The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence

[DewDiligence]

More on today’s DE/MON deal (from WSJ):

http://www.wsj.com/articles/monsanto-deere-join-forces-over-data-services-1446580917

Monsanto and Deere, along with other agribusiness giants like DuPont Co. and Cargill Inc., are investing heavily in sensor technology, data-analysis systems and wireless transmitters to drive a technology revolution on U.S. farms that they hope will become big new revenue streams. The companies are selling services that harness data-crunching techniques honed in Silicon Valley to help farmers boost crop yields and use equipment, seeds, and fertilizer more efficiently.

For Monsanto, which has spent more than $1 billion to build out its suite of computerized farming services, the deal announced Tuesday enables easier access to data collected by Moline, Ill.-based Deere’s vast number of green-and-yellow tractors and combines. Deere controls about two-thirds of the U.S. market for high-horsepower farm tractors, and under the deal, Monsanto’s Climate division will become the first outside company with which Deere allows its equipment to share data in what the companies called “near real-time.”

The arrangement is exclusive for multiple years, according to Monsanto.