Western Fair investing government funding into robots on the farm
Hoeing your row has never been so high tech for farmers.
The Grove agri-business hub at Western Fair has announced that $2.4 million in federal and provincial government funding will be used to fund the development of robots and other technologies in agriculture.
“Maybe farming is going to be done from your comfortable chair in dining room from your laptop, operate the farm that way,” commented Art Veldhuizen. The retired John Deere manufacturing worker was marveling at robots working the field at the Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock on Tuesd.
Several pieces of automated, robotic farm equipment were on display at the event. “We have robots that are anywhere from a planting robot to a weeding robot, to a harvesting robot out on display at this event,” said Chuck Baresich, president of Haggerty AgRobotics, one of the groups involved in the project. He said that some robots are manufactured overseas, while some are made in Canada.
“We can put some field trials out there, test these robots, and de-risk it for farmers so that they don’t have to make an investment and hope that it works, they can make it knowing that it works,” added Reg Ash, the CEO of the Western Fair Association.
Robotic farm equipment works on a field at the Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock, September 10, 2024 (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)
It’s anticipated that robotic and autonomous farm equipment will help address a labour shortage in the agricultural sector.
“I’ve never met a farmer yet who said they have too many employees,” said Baresich. “Usually they struggle to find enough.”
“This is one way that we can attract people in to farming without necessarily having that deep agricultural base,” added Ash.
It’s still very early days for the technology. According to Baresich, there are only a couple dozen farms across Canada and the U.S. where robots are being put to work on the fields - but he said that’s about to change very soon
“In the specialty crops, the vegetables, the orchard space I think we’re going to see 50 per cent adoption very, very quickly, like under ten years, because the labour challenges are only going to get worse,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Post strike could hurt charity donations during holiday season
Charities and non-profits are having to pivot after nearly 55,000 workers represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers walked off the job Friday. The strike has halted mail from going out and charities are concerned it may stop donations from coming in.
Hurricane-force winds hitting parts of the B.C. coast as 'bomb cyclone' develops
Hurricane-force winds of more than 120 km/h are hitting parts of the British Columbia coast as a "bomb cyclone" develops off Vancouver Island.
Two undersea cables in Baltic Sea disrupted, sparking warnings of possible ‘hybrid warfare’
Two undersea internet cables in the Baltic Sea have been suddenly disrupted, according to local telecommunications companies, amid fresh warnings of possible Russian interference with global undersea infrastructure.
Sitting too much linked to heart disease –– even if you work out, according to new study
Sitting at your desk all day may put you at greater risk for heart disease –– even if you work out in your spare time, according to new research.
'Embarrassed': NDP MP calls on Randy Boissonnault to resign over false Indigenous claims
A Métis member of Parliament is calling on the employment minister to resign over what he calls harmful false claims to Indigenous ancestry.
Calgary doctor charged with sexual assault of multiple patients
A Calgary doctor is facing charges after allegedly sexually assaulting four patients between 2016 and 2020. Police say all four victims came forward independently in 2023 to report their alleged assaults.
Swiftie's friendship bracelet beads confiscated at Calgary airport
A Canadian Taylor Swift fan has some 'Bad Blood' with the Calgary International Airport after security staff confiscated hundreds of dollars worth of beads she was going to use to make friendship bracelets.
Sarah McLachlan cancels anniversary tour due to health concerns
Sarah McLachlan fans will be saddened to learn the famed Canadian singer has cancelled her 30th anniversary “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy” tour due to health concerns.
Trump chooses TV doctor Mehmet Oz to lead Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday tapped Dr. Mehmet Oz, a former television talk show host and heart surgeon, to head the agency that oversees health insurance programs for millions of older, poor and disabled Americans.