Besides being a technological hub,
Taiwan also has a flourishing agricultural sector. Indeed, just in the first
half of 2019, Taiwan's Council of Agriculture reported that the island republic
has logged US$2.7B (nearly 140 billion pesos) worth of agricultural exports.
This number is only expected to grow
as the nation recalibrates its agricultural strategy. Taiwan aims to optimize
its farming techniques by using high-precision technology as it commits to the
Agriculture 4.0 movement.
Agriculture 4.0, or precision farming,
refers to a redefined farming system that integrates high-technology
innovations. According to the World Government Summit, Agriculture 4.0 is a
green agricultural revolution with science and technology at its heart.
In an effort to sustain its growth,
the Taiwanese government is currently raising its investments in Agriculture
4.0 with a pledge of up to $300 million by 2020.
To properly implement Agriculture 4.0,
the following materials are needed: Solar technology for energy needs, lighting
technology as different plants grow best at different wavelengths, drone
technology for soil and water modeling purposes, Internet of Things for smart
sensors, semiconductors to manufacture sensors, control software, and data
mining algorithms, and robotics to assist in planting and harvesting.
As a leading tech hub, Taiwan produces
thousands of electrical engineers, semiconductor specialists, and robotics
experts each year. The workforce then feeds into a supply chain of thousands of
enterprises that create the components required in smart farming.
On the industry side, Taiwan is the
second largest in the semiconductor industry, as well as a manufacturer for
most of the sensors used in IoT and high-tech projects such as robotics, drones
and solar technology. Companies have also developed specialized horticulture
LEDs that can fine-tune wavelengths to increase plant growth and yield.
Solid examples of smart farming
innovations include Owlting, a Taipei-based startup that supplies farmers with
big data to optimize operations by monitoring rain, temperature, and chemicals
in the soil. Another innovation is LeBio's Spectral X, which is a new type of
agriculture net that adjusts sunlight and RGB spectrum ratios to improve plant
health and growth over time.
A number of Taiwan Excellence awardees
also, have a range of hi-tech autopilot helicopters made to help farmers.
Robotics giant Thunder Tiger has the Thunder Hawk, which can spray pesticides
across a hectare of land within eight minutes, greatly improving agricultural
efficiency and reducing human and plant exposure to pesticides. Additionally,
there's Alpas II, from Geosat Aerospace and Technology, another unmanned drone
equipped with computer-controlled flight settings, as well as dual laser
sensors, allowing precise and automatic spraying.
By introducing these digital
innovations to the farming routine, the expected results are increased yields,
reduced operating costs reduced crop damage and minimized water, fuel and
fertilizer usage.
These advantages will also flow to the consumer
side as it ensures cheaper yet better quality products for everyone.
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