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Agriculture Column, Tapuwa Mashangwa
OUR world is changing at a pace faster than anyone can fathom and a new era is at dawn, an era where manual labour shall no longer be required in agriculture and other economic sectors.

Globalisation and increased international trade between countries has permitted technological advancement, development and sharing to occur at a faster speed than before and with the ever increasing populace of ‘Generation Z’ that thinks faster and is more innovative than previous generations we will arrive sooner than we thought.

It is easier to be a millionaire in this day and age than in previous centuries and, moreover, access to capital has increased globally especially with the rise of microfinance institutions and crypto-currencies replacing the traditional banking system. One may ponder, who can easily access this funding/capital?

It is the in first place the biggest and richest global cooperation’s and elite individuals.

This international progress affects agriculture. More individuals internationally currently shun being employed for hard labour agricultural positions and the cumulative cost in investing in automated machinery is cheaper than hiring manual labour, which that has an eight hour working day in comparison to machines than can work 24 hours non-stop as long as their power source is reenergised. The increased investment in lithium and solar energy also shows where we are heading technologically. It is good that we now have access to a variety of power sources. However, this simultaneously means that automated machinery also now has alternative and cheaper unconventional sources of energy.

The technologically advanced farm will rely on solar power and lithium batteries for most if not all its machinery and energy needs. Land preparation will be done remotely done via a mobile application wirelessly dictating the movement of the tractor, afterwards a planter will precisely insert the seeds at their recommend depth into the soil and fertigation will begin as automated timed sprinklers will turn on. A drone will fly over the planted land and communicate with the artificial intelligent combined harvester to begin reaping. In turn the self-driving tractor will deliver the produce to a warehouse where processing and packaging will be simultaneously done. Then with the self-driving cars, trucks and lorries, this produce will be delivered to the designated supermarket, buyer or market depending on the technological advancement of the country, region, province, city or town. Or better yet the neatly and hygienic agricultural produce will be delivered to ones doorstep.

Most of what is mentioned above is already in existence. The consolidated functionality of all technology combined is going to change the world significantly and we are not light years away from this. There are scientists and entrepreneurs who are already successfully working on these projects.

Global and multinational companies like Monsato, John Deere, Google, Tesla, Econet and prestigious and forward thinking university like Cambridge, Oxford and Harvard promote and invest in technological advancement research to revolutionise the way the world operates.

What most people fail to realise is that as they stand in awe at highly advanced technological products and services in today’s world the role of mankind in every economic sector is slowly diminishing.

We are being replaced by artificial intelligence slowly but surely and as billion dollar companies keep growing they can afford to purchase these high-tech gadgets and AI to cut costs, increase productivity and functionality and improve service and product quality and provision.

Where will the rural and average farmer be when all this happens? What shall happen to their source of income for survival? Will they be able to compete with better and cheaper agricultural prices from high tech agribusiness companies? What shall happen to the large agricultural workforce? What about those relying on the use of their hands and brains in agriculture; Can they fight off artificial intelligence that does not get exhausted but only requires to be “plugged in” to function?

In this world of “adapt or be irrelevant” it is better for those participatory in agriculture to become conversant with new and future global technologies and then at least be contributory to the new agricultural era that is befalling us.

Eng. Tapuwa Justice Mashangwa, Group CEO of Emerald International Consortium and CEO Emerald Agribusiness Consultancy. He can be contacted on +263 771 641 714 and email: [email protected]