At the National Farmers' Union conference, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a £220 million fund aimed at elevating agricultural productivity through advanced technology, including robots and drones for harvesting crops such as apples and asparagus.
This initiative seeks to lessen the agriculture sector's dependency on foreign labor by facilitating access to automated equipment. The 'future focused technology fund' is a segment of a larger £427 million agricultural grant package for this year. Sunak emphasized the government's commitment to food security and support for farmers amid challenges such as rising input costs and the transition to sustainable farming post-Brexit. Despite the potential of technology like drones in agriculture, adoption has been limited, with a government study indicating commercial viability for 'autonomous selective harvesting' might not be feasible until at least 2030 without governmental backing.
Source: dailymail.co.uk