After three years of war, Russian and Ukrainian leaders have agreed in principle to a ceasefire. However, drone attacks have continued. The Trump Administration will be part of the scheduled peace talks. Amity Technology President and CEO Howard Dahl has done business in both countries and monitors the situation closely. “I wish I knew what was going on behind the scenes, I fully expect the war to end sometime in the next few months,” said Dahl. “I chair the board of a large Ukrainian sugar company that’s publically traded and it’s been an extreme challenge for us. We’ve had 51 employees killed in the war and even the most patriotic Ukrainians want the war to end, they are just tired of the carnage.” Ukraine has some of the finest farmland in the world. For perspective, Dahl said Ukrainian soil could be compared to Red River Valley soil times ten. Once the war ends, it is estimated it will take $750 billion to rebuild Ukraine. Cropland has become a combat zone and the ag infrastructure has been damaged. That impacts ag businesses, including Amity Technology. “Between Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and a little bit in Western Europe, we averaged 40 harvesters and 40 defoliators a year for 25 years and I don’t think we’ll ship one this year.” In an interview with the Red River Farm Network, Howard Dahl discusses the state of the farm equipment business, innovations, and the impact of tariffs. The full interview can be found on the Red River Farm Network website.
