German Minister of Food and Agriculture Julia Klöckner: “Naturally, farmers will also be wondering who is in charge of the data from their tractors and fields – is it the state or a manufacturer? That is something we need to examine and ideally rule on together.”
German Minister of Agriculture: Big future for precision ag
BY HUGO CLAVER T
he German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Julia Klöckner opened the International Green Week 2019 in Berlin with a speech in which
she underlined the importance of precision agriculture. “Over the many decades food pro- duction has changed. It has become more modern, more mechanised, more digital, more interconnected, more global and more tracea- ble,” Klöckner said in her opening speech at the International Green Week 2019.
Demands on farmers increased At the same time the demands placed on pro- ducers and production have increased, she said. “Consumers have become more critical with regard to protecting the environment, climate, resources and livestock and where consumer protection is concerned.” Klöckner told the audience what she thinks
farming will look like in 2030. “Naturally, I im- agine food and enjoyment, a responsible atti- tude towards livestock and the environment, nature and thriving rural communities, a place where one feels at home. But with advanced hi-tech equipment in the fields, stables and sheds that will make farming lives easier.”
Precision farming methods “Robots will be taken for granted everywhere in the fields, data will make its way directly from the field to the cloud, onto the supermar- ket shelf and all the way to the consumer’s plate. Modern farming units will use precision farming methods to minimise pesticide use, with machinery that can pinpoint crop and pest occurrence and deliver exact amounts of pesticide and fertiliser without any loss.” According to Klöckner, that is not too far re- moved from the present day. “Already, we have cowsheds where milking is digitally auto- mated, livestock health is assessed and
farmers receive the information by smart- phone. To achieve this we need blanket high- speed internet coverage – digital highways, not dirt tracks! This is vital for a business loca- tion. Because yesterday’s milk urn is today’s robotic milking machine.”
Data ownership The German Minister of Food and Agriculture also mentioned data ownership. “Naturally, farmers will also be wondering who is in charge of the data from their tractors and fields – is it the state or a manufacturer? That is something we need to examine and ideally rule on together.” According to Klöckner, “modern, digitalised agriculture is a worldwide opportunity to ensure more efficient, energy-saving produc- tion and give more people enough food. That is a good prospect for the countries in question and a factor in helping to stem mass migration.”
▶ FUTURE FARMING | 22 February 2019 9
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