached Premier Foods, the owner of British food brands including Mr. Kipling cakes and Oxo stock cubes, but was rebuffed.

With this deal, McCormick expects to achieve “meaningful accretion” to margins and adjusted earnings per share, excluding transaction and integration costs. It expects cost synergies of about $50 million, most of which by 2020.

McCormick said it had obtained bridge financing and expects to permanently finance the deal through a combination of debt and equity.

The combined entity’s 2017 pro forma net sales are expected to be about $5 billion, McCormick said.

Credit Suisse advised McCormick on the deal, while Morgan Stanley and Robey Warshaw advised Reckitt.

— Martinne Geller is a consumer goods correspondent for Reuters based in London, England. Additional reporting for Reuters by Sangameswaran S in Bangalore and Clara Denina in London.

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Topping out at 310 engine horsepower, these tractors will be the most powerful models the brand offers when they start production in early 2017. And they won’t be shy on high-end features.

“The X8 is a new beast that we will launch in production at the end of next year, in the first quarter of 2017,” said Mirco Candiani, product manager for McCormick tractors at the company’s display at Agritechnica. “There will be three models starting at 264 horsepower and ending at 310.”

Under the hood the X8s will use Tier 4 Final-compliant, six-cylinder, 6.7-litre Fiat Powertrain (FPT) diesels with variable geometry turbochargers. All models will use a programmable four-range CVT transmission built by German transmission manufacturer ZF. McCormick calls it the “VT Drive”. Those transmissions will also be available with a 50 km/hr. option.

A front-mounted three-point hitch integrated into the chassis will be standard equipment, offering a five-tonne lift capacity. Rear hitch lift capacity hits 12 tonnes. A closed-centre hydraulic pump will provide a standard flow rate of 157 l/min. If that’s not enough, it can be upgraded to 212. The tractors can accommodate up to 10 SCV valves at the front, rear and mid-mount positions.

X8s offer three PTO speeds — 540 eco, 1,000 and 1,000 eco. To help avoid driveline damage when using mounted equipment, the tractors will automatically stop the PTO at pre-set three-point hitch lift heights. A front PTO is available, too.

The chassis will be able to accommodate some pretty large rear tire sizes, including a 900/60R42.

Also standard is a cab suspension, with an active dampening system, along with an electronically controlled hydraulic front axle suspension. Inside the cab operators will find a typical multi-function armrest and a 12-inch monitor. A forward instrument cluster will tilt along with the steering column.

The X8s carry on the new McCormick body styling. Up to 18 LED work lights can be incorporated into the hood, fenders and cab roof.

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