Agri-tech market to benefit farmers

Features and News in Farmers Guardian and NatWest’s Business Barn are highlighting the enormous growth potential in agri-tech market.

The reports showcase the benefit to farmers from a newfound interest in agri-tech, as businesses previously not connected to the sector show a keen interest.

In the face of funding cuts from Europe, private companies with an interest in data, advanced manufacturing or hardware are looking at farming as a lucrative new market. SMEs and innovative start-ups are particularly keen to work with farmers to develop new products that will tackle real-world challenges.

Dr Helen Ferrier, chief science and regulatory affairs adviser at the National Farmers’ Union and Agrimetrics Advisory Board member, says the government’s £160m Agri-Tech Strategy, launched in 2013, has been key to generating interest in these opportunities.

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The strategy focused minds and gave the sector more status. The fact that government thinks the agri-tech sector is going places is partly what led to all these companies being interested in farming

Dr Helen Ferrier

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This new commercial attention will complement the range of agricultural research organisations, institutions and networks already in place.

Data platform Agrimetrics, one of the UK’s four Agri-Tech Centres, is already working with two of the world’s biggest companies – Microsoft and Airbus – to provide insights, tools and services to agricultural businesses.

Agrimetrics chief executive David Flanders says: “Money is coming into the agri-tech sector from outside because agriculture is a sector with a huge amount of data which has massive potential. The interest being taken by research organisations in understanding farming processes and engaging with end users has really grown.”

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