KEY SECTORS
Czech Agriculture Is among the Most Advanced in Europe In recent years, technical progress has been greatly responsible for changes in agricultural production. What other changes are to be expected in the near future? Answers to this question are given by Antonín Machálek, Director of the Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering, and his Deputy, Jiří Souček. Technical development is historically one of the main reasons why agriculture is steadily becoming increasingly efficient. At the outset of our interview, it must be said that more than one hundred years ago the absolute majority of the population in Europe worked in agriculture, while today their share is at the level of units of per cent. In the Czech Republic, the number of people working in agriculture is 2.9 %, according to statistics. This, of course, is not just due to technical development. Its role is played, for example, by the breeding of new crops and the improvement in the breeds of farm animals, not to mention the more sophisticated fertilisation system, animal feeding and more efficient plant protection and veterinary care. On the other hand, it should be pointed out that progress in other areas, too, is made possible thanks to the development of technical equipment used in research, breeding, and the analysis of raw materials (soil, plants, feeds), etc. It is indisputable that such a dynamic development of new technologies in agriculture as that we have witnessed in recent years has no parallel in history. In addition, great progress is also being made at the level of research and in agricultural practice. In the near future, the spread of robotised technologies and technologies for precision and environmentally friendly agriculture is to be expected. Which are the greatest achievements accomplished in the Czech Republic in Precision Agriculture 4.0 in recent years? Precision Agriculture and the term Agriculture 4.0 are medially rewarding themes. It is important to distinguish between these two terms and to define what they actually mean. Industry 4.0, or its rather artificially created sub-classification Agriculture 4.0, is a term used for the current trend towards digitalisation, comprising automation of production and changes in the labour market. Sometimes it is defined as a new industrial revolution, and as such it should also be perceived from the philosophical point of view. This ensues from a document presented at the fair in Hannover in 2013. On the other hand, Precision Agriculture is a 44 C z e c h R e p u b l i c – Yo u r Tr a d e Pa r t n e r
way towards technological solutions in agricultural production, which places emphasis on the variability of conditions resulting from the natural character of agriculture. The basic elements of Precision Agriculture are the specification and follow-up evaluation of data (relating to the soil, plants, animals, etc.), which are later used in the realisation of agrotechnical interventions. It is true that the dynamic development of sensor and computer technology and easier access to financial backing facilitate the development of these technologies, but the idea of the “precision” approach to agricultural production is definitely not new. The conclusion is that it would be wrong to use one partial application or a single machine as proof of success. In my opinion, the greatest achievement is that the awareness of modern technologies has been gaining momentum among farmers in recent years and that their interest in using new, modern technologies in farming is growing. Is it useful to introduce new technologies in agriculture? Is it advantageous economically? How can the farmer assess the investment in advance? As I have said before, agriculture is linked with variable conditions given by the natural character of production. Among other things, this means that it is often very difficult to state unequivocally what pays off and what does not. In general, it can be said that in agriculture, just as in other sectors of the national economy, smart projects exist. However, sometimes we come across projects using absurd technologies and processes doomed to failure from the outset. Fortunately, I dare say that in most cases Czech farmers are reasonable, and maybe slightly conservative, so that before investing in anything new, they will examine how it works and find out whether they already have something similar. Moreover, sectoral research institutes, including ours, have a vast information base and, in addition, they can rely on a consulting network that in most cases will supply farmers with the information they need. Farmers can find general information about operating costs of technologies used in agriculture from the comfort of their homes, by using the expert systems available free on our website www.vuzt.cz. This naturally also has its negative aspects. For example, the loss of working opportunities. Who is the most vulnerable in agriculture, in this respect? At the moment, the problem in agriculture is exactly the opposite. There are jobs for which no manpower can be found and, to solve the situation, farmers must buy more efficient machinery requiring less manual work. We must realise that farming is a continuous process. Especially in livestock production, for example, work cannot be stopped for even a couple of days. In addition, the work is usually physically demanding and time consuming, and very often it culminates at a time when the rest of the population is on holiday, while farm workers must be operating the combine harvester or sowing rape late into the night. Here, it has to be remembered that farmers are not merely carrying out their business of working their fields and cultivating the countryside, but also that they play an important social role by giving employment to people who would find it difficult
