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Mechanizing the specialty crop industry needs investment

Growing labor shortages have led the country’s specialty crop industry to seek new and more mechanized means of farming.

California Farm Bureau president Paul Wenger says if continued worker shortages and immigration challenges can’t be alleviated, more needs to be done to find technical solutions and support for specialty crop research in the next farm bill.  “Specialized equipment, robotics and other tools can help us offset the growing labor shortage.”

Driscolls CEO Kevin Murphy, the world’s largest berry grower, says it’s not a matter of if anymore, it’s how. The company is investing in developing robotic harvesters as well as researching growing methods that require less people.  “Advances in visual systems making mechanized harvesting a reality in the berry industry where visual systems identify when a berry is ready to be picked and then a mechanized arm snips the fruit and gently moves it from the field to inspection and packaging.”

Wenger says the industry can’t wait decades for innovations to be available.  “Significant investment in plant breeding, mechanical engineering and broadband is required today.”

Both testified during a recent House Ag Committee farm bill hearing.

A University of California study says up to $20 million is needed per specialty crop to develop robotic systems to mechanize the industry and breed crops picked by machines.