Precision Farming

Key points in this POSTnote include:

• Precision farming combines technology with livestock and crop science to improve agricultural practice.
• Benefits include improved animal health, greater crop yields and reduced environmental impacts.
• Many UK farmers feel the costs of the technology are a barrier to uptake. The use of some techniques is more prevalent in northern Europe, Australia and the US.
• Automation of repetitive tasks reduces the need for some jobs, but precision farming does not replace humans fully, and creates demand for high skilled work.
• Data collected in precision farming has great value and potential, but it is not always clear who owns and has rights to use it.