ILLUSTRATION: ABN AMRO
GLOBAL MARKET ▶▶▶
ABN AMRO: global ag robots market to double in the next five years
BY RENÉ KOERHUIS A
BN AMRO bank has recently re- searched and mapped the global market for drones, milking and feeding robots, field robots and au-
tonomous tractors and related machines, as well as hardware and software for data analy- sis. According to calculations and estimations from the bank, the existing market for this ‘ag- ritech’ sector amounts to € 6.2 billion (US$ 7.3 billion) worldwide. Labour shortages, amplified by the effects of the Covid-19 out- break limiting international travel by migrants and seasonal workers, and consumer and leg- islative demands for sustainable food produc- tion are the main reasons why growth is ex- pected to double by 2025. Average annual growth is predicted to be 15%. Dutch manufacturers currently have a market share of 11% (€ 715 million), mainly thanks to dominant markets shares in milking and feed- ing robots, with Lely leading the field. The overall turnover of Dutch agritech technology could grow to € 2.5 billion by 2030, with an
According to a recent study by the Dutch bank ABN AMRO, the global market for agricultural robots could double in size over the next five years. Labour shortages and sustainable food production are seen as the main drivers for growth.
average annual growth rate of 13%. ABN AMRO also identifies various bottlenecks that are hindering the growth and potential of agri- cultural robots. These are legislation, frag- mented knowledge, and insufficient access to subsidies, funding and private equity.
Labour shortages Early in 2020, 18% of Dutch farmers and greenhouse growers reported a shortage of labour as a bottleneck. Although this figure has now fallen to around 14%, it is still clearly higher than just over 3% four years ago. Dutch asparagus robot manufacturer Cerescon sig- nalled a 30% shortage of labour for manually harvesting asparagus earlier this year. Because of such shortages, labour costs are also in- creasing, leading to more interest in robotic
solutions among farmers and greenhouse growers.
Sustainable food production Population growth worldwide and the grow- ing middle and upper classes require more − and more efficient − food production from a decreasing area of land that is suitable for food production. Consumer preferences for sustain- able and organic food, as well as legislation to reduce the amounts of crop protection chemi- cals, fertiliser and antibiotics used (such as in the EU’s ‘farm to fork’ strategy), put extra pres- sure on food production but are also likely to accelerate farmers’ interest in robotisation.
You can find the full ABN AMRO report at
www.futurefarming.com
▶ FUTURE FARMING | 20 November 2020
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