Exciting technological advances

Another month on and yet more milestones have passed in this shambolic Brexit where supposedly crucial votes were held, yet we seem to be no further forward in terms of how we will leave the EU come the end of March.

I’ve given up trying to second guess what is going to happen.

I naively hoped that when accepted on to the Emerging Leaders Programme at Oxford Farming Conference in January that by the time the conference came around there would be some clarity on what the deal would be.

I thought at the conference the industry could then focus and discuss the best way forward.

Although that wasn’t to be the case, attending the conference was a fantastic experience and a great way to kickstart the year.

“A world of opportunity” being the key theme of the event, delegates were really forced to think out of the box and consider options that may not of been apparent previously.

There were fantastic speakers on innovation covering anything from vertical farming and a floating farm in the Netherlands to a company producing cress on a global scale.

All seemed hugely beyond a traditional system as we know it. However, still producing food at the end of the day, albeit in a completely different manner.

Although some of these systems seemed poles apart to what the majority of us are doing in the UK, change is developing and multinational corporations are investing in a big way. Not always evident in day-to-day farming, but we are now entering the fourth agricultural revolution.

The “digital revolution” will see agriculture as we know it change for some to unrecognisable methods.

Whether it be driverless tractors working in field 24 hours a day, robotic harvesting of fruit and veg, or meat, milk and egg whites grown in a lab.

Now, while I certainly don’t fancy the thought of sitting down to a steak and a glass of milk produced in a lab, the technology’s coming and is arguably vital in order to sustainably feed a population that is growing at unsustainable levels (9.8 billion by 2050)

Does this mean that at home I am concerned about the viability of our “conventionally” reared beef or lamb as opposed to the lab-grown type? No.

The market, I believe, will always be there despite what the militant vegan minority might have you believe.

Are the tech developments accessible for a common farmer like me?

It will take time, but with advancements across all sectors – I’m more open and willing to consider the opportunities to drive efficiency.

One thing I’m sure of is that most of us will get up on “Brexit day” and carry on with the task in hand of producing a quality product with some of the highest welfare/assurance standards in the world.

This isn’t going to change overnight and although as an industry we may be in for a bit of turbulence, this will always be top priority and something we should be proud of.

Picture: PA. A laboratory-grown burger made from “cultured beef”.