German agricultural machinery manufacturer Krone has strengthened its long-term commitment to China with a fresh investment of 19.6 million yuan (approximately $2.89 million) into its Tianjin-based sales and service subsidiary, reinforcing its strategy to capture growing opportunities in one of the world's fastest-modernising agricultural markets.
The latest capital injection comes a decade after the company established its Chinese headquarters and reflects increasing confidence in China's drive toward large-scale, technology-enabled agriculture. The investment will be used to enhance Krone's nationwide sales and after-sales service capabilities, expand spare parts availability, accelerate the introduction of advanced machinery from its global portfolio and strengthen its local technical workforce.
As Chinese agriculture undergoes rapid structural transformation, demand for premium forage harvesting equipment is rising sharply, particularly in response to farm consolidation, expanding dairy production and increasing emphasis on productivity, forage quality and operational efficiency.
According to Huo Hongyan, General Manager of Krone China, the additional funding is aimed at improving customer support through faster maintenance services, broader product availability and enhanced technical expertise. The company also plans to increase investments in brand development and customer engagement while strengthening its nationwide service network to better support professional farming enterprises.
Founded more than a century ago, Krone has evolved from a family-owned blacksmith workshop into one of the world's leading manufacturers of forage harvesting machinery, with operations spanning over 70 countries. The company specialises in equipment for mowing, raking, baling, forage transport and silage production, serving commercial livestock producers and large-scale agricultural enterprises worldwide.
Since establishing operations in Tianjin in 2016, Krone has steadily expanded its presence in China, benefiting from the country's improving business environment and increasing adoption of mechanised farming practices. The company has progressively strengthened its local operational capabilities while expanding market coverage and technical support services.
Bernard Krone, the fourth-generation leader of the family-owned business, described China as one of the company's most strategically important growth markets, highlighting the country's accelerating agricultural modernisation and rising demand for sophisticated farm equipment.
China's agricultural transformation is being driven by policy reforms encouraging larger farm operations, improved land utilisation and higher levels of mechanisation. Simultaneously, the rapid development of the dairy and livestock sectors is creating greater demand for advanced forage production systems capable of improving feed quality while reducing harvesting costs.
Krone's latest investment aligns with the Chinese government's broader agricultural development agenda under the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), which prioritises agricultural modernisation, green production systems, rural infrastructure upgrades, seed industry development and the adoption of advanced technologies to enhance productivity and sustainability.
Government initiatives supporting high-standard farmland development, diversified food production systems and environmentally sustainable farming are expected to accelerate the adoption of high-performance agricultural machinery, creating significant opportunities for global equipment manufacturers operating in China.
Looking ahead, Krone plans to further expand its sales and service footprint, introduce additional products tailored to local farming requirements and increase participation in industry exhibitions and customer engagement programmes. The company also intends to accelerate the localisation of technologies and services to better support the evolving needs of China's commercial farming sector.
As precision agriculture, mechanisation and large-scale farming continue to reshape China's agricultural landscape, Krone is positioning itself to play a larger role in supplying the advanced forage harvesting solutions required to improve efficiency, productivity and long-term sustainability across the country's livestock and dairy industries.
