The UK government has allocated £12.5 million to 19 innovative projects focused on the development of automation and robotic technologies aimed at enhancing productivity, food security, and sustainable farming practices. The announcement is part of the broader initiative that has seen over £120 million invested in industry-led agricultural and horticultural research and development since 2021.
The funding is facilitated through the Farming Futures Automation and Robotics competition, an integral component of the £270 million Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) managed by Innovate UK.
The projects receiving funding are diverse, including the development of a system for predicting and improving the quality of strawberry yields, digital mapping and monitoring of vineyards using drones, robots, and sensors, and enhancing the accuracy and reliability of navigation systems for field-based robotic vehicles.
Source: fpcfreshtalkdaily.co.uk