SDARL Class XI International Seminar Day Seven Looks at Ag Equipment Manufacturers
SDARL Class XI International Seminar, the day started with a drive to Alpen, Germany, where we visited the headquarters and factory of Lemken Equipment. Lemken got its start in 1780 making plows. They say they are the oldest equipment manufacturer in the world, and can prove that 1804 was when the first Lemken plow was constructed.
Lemken got its start making plows, but now has a full lineup of tillage and seeding equipment. They make a twin row off-set planter that they call their Delta Row Planter. They claim it can raise yields 5% by allowing 70% more room to grow.
Lemken has 2000 employees, had 446 million euros of revenue in 2021, has two factories, and exports 81% of their equipment. Lemken is the fifth largest equipment brand in Germany, based on sales.
Our second stop for the day was in Oirlo, Netherlands, where we toured the facility of AgXeed. They manufacture autonomous machinery for all agricultural applications. Their slogan is “We provide autonomy.”
The employees of AgXeed have come from other manufacturers like John Deere, Claas, CNH, and Lemken. They didn’t like the direction the major tractor manufacturers were going with larger autonomous tractors, so they went out on their own.
AgXeed believes they can lower costs of farm production, apply robotic precision, and eliminate soil compaction through the use of lighter weight autonomous tractors. They believe farmers will see 60-80% savings in labor, 10-20% lower fuel consumption, reduce operating costs by 5-20%, and increase yields 10-40% through the use of autonomous equipment.
