GLOBAL TRENDS SHAPING THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR

 

 

TREND 1: TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE

 

Technological developments directly affect the agricultural sector, as in many other sectors. Traditional agricultural practices are evolving towards modern agriculture in which agricultural technologies are integrated. The use of technology in agriculture increases productivity and decreases costs, while increasing the added value created by countries. Four examples of these technological developments are given below.

Intelligent irrigation systems are realized with the integration of systems that measure the moisture level of the soil and give an idea about whether the water in the soil will be used or not. The system uses live data about the water needs of the crop and manages the irrigation process accordingly. This ensures that photosynthesis and transpiration take place at maximum levels, while increasing the yield and providing a better quality harvest.

Vertical farming is an application that offers an alternative for the scenario of not enough productive areas for agriculture. “Unit 84” in England can be given as an example of this method, which is carried out using lighting and irrigation systems.

Autonomous tractors are developed by making use of machine learning integrated with sensors, GPS and radar systems placed on the machines. This technology makes up for the lack of skilled labor supply and creates a system that can work continuously. In particular, it increases productivity by providing a significant decrease in labor costs.

Drone technology can be used for data collection. While the drone carries out activities such as spraying, it also actively collects data on the status of the harvests. The data is integrated with cloud technology to make predictions about the needs of the crop.

In Turkey, investments are made in order to support the agricultural practices of technological advances and make them sustainable. As of the end of 2019, 24 Research and Training Centers have been established specialized in the subject. Efforts to establish 17 R&D and Innovation Centers are still ongoing.

 

 

TREND 2: INCREASING POPULATION AND URBANIZATION

 

By 2050, the world population is expected to reach 9.5 billion. The demand, which is expected to increase with the increase in population, is expected to shape the trends in the agricultural sector. This increase in the world population will necessitate an increase in the productivity level. In order to provide enough food for the world population, current production must increase 1.6 times by 2050.

Today, while only 50% of the world population lives in cities, it is predicted that the rate of urbanization will increase by half in 25 years and 75% of people will live in cities. With the increase in population in cities, the number of mega-cities (with a population of over 20 million) will also increase.

 

 

This increase in both population and urbanization level will significantly affect the supply of agricultural products. Meeting this demand with increasing demand emphasizes the need for efficiency. Sustainable growth in agriculture; For many underdeveloped countries, getting out of poverty will be the most decisive factor for increased welfare and human development. What makes growth and welfare increase possible in the long run is productivity increases. The increased added value thanks to efficiency returns to the capitalists as high profitability, to the workers as high wages and to the consumers as low prices.

The rate of urbanization in Turkey has been increasing since the 1950s; In 2019, the proportion of people living in provincial and district centers was 93%. It is expected that the total population in Turkey will exceed 88 million with an increase of 7.2% until 2025.

 

Source: https://www.kolayihracat.gov.tr