The Netherlands
May 22,2 025

From October 21-23, 2025 the fourth FIRA USA expo will be held in Woodland, California. FIRA USA is a three-day showcase of agrobotics for field and orchard production and features live demonstrations. In 2025 two Robotics development facilities will be opened.
 

Key Figures FIRA USA

The Expo, which is organized by Go-Far in collaboration with Western Growers and the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) attracts over 2500 visitors including farmers, robot manufacturers, dealers, technology suppliers, scientists, media and investors. Over three days 35+ robots are demonstrated in real conditions for specialty crops, including vegetables, vineyards, and orchards. The event also includes a small trade show with over 80 exhibitors that will showcase the latest robotic and autonomous innovations for farming.

California Ag Robotics Bus Tour

In advance of the show, an Ag robotics bus tour is organized from October 20-24. The tour includes visits to innovative growers in the Salinas Valley area, Fresno Area and the Sacramento Valley. Crops covered during the visits are vegetables, berries, leafy greens, stone fruit, grapes, nuts, and vineyards. Technologies that will be seen are focused on harvesting, weeding, scouting, processing, picking, data management, automated irrigation, and shakers.

Main takeaways prior Robotics and Digitalization Innovation Mission to the FIRA USA in 2024

In 2024 a group of 12 Dutch companies, industry and government organizations participated in an innovation mission to California, which included a visit to FIRA USA. 

Some of the main take-aways from that visit were:

1. Shared Challenges: Both California and the Netherlands face similar issues in open-field production, including labor cost reduction through automation and environmental regulations.
2. Technology Adoption Barriers: Growers are hesitant to adopt new technologies without proven reliability, clear cost savings, and trustworthy providers. Both regions struggle to find "launching customers" for new products.
3. Dutch Competitiveness: The Netherlands is not lagging behind in AgTech compared to California, with strong expertise and innovation.
4. Ecosystem Gaps: Despite UC Davis being a top agricultural university, it plays a limited role in nurturing AgTech startups, with the entrepreneurial ecosystem only emerging in the last five years.
5. Market & Funding Constraints:
   • Limited venture capital for AgTech and cautious investor behavior.
   • Small market size for certain technologies, depending on crop type and region.
   • Legal barriers, like regulations requiring drivers on autonomous tractors.
6. Opportunities for Dutch Companies:
   • Potential exists in California, but Dutch firms will face challenges establishing a foothold without local experience centers or showrooms.
   • Validation and quick technical support will be critical for success in the U.S. market.

7. Collaboration, technology validation, and overcoming regulatory and market barriers are key for success in this competitive environment.
    

Launch of Reservoir Farms

To address some of the challenges regarding validation of technology, Western Growers and UCANR launched Reservoir Farms during FIRA USA in 2024. Reservoir Farms are on-farm robotics development centers and startup incubators located in the Central and Salinas Valleys in California. The facilities are scheduled to launch in 2025. These locations "allow agtech startups to build, test, and validate automation, robotics, and climate-smart innovations in real-world specialty crop farm settings".
 

More information

For more information please visit: FIRA USA and Reservoir Farms — The Reservoir.

Website: http://www.minlnv.nl

Published: May 22, 2025