Sensor-based technology forecast to upgrade farming, report says

Companies in the agriculture sector have been researching for years to come up with innovative technologies that could help with sustainable food production, especially in Africa, where the growth of the Internet of Things has been strongly linked to crop production.

“The United Nations Food and Agriculture Program has noted that global production of food, feed and fiber will need to increase by 70 percent by 2050 to meet the demands of a growing global population,” said  Saverio Romeo, Principal Analyst at Beecham Research.

“This means that, to optimize crop yields and reduce waste, the agriculture and farming industries will need to rely heavily on IoT and M2M technologies moving forward. GPS services, sensors and big data, will all become essential farming tools in the coming years and are clearly set to revolutionize agriculture.”

Smart farming might be the solution for the planet’s fast-growing population, with a notable influence on fleet management of farm vehicles, arable farming, monitoring livestock, indoor farming and greenhouses, fish farming, forestry, storage and water monitoring, forecasts Beecham Research in a new report on precision agriculture.

By collecting data in real-time time through sensor-based technology, precision agriculture can help agriculturists improve farming, logistics and operations, and optimize results by reducing waste. Soon, farmers will be able to detect food fraud and waste, and better handle various contaminations.

“This particularly matters in an industry where margins can be tight, and savings of a few percent can amount to a great deal of money and precious resources,” explained Dr. Therese Cory, Senior Analyst at Beecham Research.