MOLINE, Ill. (AP) -- Farm-equipment maker Deere & Co. says it will lay off almost 700 workers at factories in Brazil and Iowa.
The Moline, Ill.-based company says it will fire 502 workers at an agricultural harvesting equipment plant in Horizontina, Brazil.
And 190 employees at a plant in Davenport, Iowa, which makes construction and forestry equipment, will be laid off or temporarily reassigned effective Feb. 16.
That's according to an e-mail sent Sunday to The Associated Press by Deere spokesman Ken Golden.
Employees were informed last week.
In November, Deere announced that South American market sales could drop by 20 percent and worldwide construction and forestry equipment sales could fall by 12 percent.
In the past six months, Deere has laid off 188 employees at the John Deere Dubuque Works in Iowa.
