Insects are vital for farming as pollinators of crops and as predators of pests but livestock farmers are now looking more and more at insects as a source of feed. There is however, a growing interest and research on farming insects to provide a source of protein for both animals[…]
A recent report from the OECD suggests that super-bug infections will kill around 2.4 million people across Europe, North America and Australia by 2050 unless more is done to limit drug-resistant super bugs. Health officials in England launched a campaign to try to prevent people from asking for the drugs when[…]
One area of new technology which may start to make an impact on agriculture is augmented reality (AR). AR allows you to overlay sensor data, previous crop imagery or some other information over visual reality. For example a set of glasses or goggles that could superimpose another image or computer[…]
The Agricultural Drones or UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) market is expected to grow to approximately USD 4.3 Billion by 2022, with growth at an annual rate of 27% between 2016 and 2022. However the use of UAVs in livestock farming has generally lagged behind that of crop farming. However a number[…]
Recent anti-meat and dairy campaigns during January have prompted some debate within the farming sector on the long term future of the livestock sector, with the topic debated at the Oxford farming conference. The impact of “Veganuary” on meat consumption patterns remains unclear, however it is in developing markets where[…]
Enjoy the Brussels sprouts today. The perfect Winter vegetable which can even be used as a source of “Green” energy. Merry Christmas from Farmlytics.
The basic design of the tractor – the workhorse of agriculture, has remained little changed since the days of Harry Ferguson, new technology e.g. precision systems and GPS have been added, but some fundamentals remain e.g. the basic chassis design and three point linkage, a drivers seat, and a diesel[…]
The latest WASDE (World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates) from the USDA provides an initial assessment of the agricultural outlook for 2017/2018. Global wheat supplies are projected to decline fractionally as higher beginning stocks are more than offset by a production decline following last year’s record. Global wheat production is[…]
Teresa May has set out the UK governments approach and aims in its negotiations to leave the European Union, causing immediate concern among Britain’s farmers. After signalling a clear intention to leave the single market, real questions remain on how UK trade will operate post Brexit, particularly on the issue[…]
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year. Jonathan