Research and Trends on the Development Prospects of Smart Agriculture Industry in 2024: Building a Smart Agriculture System with Artificial Intelligence Technology
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Smart agriculture integrates multiple advantages such as data analysis, scientific regulation, and refined management, aligning with the concept of sustainable development. It holds significant importance for improving the overall development quality of the agricultural industry, promoting the goal of 'high yield and high quality' agricultural production, and enhancing the well-being of farmers.
Rural revitalization relies on industry as the foundation and technology as the key. This year, Yinchuan City in Ningxia has continuously promoted the demonstration and application of smart agriculture. In some agricultural machinery social service organizations, by promoting unmanned agricultural machinery technology with the Beidou automatic navigation system, as well as drone plant protection, mapping, and remote sensing technologies, multiple intelligent systems have been gradually established. These include Beidou automatic navigation for agricultural machinery, remote monitoring of agricultural machinery operations, big data management for smart agricultural machinery, precision fertilization and seeding control, modern agricultural microclimate monitoring, and grid-based farmland management, all contributing to the rapid development of agricultural modernization. In the new century, China's agriculture will gradually transition from traditional agriculture to market-oriented, technology-driven, and ecological agriculture, thereby achieving modernization and sustainable development. It is estimated that by 2028, the number of enterprises in China's smart agriculture industry will reach 46,787, a year-on-year increase of 21.3%.
As an important component of the smart economy, smart agriculture primarily relies on computers and the internet, leveraging various modern information technologies to achieve precise management and control of all aspects of agricultural production and operation, with the main goal of enhancing agricultural economic benefits.
Research and Trends on the Development Prospects of Smart Agriculture Industry in 2024
Compared to traditional agriculture, smart agriculture has a larger industrial chain system and involves more complex sectors. The upstream of the industrial chain includes raw material suppliers, covering various segments such as seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, and feed. The midstream involves production activities like planting, harvesting, breeding, and fishing. The downstream consists of agricultural product processing, distribution, and various application markets. Satellite remote sensing, IoT devices, and big data technologies serve as catalysts, connecting and empowering these sectors to achieve agricultural intelligence.
With the rapid development of the internet and the implementation of the national rural revitalization strategy, agriculture, as a foundational industry supporting the national economy, is being reconstructed and upgraded by new technologies such as the internet, big data, and artificial intelligence. The internet has become a critical infrastructure for agricultural development, injecting new vitality into the sector. Driven by multiple factors, including the national rural revitalization strategy and the digital agriculture strategy, the smart agriculture industry has promising prospects.
In recent years, with the advancement of the internet, the application of information technology in agriculture has continuously evolved, and the development of the internet economy in agriculture has entered a new phase. Currently, the "metaverse + agriculture" model is emerging as the future form of digital agricultural economic development. At Nonggan.com (nonggan.com), with the application of blockchain, IoT, networking and computing, AI, and interactive technologies in agriculture, "metaverse + agriculture" is being realized in the form of "Agricultural Metaverse." The platform actively integrates internet information technology and internet thinking to support rural revitalization and the development of smart agriculture.
Smart agricultural equipment is the foundation of smart agriculture and a crucial component of modern agricultural progress. Smart agriculture has become an inevitable trend in the modernization of agriculture.
Smart agriculture serves as a crucial strategic pillar for rural revitalization. Through the Yucheng Rural Revitalization Science and Technology Industrial Park project, Yucheng City aims to attract a group of high-tech agricultural enterprises with advanced technology and significant growth potential. These enterprises will focus on key technological breakthroughs and innovative applications in smart agriculture and intelligent agricultural machinery equipment, facilitating the transformation of agricultural scientific and technological achievements. The goal is to establish an advanced manufacturing base for intelligent agricultural equipment and accelerate the integration of the three rural industries.
Meanwhile, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), known for their strong growth potential and employment absorption capacity, have become one of the important channels for addressing social employment. The Yucheng Rural Revitalization Science and Technology Industrial Park project requires a large workforce for production and office operations, all of whom are recruited locally. This provides substantial employment opportunities for the rural population. The project is expected to create jobs for over 400 farmers from surrounding rural areas, increasing their average annual income by more than 40,000 yuan.
In 2023, the Agricultural Development Bank of China's Yucheng branch approved its first agricultural technology loan of 95 million yuan for the Yucheng Rural Revitalization Science and Technology Industrial Park project. The funds will primarily support the construction of production facilities for intelligent agricultural equipment, such as smart agricultural and forestry plant protection machinery, agricultural drones, agricultural security systems, and agricultural robots. This initiative aims to promote the adoption and application of high-end agricultural machinery and smart agricultural equipment.
Trends in the Smart Agriculture Industry
Currently, China is in a transitional phase from traditional agriculture to digital and intelligent modern agriculture. With artificial intelligence (AI) gaining momentum, agriculture is poised to become a key commercialization scenario for this technology. Building smart agricultural systems and models using AI technology will be an inevitable trend.
Robots are hailed as the "crown jewel atop the manufacturing industry." Dian Tian's development of AI robots for agricultural applications epitomizes the practical implementation of artificial intelligence in farming.
Policies are also steering the growth of agricultural robotics. The 14th Five-Year Plan for Robot Industry Development proposes the development of agricultural robots for tasks such as orchard weeding, precision plant protection, fruit pruning, harvesting, and sorting. Additionally, the Digital Agriculture and Rural Development Plan (2019–2025), jointly issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Cyberspace Administration of China, calls for accelerating the R&D and application of AI in agriculture. It emphasizes implementing a strategy for agricultural robotics, developing a new generation of adaptable, cost-effective, and intelligent decision-making agricultural robots, and speeding up standardization and industrial development.
In the fiercely competitive market, the ability of businesses and investors to make timely and effective decisions is crucial to success. The Smart Agriculture Industry Report by China Research Network provides a detailed analysis of the current state, competitive landscape, and supply-demand dynamics of China's smart agriculture sector. It examines opportunities and challenges from the perspectives of policy, economic, social, and technological environments. The report also uncovers latent market demands and opportunities, offering strategic investors and corporate leaders accurate market intelligence and scientific decision-making support. It serves as a valuable reference for government agencies as well.