News in brief:
– Yamaha Motor has acquired Robotics Plus to launch Yamaha Agriculture, a new company combining robotics and AI to revolutionise speciality crop farming.
– The move aims to tackle global agricultural challenges like labour shortages and climate change by delivering precision tools that boost productivity and sustainability for growers worldwide.
In a strategic move to lead the future of sustainable farming, Japan’s Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. has acquired New Zealand-based agricultural robotics pioneer Robotics Plus to establish Yamaha Agriculture, Inc. — a new company focused on autonomous equipment and AI-powered solutions for crop growers.
Robotics Plus, renowned for innovations like the Prospr autonomous hybrid vehicle and the Āporo fruit packer, brings advanced automation capabilities that tackle global agricultural challenges such as labour shortages, climate change, and productivity.
The acquisition builds on an existing partnership between the two companies, with Yamaha having invested in Robotics Plus since 2017.
The newly formed Yamaha Agriculture will combine Robotics Plus’ robotics technologies with AI analytics from the recent acquisition of The Yield to deliver precision farming tools that reduce input costs, optimise operations, and boost yields for crops like wine grapes and apples across North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
Robotics Plus will retain its headquarters and skilled workforce in Tauranga, continuing innovation while scaling globally with Yamaha’s support.
CEO Steve Saunders said the acquisition validates their global-first strategy and will help accelerate product development and reach. “With Yamaha’s support, we are poised to significantly scale our robotics innovations,” he said.
Nolan Paul, CEO of Yamaha Agriculture, emphasised a long-term commitment to building value-driven, high-quality solutions through close collaboration with growers.
By uniting automation, robotics, and data analytics under one platform, Yamaha Agriculture aims to transform speciality crop farming, making it more efficient, resilient, and sustainable for the future.
