Adopting agritech for the food and fibre sector

The rapid increase in the development and adoption of agritech is quickly becoming a focus for our food and fibre sector. The recent Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (June 2024) report  highlights the benefits of agritech to our sector. Adopting agritech is estimated to increase food and fibre export earnings by $9.7 billion.

Agritech can improve productivity and increase efficiencies of farming and growing practices

Our food and fibre sector is rapidly transforming as new agricultural technologies (agritech) are adopted. Robotics and automation are already improving efficiencies and helping overcome challenges of labour shortages by streamlining and reducing manual tasks. Recent advances in AI are driving sophisticated digital technologies, such as precision farming, enabling farmers and growers to make data-driven decisions that can optimise productivity while reducing input costs.

Paving the way for a sustainable economic and environmental future 

Staying competitive in the global market is vital for our economy. Agritech is boosting productivity by increasing efficiencies, enabling the production of high value products, and allowing our industries to meet the demands of conscious consumers, for example, traceability of products to origin. 

Agritech, however, is not just about productivity; it also enables farmers and growers to reduce the impact on the environment. For example, precision farming is allowing the targeted application of fertilisers and water, thereby minimising runoff and waste. 

And with our ‘kiwi ingenuity’ and focus on research and development, Agritech is projected to be a significant export industry. By 2030, revenue is projected to increase to $8 billion from $1.6 billion. With the Agritech Industry Transformation Plan providing a strategic pathway for growth, and significant funding for projects by industry and government through the likes of Callaghan Innovation, our agritech sector is already seeing the development of exciting new technologies. 

Transforming our industries requires new skills

As our industries continue to adopt agritech there will be less need for labour intensive manual jobs, and new opportunities will be created. There will be demand for workers with technical skills who can operate and maintain technologies such as drones, robotics and automation, and digitally savvy workers to work with the wide range of digital technologies. It is also predicted that agritech will attract more workers into our food and fibre industries, likely resulting in a more stable and better paid workforce. 

Embracing the rapidly increasing advances in agritech requires workforces with the relevant technical and digital technology skills. Muka Tangata has been working with our dairy, agriculture and horticulture industries to identify what skills are required and investigate shorter, targeted, and flexible training, so vocational education and training can meet changing needs of industries.