Zhou Fengwu, a machinery industry analyst at Orient Securities, said Caterpillar has been seeking a controlling share in a joint operation and was unwilling to cut its stake size. That made it unlikely that the plan would ever gain approval, Zhou said, noting that the ministry has been tough on sales in the equipment manufacturing sector. An official working for the securities affairs office of Shanghai Diesel Engine, who asked not to be identified by name, said the two parties could not...

Belarusian farming equipment maker to open four warehouses in Russia this year. The company reported a 160-percent year-on-year increase in exports in the first three months of 2007. The Babruysk-based enterprise opened a warehouse and maintenance center in the town of Nekrasovskoye, Yaroslavl province, in late March. The facility is expected to provide services and offer Babruyskahramash products to customers in the Yaroslavl, Kostroma and Ivanovo provinces in central Russia. The company...

DECATUR - Oil sand miners in Canada have reached into their deep pockets and splashed more than $90 million on 19 of the world's biggest trucks, built by Caterpillar inc. in Decatur. The deal, valued at more than $100 million Canadian, is a major coup for Caterpillar and promises work and job security stretching into years. And with the 797B having a working life of at least 10 years - and usually much longer - a fleet purchase of this size also guarantees a steady demand for service...

Currently, he farms 280 acres of land, planted half to corn and half to beans and helps a friend in his tractor repair shop. For two summers, Dickmann traveled the wheat harvest route, returning to the dealership during the winter months for employment. This June, construction will begin on a new 1,200-head, wean-to-finish hog building on his land near George. During that time, three combines covered 8,000 acres of wheat. When he has time to spare, Dickmann likes to work on old tractors,...

Most dyed diesel is used for large equipment - backhoes, graders, mining and farming machinery. The special fuel, sold only for off-road equipment use, is dyed red at refineries to distinguish it from other diesel fuel used in highway vehicles. Dyed diesel is exempt from state and federal taxes, so it costs roughly 50 cents per gallon cheaper than regular diesel that sells for about $2. If you drive a diesel, state authorities have a stern reminder: Keep the red stuff out of the gas tank....

Department of Agriculture doesn't keep track of how many farms start each year, and many of those going into business are doing so with plans that don't rely on a traditional wholesale market. And some new farmers, like the Woosters, have modeled their businesses on community supported agriculture programs that rely on customers who pay a fixed price at the start of the season in return for a certain amount of produce. In a few weeks they'll be transplanted from the temperature-controlled...