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Lack of skilled labour during harvest drives AI, automation trend

Every year we hear more stories of lost grade, lost bushels and lost income because crop was harvested too late. Meanwhile, combines, grain carts, trucks and handling facilities sit idle because there are not enough qualified operators.

“Newbies running expensive equipment. That’s what’s driving this whole move toward autonomous implements,” says Ryan Georgison, manager of research and development at MacDon Industries.

The expansion of big-acreage farms has created its own problem — the disappearance of knowledgeable neighbours who can be hired during the busy seasons.

Georgison said there’s nothing wrong with hiring a high school kid to run a combine, if that kid has already been running machinery for six years. The problem is that there are no more such neighbours. They disappeared when you bought their land.

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Economic Update – Navigating today’s economic environment

Video: Economic Update – Navigating today’s economic environment

In this recorded webinar, the FCC Economics team reviews the current economic and financial variables affecting farm, food and beverage, and agribusinesses – and what to expect for the remainder of 2025.

Navigating today’s economic environment hasn’t been easy with looming tariff threats and global uncertainty. Our economists will cover what’s happened so far, provide insights of what to expect going forward, and have time to answer some of your questions.