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10
BARRIERS
TO ADOPTING
DIGITAL AGRICULTURE
Costs and ROI are among the hurdles, a new report shows
DIEGO FLAMMINI
FARMS.COM
Farmers want to adopt precision
agriculture practices, but the initial
investment is keeping them back.
That’s what a new industry report says.
The American Fruit Grower’s
2022 State of the Industry Report surveyed 518 growers, packers and
other industry reps about multiple issues.
Forty-five percent, or 233 respondents, said they don’t
use precision ag and have no plans to do so.
When asked what’s preventing them from
implementing digital agriculture tools, 42 percent, or
217 respondents, “say the tech is too expensive,” the
report says.
This is in addition to 155 respondents indicating they’re
unsure of precision agriculture’s return on investment.
And 8 percent, or 41 people, identified new technology
as their greatest concern.
There also appears to be a divide based on the size of
the operation.
“Smaller growers generally say they can’t afford the
time or money necessary, but larger growers say they
can’t afford not to implement digital agriculture
because they need to save time and money,” the report
reads.
Of the total responses, 39 percent, or 202, indicated
using precision agriculture.
The top five technologies used are weather software,
irrigation sensors, GPS technology, disease prediction
software and grid soil sampling.
Some of the reasons cited for adopting precision ag
include:
•
Save cost of production
•
Conserving and the appropriate use of water
•
Increase yields and reduce costs.
The United States Department of Agriculture recently
started tracking the number of farmers using precision
agriculture.
In August 2021, the USDA’s
Farm Computer Usage and Ownership report surveyed 15,000 farms
nationwide and asked the following question: “In the
last 12 months, did this farm or ranch use precision
agriculture practices to manage crops or livestock?”
Only 25 percent, or 3,750 farms, indicated this to be
accurate.
The highest number of farms using precision ag, based
on the survey, are in North Dakota.
Fifty-four percent of respondents in that state said
they’re using precision ag.
West Virginia, with 7 percent of surveyed farms
indicating using precision ag, was the lowest in the
survey.
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PHOTO: naruedom – stock.adobe.com
“SMALLER GROWERS GENERALLY
SAY THEY CAN’T AFFORD THE
TIME OR MONEY NECESSARY, BUT
LARGER GROWERS SAY THEY CAN’T
AFFORD NOT TO IMPLEMENT DIGITAL
AGRICULTURE BECAUSE THEY NEED TO
SAVE TIME AND MONEY.”