Before Monarch’s fully electric, driver-optional, and smart tractor, the MK-V, went to market at the end of 2022, it toured farms in the U.S., performing demos and working at test sites. Experiencing the MK-V in person was key for farmers to understanding just how much value a reimagined version of agriculture’s iconic tractor could bring to their farms and livelihood. European farmers are readying themselves for a similar experience.
Welcome to Wolfcarius
Colruyt Group, a Belgium family business, has grown into a large and influential retail company that is part of the agri-food chain with the aim of sustainable growth, with respect to health, society, animal welfare, and the environment. As such, it remains in frequent contact with its partners in the agricultural sector. Wolfcarius, a fruit-supply company, is one of these partners.
Belgium’s introduction to the MK-V began in mid-May, when a kick-off to a multi-day test run of Monarch’s highly innovative agricultural machine began at the orchards of Wolfcarius in Gottem (Deinze), Belgium. At Wolfcarius, the MK-V conducted standard orchard operations such as mowing, spraying, and hauling within the orchards. The following week, the MK-V moved to the Colruyt Group’s own vineyard in Frasnes-lez-Anvaing where it focused on mowing operations in the vineyard’s narrow rows.
We are thrilled to partner with Colruyt Group and showcase the Monarch MK-V tractor in Belgium, a country that is committed to investing in and supporting sustainable agricultural technologies.
Praveen Penmetsa, CEO & Co-founder, Monarch Tractor
Solving Problems for European Farmers
Like farmers all over the world, Europe is facing significant labor shortages and climate-related challenges. Not only are farms struggling to find workers for time-sensitive, repetitive operations but the sector is also expected to do its part in reducing carbon emissions. The MK-V caught Colruyt Group’s attention for its ability to simplify compliance to environmental regulations, an effort which would otherwise cause ongoing hardship and financial burden for farmers.
In addition to being a zero-emission powerhouse with a runtime of up to 14 hours based on farm, operation, and implement, Monarch’s Wingspan Ag Intelligence (WingspanAI) platform offers data gathering, video collection, and emissions reduction tracking. These metrics help minimize a farmer’s time and money spent reporting their farm’s compliance to mandates around chemical usage and emission reductions on farms. They also give a farmer valuable data for improved decision-making around overall farm operations.
To our opinion, there is a great potential and interest for zero-emission machinery that provides farmers with not only diesel savings and CO2 emissions reduction, but also data-driven insights and increased operational efficiency, realized through computer vision and AI.
Kim Vancauwenberghe, Head of Colruyt Group Smart Innovation
The MK-V also improves tractor safety. Using advanced camera technology, it automatically halts if it detects a human nearby or an object in a potential collision path. Similarly, it dramatically reduces the risk of deadly PTO entanglements by shutting the PTO down when a person is detected within a dangerously close range.
Collaborating for the Future
The collaboration and on-site testing between Colruyt Group, Wolfcarius, and Monarch Tractor are part of Colruyt’s continued ambition to find sustainable and innovative solutions in agriculture, engaging and inspiring existing partners in that process.
We see it as our duty to, next to other initiatives, explore the possibility of electrification of agricultural vehicles like the Monarch MK-V as possible means to tackle today’s farming challenges. Because in the end, these challenges are impacting everyone in the chain.
Kim Vancauwenberghe, Head of Colruyt Group Smart Innovation
The test with the MK-V is another example of Colruyt Group exploring solutions and putting them on task on its own farmlands. Previous tests included growing black beans as a potential future crop for Belgium and using beehives to map out biodiversity and pollutants.
After the test with Wolfcarius and Colruyt Group, the MK-V will proceed with its European tour, where it’s facing a packed schedule with dealers and farms. Just like their stateside colleagues, they are eager to see, touch, and understand how this progressive piece of electric machinery can help them.
