Farmers have always managed uncertainty. Weather, labor shortages, fluctuating commodity prices and rising input costs have long shaped the economics of agriculture. Today, another challenge has emerged: making sense of the enormous volume of data generated by modern farming operations.
For AGCO, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of agricultural equipment and precision farming technologies, artificial intelligence is becoming a critical tool for helping farmers navigate that complexity. The company, which generated approximately $10 billion in revenue in 2025, is increasingly embedding AI across its equipment, digital platforms and dealer network to help farmers improve yields while reducing costs. According to Chief Digital and Information Officer Jena Holtberg-Benge, the objective is straightforward.
“AGCO sees precision agriculture as the answer to one of farmers’ most central challenges,” she noted. “The ability to produce more with less.”
Technology as a Competitive Advantage
Holtberg-Benge’s perspective is shaped by an unconventional career path. Before becoming AGCO’s Chief Digital and Information Officer in 2026, she led the company’s global after-sales parts organization, giving her firsthand experience as an internal customer of the technology organization she now leads.
That experience fundamentally changed how she views the role of technology.
“I’ve been my own internal customer for this technology,” she explained. “Technology isn’t just about operational impacts. It’s about having the right part in the right place for customers every single time.”
Today, her organization oversees AGCO’s global technology strategy, AI initiatives, digital platforms, cybersecurity, enterprise systems and data capabilities. Rather than viewing those responsibilities as support functions, Holtberg-Benge sees them as drivers of business growth. From e-commerce platforms that allow dealers to order parts around the clock to digital customer experiences that keep equipment operating during critical planting and harvest windows, technology has become a competitive differentiator.
“We really see technology as an enabler to strategic growth for AGCO,” she emphasized. “It’s not just about the technology itself. It’s a competitive advantage.”
Precision Agriculture Moves Into the AI Era
Much of that advantage comes from precision agriculture, an area where AGCO has invested for decades. The company’s 2024 joint venture with Trimble combined AGCO’s precision agriculture capabilities with Trimble’s technology portfolio, creating one of the industry’s broadest offerings spanning guidance systems, steering technologies, targeted spraying and autonomous farming solutions.
Unlike manufacturers that focus exclusively on their own equipment, AGCO has taken what Holtberg-Benge describes as a “retrofit-first” approach, recognizing that most farms operate equipment from multiple manufacturers.
“Most farms you go to are pretty mixed fleet and multibrand,” she underscored.
Farmers have responded enthusiastically because the technology directly addresses some of their biggest operational challenges. Guidance systems help compensate for labor shortages by making equipment easier to operate. AI-enabled spraying systems identify weeds at the individual plant level, reducing herbicide use while improving sustainability and lowering operating costs.
“Farmers are hungry for anything that allows them to reduce input costs and improve yield,” Holtberg-Benge said.
Turning Data Into Decisions
While connected equipment generates enormous amounts of information, Holtberg-Benge believes the challenge isn’t collecting more data. It’s helping farmers act on it. “The risk in agriculture isn’t data scarcity,” she highlighted. “It’s really data paralysis.”
Modern farms continuously generate information from machine sensors, yield monitors, weather systems and agronomic advisors. Rather than asking farmers to reconcile multiple dashboards, AGCO is working to simplify decision making through its PTx Farm Management platform, which consolidates data from mixed fleets into a single operational view.
“Our job collectively at AGCO is to reduce that volume and create insights,” she said. “Information at the right time, at the right part of the crop cycle, to help them make the right decision.”
The same philosophy extends to AGCO’s dealer network. AI-powered agents now help dealers identify the correct replacement parts, answer customer questions more quickly and proactively notify customers when maintenance contracts or telematics subscriptions are nearing expiration. Those capabilities reduce downtime while strengthening relationships between farmers, dealers and AGCO.
Preparing the Workforce for AI
Internally, Holtberg-Benge believes AI adoption depends as much on people as technology. Over the past year, AGCO has expanded AI literacy programs across the organization, encouraging employees not only to learn about emerging technologies but to incorporate them into their daily work.
“It’s not just about learning,” she noted. “It’s about taking action.”
She follows that advice herself. Holtberg-Benge has built AI agents that monitor technology developments, summarize industry news, prepare meeting materials and review contracts and statements of work. The goal is to spend less time gathering information and more time making decisions.
She also encourages continuous learning through outside perspectives, citing the a16z podcast and Nate B. Jones’ Substack as valuable resources for understanding both the technical advances and broader business implications of AI.
Keeping Farmers First
Even as AI rapidly evolves, Holtberg-Benge believes AGCO’s priorities remain remarkably consistent.
The company’s “Farmer First” philosophy drives product development, customer research and technology investments. Customer panels, field demonstrations and ongoing engagement with dealers help ensure new technologies solve practical problems rather than simply showcasing technical capabilities.
Looking ahead, Holtberg-Benge sees AI becoming increasingly central to helping farmers navigate an industry facing growing pressure to produce more food with fewer resources. As agricultural markets recover from today’s downturn, she expects digital technologies to become an even more important source of differentiation.
“I’m really energized about the potential to leverage this technology,” she said emphatically. “To leverage AI to really grow the business. As we emerge from this part of the cycle, how can we truly apply AI to farmers’ problems and solve those problems for them?”
For AGCO, the future of farming won’t simply be more connected. It will be more intelligent, more efficient and increasingly driven by technology that helps farmers make better decisions when they matter most.
Peter High is President of Metis Strategy, a business and IT advisory firm. He has written three bestselling books, including his latest Getting to Nimble. He also moderates the Technovation podcast series and speaks at conferences around the world. Follow him on X @PeterAHigh.
