A career in agriculture never looked brighter thanks to innovative technologies

We usually imagine agriculture as a traditional, not very tech-driven industry, but nowadays things look quite different. As a matter of fact, an umbrella term has been coined: Agri-Tech “is the use of technology for farming that is developed to improve efficiency and profitability. Agri-tech also includes the use of automation, such as controlling heaters and irrigation and employing pest control through aerosol pheromone dispersal.” Automation and predictive analysis are the main features that allow professionals to control and better manage production and weather conditions.

What are the things that you should know before considering a career in agri-tech?

According to Haim Mendelson, Stanford Graduate School of Business, technology is changing traditional industries, and agriculture is just one of them. The purpose of smart farming is to create a much more sustainable food system, considering that in about 30 years our world will have 3 billion more people to feed with a demand that keeps on rising up.

New business and working opportunities for young people

In the last 10 years agriculture has received important investments and research is blossoming in all areas. It is considered to be one of the industries with greater working and business opportunities for the future. Consider that startups operating in this field are able to raise around $825 million from investors, according to Professor Mendelson. In the near future farmers will have to be well prepared especially because they will need to have strong data analysis skills.

Precision Farming

Also called precision agriculture, this includes different “monitoring technologies and data analytics that can make sense of satellite monitoring or weather simulations.” It is a crucial area that implies the collection and analysis of data, and according to BIS Research “companies in the market offer a variety of solutions for several types of precision crop farming applications such as precision irrigation, yield monitoring and forecasting, variable rate application, crop scouting, and recording keeping, among others.” The main leaders among the agriculture companies create a considerable competitive advantage by using precision farming.

 Automation will be the main driver

Agricultural robots and drones? Well, yes, they are being used in farming processes and they are able to generate a high profit. Consider that the “majority of robot deployment was done for crop management.” Of course, manual operations, as for any industry, are becoming less frequent. For example, autonomous milking robots are being used for milk harvesting, and a number of these robots’ type is contributing to the growth of smart agriculture.

George Washington said that agriculture is the most healthful, the most useful and most noble employment of man and if we add a touch of technology and innovation it can also become a more sustainable one. If you are a young professional with a passion for the innovative technologies, don’t miss our latest blog post!