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 produce for everyone.
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