Agri Tech Strategy launched

The government has launched a new strategy to push the use of technology in agriculture and backed it up with an additional £160m of funding.  The ‘Agricultural Technologies Strategy’ (see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-agricultural-technologies-strategy for full details) aims to make the UK a world leader in the field.  The strategy was developed jointly by government, scientists, and the food and farming industry.

The strategy recognises that the infrastructure supporting applied research, knowledge transfer and commercialisation in the agricultural sector has become run-done since the 1980’s.  To that end a number of actions are outlined.

A series of Centres of Agricultural Innovation will be set up, funded by £90m.  The numbers and structure of the Centres has not yet been decided.  The design will be worked out in consultation with the industry, but each one will focus on a key theme.  The Centres are expected to reconnect researchers to the farming industry, with the following specific aims;

• maximise private sector engagement and co-investment, especially attracting the research activities of globally mobile companies
• generate more sustainable and productive methods for crop and livestock production.  This will be focused on the requirements of the end-user and the changing needs of the consumer
• provide a platform for farmer training, specialist skills development and succession planning
• provide a national focal point and source of expertise that is readily accessible to industry directly, and through the technical advice network that supports farmers
• help take innovative ideas to market more quickly
• be integral to a refreshed network of support to help disseminate best-practice across UK farming including agricultural colleges and agricultural societies

In addition there will be £60m made available to establish an ‘Agri-Tech Catalyst’ fund.  The idea is to offer support for ideas to cross the ‘valley of death’ between basic research and practical products and services that can be used on-farm.  Funding will be provided to get projects to a ‘proof-of-concept’ stage.

A Centre for Agricultural Informatics will be set up, at an estimated cost of £10 million.  This aims to harness the increasing volume and falling cost of data to drive innovation. 

A Leadership Council will drive the strategy and implement some of the actions.  These include a full audit of existing funding and structures for research, innovation and knowledge transfer.  Gaps in skills within the research sector will be identified.  At the industry level there will be more focus on communicating where advice and training can be found, identifying future skills requirements and designing relevant schemes and courses. 

The strategy wants to see improved co-ordination and integration of on-farm demonstrations and more use of demonstration and monitor farms to share best-practice.  The idea is that such demonstration farms will establish clear links and networks with the Centres for Agricultural Innovation.  The government is charged with working with the industry to use the next Rural Development Programme to further skills development and knowledge transfer in the agricultural sector.

It is easy to becynical about such strategies – convening a ‘working group’ and publishing a report is a relatively low-cost way for a government to be seen to be ‘doing something’.   However, in this case, there seems to be some real money being invested to back up the fine words (and, as far as we can see, it really is new money rather than the same funding being announced over and over again).   Although by no means re-creating the NAAS or ADAS of old, there does seem a recognition that research and commercial farming have become disconnected over the years, and that the linkages need to be strengthened.  Of most interest to the farming industry is probably going to be the Centres of Agricultural Innovation and the various knowledge transfer activities that are supposed to cascade down from them.  The key will be in coordinating activities, and avoiding duplication and turf-battles with existing organisations.  There certainly seems an overlap with some of the work the Levy Boards currently undertake.