Publication of the report on digital transformation in Spanish agriculture by the Observatory of Digitalization of the Agri-Food Sector

The Observatory of the Digitalization of the Agri-Food Sector of Spain has published the report on digital transformation in Spanish agriculture for the year 2024, in which the adoption of new technologies for the acquisition of data from agricultural plots, weather and markets is analyzed.

In the era of digitalization, drones play an important role, since they allow us to capture high-value data, in RGB, multispectral or infrared spectrum, on demand.

In the aforementioned report, the drone is mentioned as a tool that is progressively being incorporated by personnel dedicated to agriculture for the digitalization of their farms, for the precise management of land, allowing them to predict yields and optimize resources. The adoption of the drone as a tool is not only driving greater efficiency and productivity, but is also opening up new possibilities to face challenges such as environmental sustainability, global competition and fluctuations in the prices of agricultural products.

The investment to be made and training are key aspects that must be taken into account when implementing these tools. The report mentions that for many small or family farms, the cost of acquiring advanced equipment such as drones, the necessary training or certification, or AI-based management systems can be prohibitive, especially if there is no clear strategy on how to maximize their use. In addition, the uncertainty regarding the time needed to recover the investment discourages a large number of them from taking the step towards digitalization.

The report indicates that obtaining values ​​through satellites or drones is residual, being used by only 1.5%, so the room for improvement is still very large.

Progress must be made in policies for the implementation of this type of technology, to try to reach the same level as, for example, soil sensors that exceed 30% of use, or soil sampling for analysis, which is used by about 75% of agricultural agents.

The Observatory of the Digitalization of the Agri-Food Sector of Spain has also published the report on the 'State of the digital transformation in Spanish livestock farming'. The report shows that unmanned aircraft are being adopted to a lesser extent in the livestock sector than in the agricultural sector. Relative importance is given to the data provided by drones, compared to, for example, data related to animal health and welfare or systems for automated feeding and control of the same.

The advantages of using drones have been widely demonstrated, both in the agricultural and livestock sectors, although their implementation is still very small, considering the benefits that this can bring. The main obstacles could be considered the necessary investment and the training required together with the legal limitations on the flight of drones and the complexity in overcoming these barriers, which results in an uncertainty that the sector is not willing to assume.

For our part, we will continue to offer our services, both to help implement these tools, and focused on obtaining data and its processing, aimed at facilitating the work of the farmer or rancher. Certainly, the experience acquired during these years of aerial operations must be valued.

You can consult both reports at the following link:
https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/desarrollo-rural/temas/innovacion-medio-rural/digitalizacion/publicaciones.aspx

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