Smart Specialty Crop Farming Market Report 2026

The smart specialty crop farming market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $2.52 billion in 2025 to $2.79 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to traditional reliance on manual specialty crop monitoring, limited access to real-time field data, rising need for efficient pest and disease management, early use of basic irrigation systems, increasing demand for high-value crops.

The smart specialty crop farming market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $4.15 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to growing adoption of AI-enabled specialty crop analytics, rising investment in CEA technologies, increasing demand for climate-resilient specialty crops, expanding integration of automation in crop cultivation, rising use of data-driven crop optimization tools. Major trends in the forecast period include rising adoption of precision irrigation for specialty crops, increasing demand for high-value crop yield optimization, growth in drone-based monitoring for fruits and vegetables, expansion of controlled environment farming for herbs and spices, rising use of specialty crop-specific farm management systems.

The rising demand for food is expected to drive the growth of the smart specialty crop farming market in the coming years. Food demand refers to the amount and variety of food products that consumers are willing and able to purchase to meet their nutritional and lifestyle needs over a specific period. A key factor driving this increase is population growth, as a larger global population requires greater food production to support daily consumption and diverse dietary preferences. Smart specialty crop farming meets this demand by employing advanced technologies and data-driven cultivation techniques to improve crop yields, optimize resource use, and ensure a reliable supply of high-quality food. For example, in January 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture, the US federal executive department responsible for implementing laws related to farming, reported that rice production in 2023 reached 218 million centum weight or hundredweight, marking a 36 percent increase compared to 2022. Additionally, the planted area for 2023 was estimated at 2.89 million acres, representing a 30 percent growth from the previous year. As a result, rising global food demand is expected to support the expansion of the smart specialty crop farming market.

Leading companies in the smart specialty crop farming sector are adopting innovative farming solutions, such as air cart technology, to boost agricultural productivity and efficiency. Air cart technology is designed to evenly distribute seeds and fertilizers across fields, improving planting accuracy and efficiency, especially in seeding and fertilizing operations. For instance, in February 2024, John Deere, a US-based manufacturer of agricultural machinery, introduced its new C-Series air cart line, which provides enhanced options for farmers to increase productivity, quality, and accuracy during seeding. The new C-Series comes in various capacities and configurations, featuring reduced maintenance needs and improved seeding precision. This lineup includes the industry-exclusive EZCal calibration system for quicker calibrations, increased seeding confidence, and tank scales that offer real-time updates on remaining acreage.

In September 2024, Kubota Corporation, a Japan-based agricultural machinery manufacturer, acquired Bloomfield Robotics for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition aims to strategically strengthen Kubota's presence and offerings in the specialty crop market by leveraging Bloomfield's expertise in data utilization and crop monitoring. Bloomfield Robotics is a US-based AgTech startup that specializes in advanced imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) for monitoring specialty crops.

Major companies operating in the smart specialty crop farming market are BASF SE, Deere & Company, AGCO Corporation, Hexagon AB, OSRAM GmbH, Trimble Inc., Würth Elektronik GmbH & Co. KG, Netafim Ltd., DeLaval International AB, Raven Industries Inc., Indoor Urban Farming GmbH, Ag Leader Technology Inc., Freight Farms Inc., Aerofarms LLC, Sencrop SAS, IUNU Inc., xFarm Technologies S.p.A., Hazel Technologies Inc., Climate LLC, Heliospectra AB, Oishii Farm Corporation, Arugga AI Farming Ltd., Agrivi d.o.o., Taranis Ltd., CropX Technologies Ltd.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

Tariffs are influencing the smart specialty crop farming market by increasing the cost of importing sensors, drones, hydroponic systems, LED grow lights, and advanced monitoring devices essential for open-field and controlled environment agriculture systems. These added costs particularly affect regions in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific where reliance on imported agri-tech hardware is significant, slowing adoption among small and medium specialty crop farms. However, tariffs have stimulated domestic technology production and encouraged localized innovation in precision irrigation, imaging systems, and climate control equipment, offering long-term benefits. Overall, tariffs are reshaping supply chains, driving regional manufacturing, and altering pricing strategies across hardware and software segments.

The smart specialty crop farming market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides smart specialty crop farming market statistics, including smart specialty crop farming industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with an smart specialty crop farming market share, detailed smart specialty crop farming market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the smart specialty crop farming industry. This smart specialty crop farming market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

Smart specialty crop farming involves utilizing advanced technologies and data-driven methods to enhance the cultivation of high-value specialty crops, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, and flowers. This approach integrates tools such as sensors, drones, precision irrigation, artificial intelligence, and data analytics to monitor and manage various factors, including crop growth, soil conditions, weather patterns, and pest control. By improving decision-making and promoting sustainability, smart farming provides farmers with increased efficiency and profitability in specialty crop production.

The primary product types in smart specialty crop farming include open-field hardware, controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems hardware, and software. Open-field hardware consists of machinery and tools used in traditional outdoor farming that incorporate sensors, drones, and automated equipment to assess crop health, monitor soil conditions, and optimize irrigation and fertilization. These products are suitable for various farm sizes, including small, medium, and large farms, and are applied in the cultivation of fruits and tree nuts, vegetables, culinary herbs and spices, medicinal herbs, and more.North America was the largest region in the smart specialty crop farming market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the smart specialty crop farming market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the smart specialty crop farming market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The smart specialty crop farming market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as precision farming consultation, automated machinery services, yield optimization services, data analytics, and AI-driven crop management services. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The smart specialty crop farming market also includes sales of precision agriculture tools, automated equipment, smart irrigation systems, climate control, data analytics, and pest management technologies. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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