Agri-TechE Business Development Associate, Kate Brunswick, explains why embracing new agri-tech could give young farmers an edge over previous generations.
Have you ever wondered why your parents or grandparents can’t seem to grasp technology like you can? Well, it’s often the same with the latest farming technology.
You’re starting your farming careers at such an exciting time for the industry. Yes, there are financial challenges, but there’s also a lot of new technology being introduced to make farming more productive and profitable. Future success may depend on how farms adopt agri-technology, and it will be up to your generation to lead this effort.
Agri-tech covers many things. Most farmers think of it as drones or robots going across fields, but it’s so much more. In short, agri-tech is farming technologies and innovations that improve productivity, efficiency and profitability for farming businesses. You’ll already be using some of these on farm now.
You can roughly gather agri-tech into several categories:
This includes features such as GPS autosteer and shutoff, as well as advanced sensors to provide precise recommendations and the application of inputs, such as fertiliser.
There’s so much data in farming, and to help deal with it, there are new processing tools, including AI, to give farmers clear, usable insights like they’ve never had before.
Say goodbye to 12-hour shifts on a tractor! Robots, drones, and autonomous tractors that reduce manual labour are coming.
As we move away from being heavily reliant on chemicals, new advanced breeding techniques, seed enhancements, and microbial products are helping us to be more environmentally friendly.
Who doesn’t want to be more sustainable? Innovations are helping reduce emissions, conserve resources, and promote soil health
I work for Agri-TechE. We are a not-for-profit member organisation that connects farmers, technology developers, and researchers. There are loads of ways to get involved in what we do.
The Early Career Innovators’ Forum (ECIF) is an ideal place for young farmers to start. There is a programme of free events to give farmers, researchers and tech professionals early in their careers the opportunity to get together and find out more about what agri-tech can offer. And the big bonus, thanks to ECIF’s sponsors, The Morley Agricultural Foundation, it’s totally free!
The latest offer for ECIF participants is a fully funded place on Institute of Agricultural Management’s (IAgrM) Farm Management Skills Programme hosted at Harper Adams.
You can find out more about joining ECIF here.
Be on trend and not behind it. Get involved in agri-tech!
