Through the first half of the fiscal year, John Deere reports sales are down eight percent while earning are 30 percent lower. Net income attributable to Deere & Company was $495.4 million for the second quarter ending April 30th, compared with $690.5 million for the same period last year. For the first six months of the year, net income attributable to Deere & Company was $749.8 million compared with $1.07 billion last year. Company CEO Samuel Allen says the second quarter performance reflects the continuing downturn in the global farm economy. Further, Allen says that while the company expects lower results this year, “Deere is continuing to perform at a much higher level than in previous downturns.”