The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) brought a panel of leading agricultural industry experts to wrap up the inaugural Tech Hub LIVE conference and trade show on Wednesday.

Joining moderator and Tech Hub LIVE Conference Chair Paul Schrimpf were:
Julian Sanchez, Director, Emerging Technology, John Deere
Michael Gomes, V.P. Business Development – Agriculture, Topcon
Darryl Matthews, Senior Vice President, Trimble Inc.

The topic was “What’s Now and Next For Ag Equipment and Technology Companies” and there was a lot to discuss, from sustainability and carbon programs to the massive shift toward in-season decision making and “just-in-time” field recommendations – as well as putting the farmer first.

“We continue to be laser-focused on helping farmers manage each plant at scale,” said Sanchez, who adds that ease of use for the farmer is number one priority. “Make the technology easy, make the data easy to understand, make it all just easy and intuitive.”

Gomes says data is becoming even more critical with the focus on sustainability and climate. “Agriculture has and continues to do the right things for the environment,” he said. “It’s that documentation of practice that makes it easier to show people that we are doing the right things.”

When it comes to carbon capture and sequestration, Matthews says it’s important to find a way to make it financially sustainable for farmers. “Everybody in the industry is looking at ways that we can buy carbon offsets and capture more carbon,” said Matthews. “Agriculture is the solution to carbon sequestration and we need to be on the forefront of that.”

Listen to some comments from the three panelists here:
Tech Hub LIVE Closing panel interviews (8:43)