- Joey de Wit
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Newsletter #12
Bonus points for anyone that remembers this guy:
He makes a pretty damn good point if you ask me.
Harsh truth: there are a lot of “insane” people in Agriculture… Planting the same crops every year, being impacted by market prices and the weather over and over again, all while thinking that “next year will be different”. Ouch.
How to put a stop to that? Innovation. That’s what this newsletter is about.
Introduction
Yesterday I wrote a post on LinkedIn (yes I’m back there) about the big trends I’m seeing in the Ag space:
What I want to do here is to dive deep into one of these trends: Robotics and Automation.
Because I think this is one of the most disruptive (and accessible) technologies of our time.
The Trend
There are a number of trends here that are worth highlighting.
First, we are seeing a trend towards smaller, more mobile robots. These robots are better suited for tasks in confined spaces, such as greenhouses and orchards.
Second, we are seeing a trend towards robots that are more autonomous. These robots are able to operate without human intervention, which can free up workers to focus on other tasks.
Third, we are seeing a trend towards robots that are more collaborative. These robots can work alongside humans, which can help to improve safety and efficiency.
Impact on agriculture
All of this has a significant impact on the industry. Because while the current investment might still be significant, the increase in productivity and yields is expected to offset that many times over.
Some of the applications we are already seeing include:
Harvesting crops: Robots are being developed to harvest crops more quickly and accurately than humans. For example, the company FarmWise has already developed a robot to weed the fields but has also said it’s developing solutions to do actual harvesting.
Source: Farmwise
Milk cows: Robots have already been put to use some time ago to milk cows more efficiently than humans. For example, the company DeLaval has developed a robot that allows one farmer to milk 450 cows.
Drones: Drones are pretty amazing. And they are now being used for a variety of tasks in agriculture, such as crop monitoring, spraying, monitoring the fields, and fertilization. Also wrote about this already on my Twitter:
Drones will revolutionize agriculture and our food supply.
Real examples:
• "Saved up to 95% of water usage"
• "400% increase in spraying speed"
• "98% pest elimination"Here are 6 more reasons to pay attention:
— Joey de Wit 🌷 (@JoeydeWit_)
2:45 PM • Jun 5, 2023
Self-driving tractors: This one needs no explanation. John Deere is pretty far ahead with these tractors and they are using AI to handle all the obstacles the tractor might face in the field. Or on a “smaller” scale, the Small Robot Company looks amazing: https://www.smallrobotcompany.com/
Future of robotics and automation
The future of robotics and automation is bright. These technologies are expected to continue to evolve and become more affordable.
This will help farmers save money on labor costs, improve crop yields, and reduce the environmental impact of their operations. But the initial investment can be high, so we should be careful before jumping the gun…
and not just follow what our neighbors are doing!
Ending it on a personal note. I’m in Italy this week for no other reason than… my wedding!
And in a place like this, I know it won’t disappoint!
Till next week 🌷
Joey