An autonomous tractor is a self-driving agricultural vehicle designed to perform various tasks on a farm or field without direct human intervention. It combines advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, computer vision, sensors, and GPS navigation to operate and carry out farming operations autonomously.
The global market for autonomous tractors was worth $818.4 million in 2021 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.5% from 2022 to 2030. Factors driving the market include a shortage of farm labor, decreasing arable land, and the advantages of autonomous tractors in ensuring food security. However, slow adoption rates may hinder market growth. The market is categorized based on horsepower, automation level, and geographical regions.
The global Autonomous Tractor Market is expected to grow due to the shortage of farm labor and diminishing arable land. Skilled workers in agriculture in the United States decreased from 28.81% in 2017 to 28.26% in 2018, creating a need for technologically advanced machinery. Farmers are turning to autonomous tractors to address this challenge and increase productivity. Additionally, the market is driven by the decreasing availability of arable land per person, which dropped from 0.20 hectares in 2011 to 0.18 hectares in 2018. Growers are striving to maximize productivity per hectare to meet rising food demand.
Leading Companies in the Autonomous Tractor Industry:
- Deere & Company
Deere & Company was established in 1837 and is headquartered in Moline, Illinois, United States. It operates in more than 160 countries and is engaged in manufacturing agricultural, construction, and forestry machinery. In 2022, John Deere launched a fully autonomous tractor during a press conference at CES 2022.
- Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd.
Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. was established in 1945 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India. It operates in over 100 countries and is engaged in designing, manufacturing, and distributing tractors and farming equipment.
- CNH Industrial
CNH Industrial was established in 2012 and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It operates in more than 180 countries and is engaged in designing, producing, and selling agricultural and construction equipment, trucks, commercial vehicles, buses, and specialty vehicles. In 2022, CNH Industrial revealed the New Holland T4 Electric Power, the industry’s first all-electric light utility tractor prototype with autonomous features.
- Kubota Corporation
Kubota Corporation was established in 1890 and is headquartered in Osaka, Japan. It operates in more than 100 countries and is engaged in manufacturing and selling machinery, industrial products, and consumer products. In 2020, Kubota declared collaboration with the US chipmaker Nvidia to grow huge, sophisticated, self-driving farm tractors and get full autonomy.
- Dutch Power Company (Alamo Group)
The Dutch Power Company (Alamo Group) was established in 2011 and is headquartered in Giessen, Noord-Brabant, the Netherlands. It is engaged in designing, manufacturing, and selling a variety of landscape and vegetation management machines and attachments.
- Yanmar Co. Ltd.
Yanmar Co. Ltd. was established in 1912 and is headquartered in Osaka, Japan. It is engaged in manufacturing diesel engines, heavy machinery, and agricultural machinery. In 2019, Yanmar launched autonomous tractors using precision positioning technology.
- AGCO Corporation
AGCO Corporation was established in 1990 and is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, United States. It operates in over 140 countries and is engaged in manufacturing and distributing agricultural and farming equipment and related replacement parts. In 2022, AGCO acquired JCA Industries, a developer of autonomous software for agricultural machines.
- Zimeno Inc., DBA Monarch Tractor
Zimeno Inc., DBA Monarch Tractor, was established in 2017 and is headquartered in Livermore, U.S. It is engaged in various industries, including agriculture, agtech, analytics, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and farming equipment.
Definition: An autonomous tractor is a self-driving agricultural vehicle capable of performing tasks without human intervention.
