Overview

• Farmers are turning to automated systems to address labor shortages and manage costs, with some seeing improvements in efficiency and resource conservation.
• Automation in agriculture includes technologies like driverless tractors and AI-powered monitoring systems, though adoption is hindered by high costs and technical challenges.
• While automation can increase yield accuracy and protect workers from extreme conditions, small farmers remain skeptical about its effectiveness compared to human labor.
• Concerns about job displacement and worker safety are prevalent among farmworkers, who fear losing their roles to machines that require less oversight.
• Innovations like robotic berry-picking arms and pollen collectors are being tested, but widespread implementation is still in developmental stages.