Kubota North America Corporation, headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, is the regional subsidiary of Kubota Corporation, and is responsible for the manufacturing, distribution, and support of agricultural, construction, and utility equipment in North America. The company also oversees regional engineering, engine supply, and dealer networks, with a strong presence in compact tractors and compact construction equipment.
After more than a decade in the sector, have you observed an appreciation of the role agriculture plays in society change among the public and policymakers?
There’s a general lack of understanding of agriculture — the food chain, how food reaches the grocery store or the plate and the steps required to get there. There’s also an underappreciation of the people producing that food and many misconceptions. Agriculture varies widely around the world in terms of development. In the U.S., there is significant ag-tech adoption, but many regions still struggle with basic necessities. Because Kubota operates globally, particularly in Asia and across multiple segments, we see a wider spectrum of agriculture than some North American competitors.
There is more appreciation in certain areas. Movements around organic food and the “food is health” movement have created more interest, and food security is appearing more often in legislation. But overall, it’s still not broadly understood where food comes from.
When you see cilantro on the shelf and think about everything required to grow and ship it, it changes your view on affordability. I’m still amazed at how affordable food has remained while feeding a growing population.
Your background and training are in mechanical engineering and aerospace. What first drew you into agriculture?
I grew up in a small town, and many of my family members were involved in agriculture, so I had exposure from a young age. I later pursued engineering, completed a PhD in aerospace and worked in the space sector, but two things brought me back.
One was the opportunity to apply autonomy and automation to agriculture. The other was purpose. I saw the chance to apply machine control and autonomous vehicle technology in a way that could make a real difference. After about 15 years in agriculture, I’ve become even more passionate about the challenges around food, water and the environment — the three areas Kubota focuses on.
North America’s farm equipment market has long been dominated by a few large players, yet Kubota has built a distinct position within that landscape. As the company looks toward its 2030 vision, how does Kubota see its role in the market evolving?
Kubota is a Japanese company that grew up in Asia; we bring Japanese quality and manufacturing, but focus on smaller vehicles. At its core, Kubota is built around the Kubota engine — we supply engines to many competitors and are the largest producer of under-150-horsepower liquid-cooled diesel engines. In North America, our focus is largely outside the Midwest, particularly in specialty crops, livestock, hay and forage. Vineyards and orchards require narrow tractors, which is where Kubota entered the market.
Our new midterm business plan is part of the journey toward 2030. The goal of becoming an “essential solutions provider” hasn’t changed, but the plan provides more detail on how we will achieve it. In markets like North America, that means expanding beyond selling tractors and focusing more on integrated solutions for growers. Because we operate across many agricultural environments globally, we also emphasize choice and affordability for mid- to small-sized farms.
Kubota recently partnered with Agtonomy to launch an autonomous tractor. What problem were you trying to solve with that project?
Labor shortages are extremely acute in specialty crops. Some farms cannot harvest because they simply don’t have the workforce. We wanted to enter that market quickly and partnered with Agtonomy, whose CEO is a winemaker and vineyard owner and understands those needs.
Together, we developed an autonomous M5 narrow tractor designed for vineyards and orchards. We integrated our AI technology from Bloomfield, acquired in 2024, and made the tractor commercially available. At CES we announced we are beyond the pilot stage and now producing units commercially, assembled and calibrated in California. We also showcased Bloomfield’s AI technology for optimizing specialty crops such as blueberries and citrus, along with the KVPR concept — a transforming robotic vehicle that adjusts its height and width depending on the crop and application.
Beyond autonomy, what advantages does AI bring to farm management, and how does technology adoption in specialty crops compare with commodity crops?
AI helps address labor challenges by improving yield assessment and determining where and when to harvest. It has expanded into color grading and quality assessment while crops are still in the field. It also affects the broader operation — estimating packaging needs for crops like strawberries or blueberries and improving logistics planning. As more granular data becomes available, farms increasingly need skills such as those of data scientists to interpret it and forecast outcomes.
Technology adoption in specialty crops has lagged because of crop diversity and operational complexity. Precision agriculture in corn and soy had a head start — automation such as GPS auto-steering has existed since the late 1990s. Specialty crops like blueberries, strawberries, pistachios and almonds are grown and harvested differently, which historically made technology harder to apply. Artificial intelligence and software-defined systems are helping accelerate adoption because they adapt more easily across crops.
Consumer trends often influence agriculture. What are you seeing in terms of demand across specialty crops today?
Demand varies by crop and region. Vineyards are currently facing difficulties. In Napa and Sonoma there have been announcements of vineyards shutting down, partly linked to declining alcohol consumption.
At the same time, other crops are seeing strong demand. Trends shift — sometimes unexpectedly, such as spikes in demand for pistachios. Overall, the specialty crop sector remains robust despite changing pockets driven by consumer trends and geopolitics.
Trade tensions and tariffs have created uncertainty across agriculture. How has that affected Kubota?
Tariffs have created uncertainty, although Kubota still had a strong financial year despite them. How conditions evolve is still ongoing, but the situation has stabilized somewhat.
Kubota also has a significant manufacturing footprint in the United States, particularly in Georgia and Kansas. While many people associate Kubota with manufacturing in Japan, a large portion of our production also occurs in the U.S., which helps manage those dynamics.
Grower feedback often plays a central role in shaping agricultural technology. How does Kubota work with farmers during development, and have there been moments where that feedback changed your approach?
Working with growers is critical to how we operate. We view it as an innovation cycle. Kubota has worked with society for more than 130 years, and in the U.S., we have long collaborated with specialty crop growers. What growers consistently tell us is they are not looking for an autonomous tractor — they are trying to solve problems, especially labor shortages. That is why we focus on tasks like mowing, tillage and spraying, which are repetitive and often done late at night when winds are low.
Grower feedback has also changed our approach. When we first showed a fully autonomous concept vehicle at CES, we removed the cab because it reduced cost and complexity. Growers immediately told us removing the seat was impractical because tractors serve many purposes, including simply moving around the farm. That feedback led us to redesign the commercial autonomous M5 Narrow so it still includes a cab and can switch between manual operation and autonomy.
Looking ahead, how do you see technology reshaping the agricultural workforce?
Over the past five years, tractors have incorporated far more electronics and software. We are moving toward greater intelligence on the machine itself, and physical AI is at an inflection point because tractors can now make decisions directly in the field.
That shift requires new skills. Agriculture increasingly needs AI engineers, data scientists and robotics specialists alongside traditional mechanical engineering roles. It is a challenging environment — unstructured, outdoors and exposed to the elements — which makes it an exciting area for engineers.
