Between constant labor and supply shortages, it hasn’t been a Goodyear. The latest shortage in tires has some farmers feeling even more deflated.
Fueled by a demand for new equipment, plus the need to simply turn raw materials into a final usable product, the struggle is real.
How real? Farmers will actually buy old tires now vs. waiting until spring for new ones. If they still hold air, they’re sold.
Michael Hirakata, a fifth generation farmer in southeastern Colorado, says he’s “never seen anything like this.” His farm experienced a shortage of storage supplies for freshly picked cantaloupes, watermelons, and pumpkins, which slowed work this past growing season. They stopped picking until they had more boxes, bins, and pallets.
To make matters worse, transportation became an even larger issue, and Hirakata said they lost produce due to delays and a lack of trucks.
Soundbite: “I think it’s a global thing. If we go over to Charles City, Iowa to Mitas, or Firestone, wherever we’re at, I think you’re going to find the same problems at any of the manufacturers,” said Allen Miler, CLAAS North American marketing manager, about the tire shortage.