14 The expectations put on farmers to grow crops or raise livestock more sustainably means equipment manufacturers are under pressure to provide farmers with the necessary tools to meet those goals. And manufacturers like AGCO are up for the challenge. “The reality in our industry is that the product itself, the nuts and bolts, last a long time,” Seth Crawford, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Precision Ag & Digital at AGCO, told Precision Ag Digest. “But the technology on them is current for maybe three to five years before it starts getting outdated. The opportunities for us are to help the farmer increase yield, reduce input costs or overall make it easier or more reliable for them to accomplish that.” Specifically, AGCO is focusing on three areas of precision ag in 2024 and beyond. One is the strong demand for retrofitting technologies, which the company defines as “technology that likely wasn’t available when you first ordered your product,” Crawford said. Internal data related to planters showed that only about 7 per cent of farmers will buy a new planter every year, meaning 93 per cent of producers use the same equipment year after year. The same AGCO data revealed that more than 70 per cent of surveyed farmers felt their planters were outdated and costing them yield. That’s why retrofitting solutions are so important, Crawford said. “There’s a huge segment of farmers who know their equipment is not performing at its maximum capabilities, but they don’t want to buy a new implement,” he said. “So, our job is to look around at what we can offer farmers to enhance their current fleet of equipment to bring it over and above where it is today.” Another area AGCO is working on is alternative fuel adoption. TECH TRENDS AND INNOVATIONS FOR 2024 AND BEYOND An AGCO rep explains how it’s supporting farmers through precision ag DIEGO FLAMMINI FARMS.COM
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