Farmers forecast triple growth in AI use over next decade, survey shows

A third of the world’s farms will have robots on them within the next decade, while the number of producers using artificial intelligence will triple, according to the results of a global agtech survey.

Around 500 farmers from five countries – Germany, France, the United States, Brazil and Japan – were asked about the way they currently use technology on their farms and how they expect to use it in future.

And while some have shown trepidation in digitising their farm businesses to date, a significant number say they expect to have invested in technology within the next 5-10 years.

In a survey carried out by Continental and research institute Innofact AG, almost 80% of those questioned said they use digital technologies every day. However, the results revealed significant difference between regions and business sizes.

In Germany, France and the US, 87% of producers said they use digital technology, while a whopping 95% of farmers in Brazil use agtech in their businesses.

In Japan, however, agriculture 4.0 has failed to take off in the same way, with only 40% currently use any digital applications to carry out their work.

The number of farmers using agtech correlated to the level of satisfaction about how digitised farm businesses are, with most farmers in Japan (77%) saying they don’t feel they use enough technology. 

Of the countries surveyed, German farmers were most satisfied with the amount of tech they use, with two-thirds (67%) saying they use just the right amount, compared with 54% internationally.

According to the survey smaller farms were also less likely to be using agtech, with 20% of those farming less than 50ha of land saying they don’t have any digital technologies. That figure fell to 12% for farms between 100 and 200 ha, and 10% for farms over 200ha.

The digital divide in agriculture

Of those farmers who do already use agtech, the survey showed big differences in the types of technology farmers have invested in and use regularly. While apps, GPS and satellite imagery were most popular (45%, 41% and 39% respectively), only 13% use robots and 10% use artificial intelligence (AI).

However, the researchers said it was likely that technologies not widely used today would become more important.

One in five farmers who don’t use robotics today said they expect to within the next 5-10 years, meaning a third of farmers around the world will be using robots in the next decade – a 138% increase on current numbers.

A similar trend is expected in AI, where – according to those questioned – the number of farmers utilising the technology is expected to triple in the next decade from an average of 10% today.

Challenges and infrastructure needs ahead

When asked what additional services farmers need from tech companies to help them become more digitised, 43% said they wanted to see more user-friendly technology being developed. 

A further 37% said they were interested in training courses, while 31% said they want to see data presented to them in a more understandable way.

Mario Branco, Continental head of off-highway, said if tech companies want to support the digitisation of farm businesses, they need to address the challenges producers face at every stage of their adoption of agtech.

“Farmers around the world are facing increasing challenges: growing demand for food, increasing regulations, and visible effects of climate change. In addition to politicians, who can set the framework, it is also up to technology suppliers to meet these demands with durable and environmentally friendly technologies,” he added.

“Taking into account regional differences in technology availability, farm size and type, local infrastructure and technologies already in use, farmers need customized and intuitive digital solutions.”

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