Tech companies cultivate agricultural sector

Sep 05, 2019

It may already be happening, according to Advanced Intelligent Systems Inc. (AIS) CEO Afshin Doust, whose firm specializes in autonomous machinery.

AIS got its start in 2014 trying to address labour shortage issues at horticultural nurseries, but it has since been branching out into agriculture.

When the Burnaby-based company began scouting job postings for farms, it uncovered one that had been seeking help for months.

“We applied on behalf of our robot, Bigtop, and they called right away and said, ‘Yes, we want it,’” Doust said, referring to AIS’s wheeled, artificial--intelligence-powered robot that comes complete with a large, flat surface on top and arms that can move objects with ease.

AIS has developed a business model centred on “robot as a service,” or RaaS – a take on SaaS, or software as a service – allowing companies to rent these machines instead of dropping significant amounts of capital all at once.

Doust said his clients aren’t looking to cut existing jobs but are instead dealing with persistent labour shortages that stunt company growth.

“Finding affordable labour, especially for hard tasks, is almost impossible,” Doust said.

There’s also multibillion-dollar growth potential for the country if farmers and companies can tap into the tech sector, according to an August report from the Royal Bank of Canada (TSX:RY).

The bank’s Farmer 4.0 study estimated that in Canada, where one-quarter of farmers will be 65 years old or older by 2025, the agricultural labour shortage is expected to grow to 123,000 positions by 2030.

However, RBC determined that the sector’s GDP output could grow by $11 billion to $51 billion during that same time period if the right investments are made in people, skills and technology.

The report also pointed out a number of deficiencies in technology adoption for the sector, including the fact that Canada’s global share of agricultural technology (agri-tech) investments amount to 3.4%.

That’s behind India and Brazil, despite Canada’s more abundant access to land, water and capital.

The bank is urging Ottawa to create a national skills strategy for agriculture and is calling on industry groups to attract and retain more youth, women and Indigenous workers to the sector to address those shortages.

On a national level, the federal government committed last year to investing up to $153 million in funding for the Prairie-based Protein Industries Canada supercluster in a bid to stoke more innovation in the agricultural sector.

Closer to home, initiatives include the Agritech Innovation Challenge, facilitated by the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Crown agency Innovate BC.

The initiative offers training, mentorship and $150,000 in seed funding to early-stage companies demonstrating technology that can be applied to farming.

Previous winners include Technology Brewing Corp., which specializes in developing automated mushroom pickers, and Guavas Technologies, which has developed software to help unmanned drones guard fruit and berry crops by scaring away birds.

Fernanda Whitaker, Innovate BC’s director of business development, said her agency’s goal is to get companies to think more strategically about technology and how they can apply innovations from different sectors to agriculture.

She added that machine learning, big data and blockchain are in the midst of changing how the sector will operate.

“A key for building a sustainable tech ecosystem is that you’re tackling problems that are globally relevant rather than just locally relevant,” said BC Tech Association CEO Jill Tipping. “Food scarcity, food security, changes in regulation, climate change – all of that comes together in the agricultural space.”

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Video: The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

In the vast prairies of Alberta, Olds College’s Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) stands as a beacon of innovation and research in the agricultural world. The institution has become a key player in advancing agricultural technologies and practices. The FCDC’s commitment to applied research has driven them to seek effective means of disseminating their findings and creating a positive impact on the farming community.

One such avenue that aligns with their mission is AgSmart, an event dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge agricultural technologies. The coming together of the FCDC’s annual Field Day and Ag Smart has proved to be a natural fit, fostering a synergy that benefits both parties and propels the agriculture industry forward. The FCDC Field Day took part in conjunction with AgSmart for the first time this week on Aug. 1-2 in Olds, Alta. FCDC Program Director Kofi Agblor and Olds College VP of Development Todd Ormann sat down for an interview with Marc Zienkiewicz to discuss the significance of the two events taking part together and what the future holds.

The Intersection of Research and Technology The essence of the FCDC lies in its dedication to plant breeding and new seed varieties, particularly barley and triticale. While conducting research is essential, it becomes meaningful when its benefits are shared with the wider community. This is where AgSmart steps in, providing a key venue for the FCDC to showcase their research. This union between research and technology creates a holistic and enriching experience for farmers, ranchers, and industry professionals, the pair said.

Seeds as Technology For the FCDC, the partnership with AgSmart goes beyond mere event collaboration. It is about creating an environment that bridges the gap between seeds and smart technology, Ormann said. The college believes that for technology to truly revolutionize agriculture, it must begin with a strong foundation — high-quality seeds. As the saying goes, “it all starts with a seed.” To demonstrate this critical aspect, the collaboration aims to showcase the seed value chain as an integral part of the smartphone.

The Birth of a Powerful Alliance The idea of joining forces emerged when staff realized the potential synergy between AgSmart and the FCDC Field Day. With just a few days separating the two events, a proposal was put forward to merge them. The marketing and communications teams from both sides worked seamlessly to ensure the essence of both events remained intact, creating a powerful alliance that leverages the strengths of each, Agblor said.

Driving Advancements in Breeding For Agblor, the partnership with AgSmart has tremendous potential to drive advancements in breeding and other technology. With technologies like drones and imaging becoming integral to phenotyping, breeding is no longer confined to vast fields to assess thousands of plants manually. Instead, it benefits from the data-rich insights brought about by smart technologies. These advancements make breeding more efficient, precise, and instrumental in shaping the future of agriculture.

Overcoming Challenges Together While the partnership between Olds College and Ag Smart has been a resounding success, there are challenges on the horizon. Securing stable funding for long-term breeding initiatives is crucial to sustain progress. The college is committed to navigating these challenges and investing in agriculture’s future sustainably, Agblor said.