Global John Deere production and precision ag production systems vice-president Aaron Wetzel (right) and John Deere Australia and New Zealand marketing director Ben Kelly (left) meet on farm with customers James and David Bailey.
Australian farmers’ uptake of agriculture technology is helping them manage the growing pressure of larger, more complex production systems and critical labour shortages.
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During his recent visit to Australia, John Deere production and precision ag production systems vice-president Aaron Wetzel spent several days meeting with growers across southern Queensland and northern NSW and said local farmers were trailblazing the use of innovation in their operations.
“The primary objective of my visit has been to spend time with Australian customers, understanding their daily challenges and exploring how John Deere products, technologies and local dealer capabilities can better support their needs,” Mr Wetzel said.
“Australian farmers are managing increasingly tight planting windows, operations that are a larger size and scale and a growing labour shortage. What stood out to me is how proactively they’re turning to technology to meet those challenges head-on.
“Without the government subsidies seen in other markets, Australian growers must be exceptionally efficient with their inputs and capital investments. They’re not just open to technology, they’re demanding it.”
A 37-year veteran of John Deere based in Illinois, Mr Wetzel has lived and worked in the United States, Europe and Brazil and now leads the portfolio development and capital allocation for equipment designed for the production of small grains, cotton, sugarcane, corn and soybeans.
“I’ve spent time with customers all over the world and, while the core issues are often similar, it is what I call the ‘last mile’ that is always local,” he said.
“Here, it might be putting chickpeas in the ground at just the right moment or managing moisture variability. That’s where we need to be truly in tune with our customers.”
Aaron Wetzel discusses machinery with customer James Bailey.
Autonomy on the way
John Deere has launched fully autonomous solutions on 8R and 9R Tractor platforms in the US and Mr Wetzel said he expected this tech to follow in Australia in the future.
“These systems are aimed squarely at helping farmers address labour shortages while increasing machine utilisation and overall efficiency,” he said.
“Having qualified people to do the work required is a challenge for many of our customers and they are actively looking for solutions to be able to address this.
“Australia is a key growth market for John Deere. The innovation mindset here is unmatched and we’re committed to supporting that with the very best equipment, precision technology and on-the-ground dealer support.
“We see tremendous opportunity to help growers here reach new levels of productivity.”
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