The agricultural industry is one of the sectors most affected by the digital and technological transformation. This transformation has caused the development of new technologies that have improved the quality, quantity and variety of food, as well as its sustainability.
This is not only about the use of technology in the agricultural sector. It is also about how we view and define agriculture.
Agriculture has always been a part of human history. But now, with the help of digital transformation, it has become more than just a tradition or a way to make money. It has become an industry, which relies on technology for its success and future growth.
Digital and technological transformation in agriculture is changing the way we grow, distribute, and consume food. Technology is changing the way we grow our crops, distribute them to stores, and even how we eat.
The agricultural industry has been using technology for decades to improve efficiency. But now it’s also using it to create new products that can be more sustainable or beneficial for consumers.
At Synnefa we have contributed to agricultural technology in these ways
1. AI Powered Farmshield
With the FarmShield™ you can remotely control your farm from your mobile phone and dashboard while getting real-time information on fertigation and irrigation needs for your crop.
2. Farm Cloud/ Farm Management Tool:
It gives you access to a wide range of management tools to optimise your farm such as finance and insurance, market, access to agronomists, inventory management among others. Sign up now to use it for FREE. 
3. Drip Irrigation Kits:
Our drip irrigation kits are designed to provide a durable space to grow your vegetables, flowers and fruits all year round. The bigger the drip kit, the lesser the cost.
4. Smart Greenhouses:
Our smart greenhouses are quality, durable, dependable, and easy to operate and maintain. They are in a variety of sizes and we can customize one for you in case that’s the direction you want to take.
How have digital spaces contributed to smart farming?
5. Digital Communities
Digital spaces have contributed to smart farming in many ways. From the development of sensor-based technologies to the implementation of data analytics and management systems to groups of farmers that use them..
The digital transformation in agriculture has been significant and it is still going strong. The future of farming looks brighter than ever.
6. Farming is no longer a dirty job
Today, we are seeing a new type of farm emerge: a farm that uses robots and sensors to automate tasks like watering plants, monitoring pests, and harvesting crops. Farmers are no longer required to be on site 24/7 because they can monitor their farms remotely from home or office with their mobile devices or desktop computers.
The digital transformation in the farming industry has led to a lot of changes. One of the most significant changes is that farming is no longer a dirty job.
Farmers are now able to grow more crops with less effort and time thanks to technology. They are also able to use data analytics for better decision making, which will lead to better crop yields in future.
7. Collaboration
The digital transformation in the farming industry breeds collaboration which in turn come in three ways:
- Economic – a collaborative arrangement can offer farmers increased returns through the ability to achieve scale at a lower capital cost; the reduction of costs which are duplicated between farmers; and risk sharing.
- Skills – The possibility of sharing best farming and business management practice.
- Social – Joint farming ventures can help to address the social challenge of the ‘one man farm’ model making farming a more attractive occupation.
8. Partnerships with research centres
Digital technologies have strong potential to support the transformation of agriculture, building a resilient, sustainable and inclusive agrifood system. As key enablers, digital innovations can play a catalytic role – especially in the wake of pandemics like COVID-19 – by improving the capacity of small-scale producers to predict and adapt to external shocks and increasing productivity and profitability. This can only be achieved through research, and as the agricultural sector continues to grow, the research centres will allow farmers to make more informed decisions and bring clarity to a fragmented information landscape.
Opportunities
a. Ready Market for the agritech devices
The digital and technological transformation in agriculture has brought a ready market for the agritech devices. The increased demand of the agritech devices is due to their usefulness in reducing the input cost, increasing the output, saving time and effort.
b. Becoming the pioneers opening doors to many
The agricultural industry is one of the most important sectors in the world. It is also one of the industries that has been most affected by technological transformation thus becoming a leader in the tech industry.
The digital revolution has changed how we farm and manage our crops and livestock, with new technologies like GPS, drones, robotics, sensors and artificial intelligence playing a major role in this process.
Agriculture used to be a very manual process. But now it is more about managing data than managing dirt.
c. Training centres and hubs— learningThe digital and technological transformation in agriculture has brought with it a lot of goodies including training centres and hubs, which offer services like agricultural mechanization, training in modern farming techniques, agribusiness management, farm accounting and marketing. These centres provide hands-on training on the latest advancements in technology, science, and management practices. In order to keep up with the changing times, modernizing agricultural practices has become a priority for many countries across the globe.
d. Support from investors, NGOs and government
The agricultural industry is undergoing a digital and technological transformation thus attracting investment from investors, NGOs and government. The government is taking various steps to improve agricultural production like providing subsidies, introducing new technologies and improving infrastructure like irrigation systems or cold chains.
The reason for this is that the traditional agricultural industry has been struggling with shrinking profit margins, which is mainly due to the rising cost of inputs and labor. This has led to a decline in food production in many regions around the world.
This transformation will provide sustainable solutions for the future of agriculture by reducing costs, increasing crop yields and improving food security.
Conclusion
The technological developments that we have reviewed in this article are all examples of how digital technology can and will play a very important role in the future of agriculture. From the fields of agronomy to the farms themselves, more data-driven decisions will be made that can increase yield, as well as improving farming techniques at a low cost.
And finally, smart harvesting equipment and facilities will optimize farming efficiency and productivity. These few examples demonstrate why digital technology has the potential to revolutionize the way that global food is produced, leading to improved food security for the world’s population.
