and $82 billion in economic activity, according to a Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research report. In the next 10 years, the agricultural drone industry will generate 100,000 jobs in the U.S. With its regulations already in place, drone technology is poised for a boom in farm usage. However, the legal and regulatory issues surrounding robots must be bridged first. Many new machines are currently equipped with the electronics to control operations with very little human interaction. The leap from prototype to commercial operation of robotic machinery may be short. And farm equipment manufacturers are testing prototypes of robotic tractors and sprayers to handle fieldwork without human drivers. Already, dairy farmers use robotic milkers as a substitute for labor. “If you have a robot, it can help manage labor issues,” Widmar says. Expect high-tech solutions like robotics to come to the rescue. “As a farmer, it will be very complicated, with a mix of multigenerational family members and hired employees.”įarm consolidation will drive the need for more outside labor. The consolidation will change farm dynamics to larger, more managerial complexities.įarming will go “from a one-man show to something resembling a medium- to large-size business,” he says. As a result, farm consolidation will be significant and quick, says Widmar. When older growers exit the business, there are fewer younger growers to replace them. “As incomes rise, consumer preference moves from wheat and grains to legumes, and then to meat, including chicken, pork and beef.” David Widmar The difference is substantial, with 2.1 older growers for every farmer younger than 45. For the first time, growers who are older than 65 outnumber farmers who are younger than 45. The 2012 ag census revealed a big shift in farmer ages that holds major implications for the future, says Widmar. The focus on starch-based crops like corn will shift to more plant-based proteins like soybeans and other legumes, says Derek Norman, head of Corporate Venture Capital at Syngenta Ventures, which helps support other companies that share its vision of producing more crops with fewer resources. “As incomes rise, consumer preference moves from wheat and grains to legumes, and then to meat, including chicken, pork and beef,” says David Widmar, Purdue University ag economist.Ī different trend is emerging in highly developed countries with more health-conscious populations. As a result, these countries will be able to expand diets with more protein. 1Īlso driving food demand is an increase in global income levels, especially those in developing countries. Farmers globally must increase food production 70 percent compared to 2007 levels to meet the needs of the larger population, according to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The world’s population is expected to reach 9.1 billion people in 2050, up from 7.4 billion in 2016. FARMING USA 2 HELP DRIVERSThe two big drivers of food demand-population and income-are on the rise. Here’s a look at what they think life on the farm will look like in 33 years. These predictions come from experts who study food and farming trends. Fewer in number, they will operate multifaceted businesses with stunning new technology to increase efficiency on farms. growers will need to reach an impressive level of food production to help feed a growing world population.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |