At Ag in Motion, AEM Brings Agriculture Innovation and Policy Priorities to Life

AEM brought high-ranking Canadian government officials and agriculture media together with leading equipment manufacturers at Ag in Motion, near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, for a series of policy and media tours highlighting the innovation shaping the future of Canadian agriculture.

Held at Western Canada's largest outdoor farm expo, the tours gave policymakers and reporters a firsthand look at the technologies helping farmers and ranchers improve productivity, manage costs, and strengthen the competitiveness of Canada's agricultural sector. AEM staff were on site to connect officials and media with AEM member companies exhibiting across the 100 acres of trade show space.

"Ag in Motion is a great opportunity to show how modern equipment is helping farmers and ranchers respond to real pressures in the field," said Alexandre Mattard-Michaud, AEM's director of government affairs for Canada. "Canadian producers are facing higher input costs, labor shortages, weather volatility, trade uncertainty, and pressure to produce more with fewer resources. The technology on display at the farm expo demonstrate how manufacturers are helping them improve productivity, reduce waste, increase uptime, and make more informed decisions."

Held on July 21, AEM's policy tour included senior Saskatchewan government officials such as Raynelle Wilson, deputy minister to the premier of Saskatchewan, and Amy Standish and Brady Pollock, assistant deputy ministers with the Government of Saskatchewan. The tour included stops with MacDon Industries, CLAAS of America Inc., and AGCO Corporation, where officials engaged directly with equipment manufacturers about the innovations, products, and policy issues shaping the future of agriculture.

Member company representatives highlighted how equipment manufacturers are helping producers increase efficiency, address labor and input cost pressures, and adopt technologies that support stronger farm productivity. Discussions also underscored the importance of policies that promote trade certainty, skilled workforce development, rural connectivity, and a regulatory environment that enables innovation, while avoiding unnecessary burdens on manufacturers and producers.

The following day, AEM led a second policy tour with Tom Rosser, assistant deputy minister at agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The federal tour included stops with CNH, Buhler Industries Inc.'s Versatile, and John Deere, giving Assistant Deputy Minister Rosser and accompanying staff the opportunity to learn more about the latest equipment, connected systems, and precision agriculture technologies supporting Canadian farmers and ranchers.

"I appreciated the opportunity to join the Association of Equipment Manufacturers for an insightful tour of Ag in Motion," said Assistant Deputy Minister Rosser. "It is always encouraging to see how the latest generation of products from equipment manufacturers are advancing innovation and collaborating with each other across Canada's agriculture sector. Seeing that collaboration in areas like data management solutions and brand compatibility show that engagements like Ag in Motion play a large role in the agricultural equipment sector in Canada, which leads to further economic growth and global competitiveness for the country."

The conversations held at the event reinforced the role of agriculture equipment manufacturing in Canada's food security, rural economy, and global competitiveness. AEM also highlighted that Canadian farm equipment manufacturing generated $50.4 billion in sales in 2025, contributed $24 billion to Canada's GDP, supported nearly 147,000 jobs, and drove $2.7 billion in exports.

Throughout the tours, AEM and its members emphasized that precision agriculture, which includes automation, artificial intelligence, data-driven tools, sensors, and reliable rural broadband, is increasingly central to the future of farming. These advanced technologies can help producers make every acre, every input, and every hour of labor go further, while supporting better decision-making and long-term competitiveness.

In addition to the policy tours, AEM coordinated a media tour to showcase the work of member companies exhibiting at Ag in Motion. The media engagement gave agriculture and business reporters a closer look at equipment demonstrations, new technologies, and the practical ways manufacturers are responding to producer needs across Canada.

The tour featured equipment and technology from Kubota Canada Ltd., Elmer's Manufacturing, and AGCO Corporation, which featured its OutRun autonomy solution. The Elmer's Manufacturing demonstrations focused on harvest management technology, grain cart equipment, and new product displays, while the Kubota Canada Ltd. demonstrations focused on compact tractors, utility equipment, and practical solutions designed to help producers improve efficiency in the field.

"Hosting Saskatchewan government officials and representatives from the media at AGCO Corporation during Ag in Motion was a valuable opportunity to show how equipment manufacturers are helping farmers improve productivity and keep pace with the demands of modern agriculture," said Eric Hawley, senior product engineer at AGCO. "These conversations are important because they give policymakers and media a firsthand look at the technological innovation happening across our industry, the importance of data interoperability, and the policies needed to support continued growth and investment in Canadian agriculture.

Across both policy tours and the media engagement, one message came through clearly: Canada must continue to support policies that foster skilled workforce development, promote trade certainty, expand rural connectivity, and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, while encouraging continued innovation across the agriculture equipment sector.

For AEM member companies, these conversations are essential to building a stronger and more competitive agricultural value chain. By bringing manufacturers, government leaders, and media together at Ag in Motion, AEM helped demonstrate the scale of the industry's impact and the importance of policies that allow equipment manufacturers to continue investing, innovating, and supporting farmers and ranchers across Canada.