Tech Expectations
Tim Hammerich
News Reporter
Farmer adoption of technology has evolved at an impressive pace. Today, farmers aren’t just open to innovation — they expect it. For example, CNH’s Scott Harris says back in 2016, a driverless tractor was a jaw-dropper for most; now, many farmers expect it to be the direction agriculture is headed.
Harris… “What's been really interesting for me to watch and experience is the pace at which producers today are not only accepting new technology and new ways of doing it, they're demanding it. It's table stakes. I mean, consider this. In, it was 2016 at the Farm Progress Show, we revealed it was concept vehicle, right, the first driverless tractor. It was unheard of. It didn't, it was a Magnum tractor that didn't have a cab, and it was the big thing at the event that year. But what was really interesting was the response that we got from producers there, and I would say it was split. 50% of farmers looked at that and said, wow, that is the future of farming. That's where we're going. That's what I need. Labor is hard to come by. There was a clear, loud, and vocal group as well, the other half that said, you guys are trying to take the farmer off farm. Fast forward to today, right where the expectation, the full expectation is that we will get to fully autonomous operation, right, for the entire crop cycle. And the fact is, we're really already there.”
Harris says there’s still a ways to go, but farmers can take advantage of ancillary technologies to make the transition smoother.
