Most of the industry was shocked in October when Monsanto announced they were selling the hardware business Precision Planting to John Deere. I was surprised, but not shocked. I knew right along that Monsanto was not interested in owning Precision Planting long term. They had bought it from Gregg Sauder two years earlier as a play to get quickly into the data business. They needed a way to collect the data quickly and efficiently. FieldView is the tool to do it. Monsanto is retaining Climate and FieldView.
John Deere wanted to buy Precision Planting because they could see that Precision had the best products on the market for planters. Period. John Deere wants to be the global leader in planter and seeding technology and market share. The only way to achieve that goal is to have the best products. I believe that the purchase validates what we have seen and said for years. Precision Planting’s product portfolio is superior to everyone else, and the products bring great value to every grower.
What does this mean for Precision Planting?
- John Deere plans to operate Precision Planting as a separate company keeping the existing dealer network in place
- John Deere acknowledged that the dealers are the reason Precision Planting has been so successful
- John Deere dealers will have the opportunity to become Precision Planting dealers, but will have to meet all the same requirements current dealers meet
What does this mean for P&C Ag Solutions and You?
- We will continue to offer Precision Planting solutions as one of our premier product lines
- We will continue to be the most knowledgeable Precision Ag company in Michigan, with a strong emphasis on planter expertise
- We will continue to offer Ag Leader and other solutions when those products make the most sense for the grower
- We remain committed to using the products we sell on our farm to be able to provide industry leading support