Australia's Robotic 'Farmers' Increase Productivity and Reduce Waste
Australia's farmers are using robots to select, sow, and irrigate crops in a significant change that is addressing the labor crisis and enhancing environmental consequences. Since farmers have had trouble finding enough pickers, the employment of robots for fruit and vegetable picking has proven to be especially beneficial.
Robots have been used to harvest strawberries and blueberries at a farm in Tasmania, an island state. The robot moves along rails in between the rows of berries and is equipped with cameras that it uses to assess whether a berry is ready to be harvested. Farmers believe such robots can be more effective at identifying and picking ripe fruit without causing bruising or damage, can potentially work faster than human pickers, and may be able to operate 24 hours a day.
Ms Eva Thilderkvist, who has been managing the berry-picking robots at Burlington Berries farm in Tasmania, said the robots could give farmers “peace of mind” in cases where they cannot find enough workers. “They’re not a replacement for your workforce, it’s more of a supplement for your capacity on your farm,” she said. “Obviously robots don’t get Covid-19, they don’t roll an ankle, they’re pretty reliable workers.”
Farmers in Australia frequently rely on a second wave of roughly 35,000 temporary migrant laborers to help with picking, but the customary flood abruptly stopped because of travel restrictions tied to Covid-19. Experts predict that robots will reduce labor shortages, boost Australia's agricultural production, reduce expenses, and ensure better use of chemicals and water.
The federal and state governments have been promoting the use of modern technology in the agricultural industry, particularly by offering subsidies to create weed-removal and manure-quality-improving robots. Using "swarms" of robots to sow seeds, weed, apply fertilizer, and harvest crops, SwarmFarm technology was recently funded with A$12 million by a farming family's business in Queensland. By administering the precise amounts required, the robots can assist in lowering the use of pesticides and fertilizer, lowering expenses and improving the farm's environmental impact. According to reports, SwarmFarm Robotics has 45 robots operating on Australian farms and has cut the use of pesticides by around 780 tonnes.