The main distinguishing factor between developed and developing economies is the state of the primary sector of the economy, primarily agriculture. In developing countries like India, agriculture has been the primary source of employment, while in developed economies the employment is quite low in primary activities. For instance, around 40% of the workforce in India is employed in agriculture, while it contributes just 20% to India’s GDP. On the contrary, the agriculture sector in the US has a meagre share in workforce employment but makes a substantial contribution to the national gross domestic product. The farming and agriculture sector in such advanced economies is, thus, extremely productive. Mechanization of agriculture is the primary reason behind the high agricultural productivity in the developed economies. Use of heavy machinery and technology has reduced the uncertainties associated with farming and made it a profitable occupation. The latest upgrade in mechanization of agriculture is a concept called smart agriculture.
Smart agriculture and benefits for developing countries
Smart agriculture essentially refers to the use of “smart” technologies in farming activities. The main aim behind using these technologies is to increase the crop output and at the same time reduce the input costs required for farming. Just like in most other sectors, integration of “smart” technologies includes harnessing the power of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, IoT, and big data. Right from preparing the field for sowing to harvesting the crop, these “smart” technologies can offer support, thus ensuring that the entire gamut of farming activities are covered. For this, smart farming techniques primarily make use of sensing technologies, telematics, data analytics solutions, communication systems, and advanced hardware and software.
In developing countries, the agriculture sector depends on a lot of variables. The monsoon, for instance, is uncertain and has a huge regional variation. Furthermore, the farming sector is riddled with the problem of disguised employment, i.e., the majority of the workforce is performing redundant work. Also, the input cost involved in agriculture is extremely high. Introduction of smart agriculture techniques can aid in each of these problems. In the case of weather prediction, sensing technologies using IoT technology can immensely help in giving insights about the rainfall pattern of the season that too, for each district. Sensing technologies and telematics can also support in assessing the fertility of the soil of an area and suggest crops for the season. Communication systems can help connect the farmer to the precinct's headquarters to know about the government news, schemes, and advisories for the particular cropping season. Robotics and artificial intelligence can help in developing machines that perform repetitive work such as weeding, sowing, and cutting.
Apart from this, advancements in hardware and machinery can widen the scope of this industry. Autonomous tractors can perform the job of ploughing while unmanned aerial vehicles or drones can do the job of sprinkling fertilizers and pesticides. Another important area where smart agriculture can help is finding the right market price for the farm produce. Telematics can help build a regional or national platform where all famers can come together to discuss marketing strategies, the price of the produce, and share their expertise. Even in the food processing, transport, and logistics stage, these technologies can reduce the workload and enhance productivity.
Dynamics of the smart agriculture industry
The entire agriculture sector, of which the global smart agriculture market is a part, is riding on the interaction between various factors and actions of different stakeholders. The growing adoption of advanced technologies such as IoT and artificial intelligence by farmers across the globe is the primary growth driver of the market. Additionally, the rising adoption of organic farming is set to create favorable conditions for the rise of the market in the coming period. Moreover, an overall improvement in hardware and software technologies is expected to strengthen the position of the industry. Finally, the emergence of modern biologicals, robotic automation, and smart sensors is projected to open up numerous growth opportunities in the near future.
Another facet of the dynamic nature of the smart agriculture industry is the strategic alliances established by various companies in the market. For example, in July 2023, John Deere announced the acquisition of Smart Apply, a precision spraying equipment manufacturer. The acquisition by John Deere is in line with its policy to shift its focus towards developing precision and smart farming techniques. A similar acquisition was made by Nordson Corporation; the company acquired ARAG, another precision control systems developer. The statement released by Nordson Corporation says that the acquisition was done keeping in mind the changing nature of global agriculture. Thus, these acquisitions and many such alliances underscore the growing stature of the smart agriculture industry.
The final word
The changing nature of global agriculture and increasing integration of advanced technologies will ultimately lead to expansion of the smart agriculture market. The high cost of these technologies might temporarily cause problems in the growth of the industry. But, on the other hand, due to increasing governmental support in the form of tax benefits and subsidies, mechanization of agriculture is sure to happen in the near future.
Author Bio:
Akhilesh Prabhugaonkar holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering from the reputed Vishwakarma Institute of Technology. He has a special interest in the field of forensics, world history, international relations and foreign policy, sports, agriculture, astronomy, security and oceanography. An ardent bibliophile and melophile, Akhilesh loves to write on topics of his interest and various other societal issues. This love for writing made him enter the professional world of content writing and pursue his career in this direction.
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