In order to satisfy technological demands, Deere makes significant investments in U.S. manufacturing, while Florida farmers and AgTech Company Ohalo combat a fungal fungus that threatens strawberries.

Ohalo, a cutting-edge agricultural technology business, is collaborating with Florida strawberry growers to combat neopestalotiopsis, a fungal disease that has been destroying strawberry harvests since it was discovered in 2017. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) at the University of Florida provided genetic knowledge that Ohalo used to breed disease-resistant strawberry plants. This year, these hardy plants will go through experimental testing with the goal of safeguarding Florida's strawberry crop.

The Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc., and UF/IFAS are all involved in the initiative. Florida Foundation Seed Producers executive director John Beuttenmuller stressed that this public-private partnership gives farmers useful answers, guaranteeing strawberries' continued success in Florida.

Deere & Co. is making significant investments in American manufacturing in the meantime. The tractor major has invested millions in facility upgrades, including more than $40 million to build a sprayer factory in Iowa and $149 million for its X9 combine harvester. In order to satisfy consumer needs for state-of-the-art technology, Deere must balance pressure to continue operating in the United States. Plans to boost manufacturing in Mexico have drawn criticism, and talks of tariffs have heightened tensions.