Last month, the AgriThority® team attended the NAICC Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. The meeting was a great opportunity to engage with professionals from around the globe and attend informative sessions. Throughout the week, the team had many productive conversations, attended many great sessions, and participated in two sessions on stage. Five main trends emerged from the 2026 NAICC annual meeting.
Trade Uncertainty
The uncertainty with tariffs and trade has caused some disruption and changing strategic focus. Keeping track of the constant changes has been difficult, and many companies are relying on partners to help with the logistics and to stay abreast of changes.
Tighter Budgets and Increased Competition
Many Contract Research Organizations (CROs) and crop consultants are looking for ways to grow their businesses as tighter budgets and increased competition put pressure on businesses. AgriThority® Communications Manager Rachel Robinson presented on ways CROs and consultants can improve their marketing, and Melissa Nelson, Performance Crop Research, presented on social media.
Increased Focus on Large-Scale Field Trials
AgriThority Manager, Development Services, Luke Samuel, Ph.D., also explained the importance of large-scale field trials in a development plan during his session. As a final step before commercialization, large-scale field trials finalize product positioning and placement, validate small-plot results, prove product performance and value, determine launch geographies and provide an education and training location.
Regulatory Uncertainty
Consultants and CROs continue to be concerned about future impacts of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). While some progress has been made, much remains to be defined as to what will be required to comply with the act.
Implementation of New Technology
NAICC attendees are looking for ways to leverage new technologies to improve the efficiency of their businesses and their clients’ businesses. Of greatest interest are the near-term opportunities to use digital imaging, AI, and drones for research and crop monitoring.
Reach out to AgriThority® for business, market and product development needs, as well as regulatory and sustainability counsel. Our international footprint, combined with our deep understanding of the market and producer dynamics, helps leap hurdles and overcome barriers to set up products for success.
