The British government has announced £20m (€23m) in funding to support the development of agricultural robots and automated technologies aimed at tackling labour shortages on farms that struggle to find seasonal workers at harvest time.

The funding, announced by farming minister Stephen Morgan, will allow agri-tech businesses to bid for a share of the £20m to collaborate with researchers and farmers to develop the next generation of farm automation.

Minister Morgan said some farmers battle to find seasonal workers during the busy season.

ADVERTISEMENT

“This funding will help put cutting-edge robots and technology into their hands, easing that burden while boosting yields and profits,” he said.

“It’s a vote of confidence in British ingenuity and a big step towards the kind of modern, resilient farming we set in out 'Farming Roadmap',” minister Morgan concluded.

Head of agri food at Innovate UK Chris Danks said robots and automation are becoming increasingly important to help improve productivity and build more resilient businesses.

“This competition will help accelerate innovations from concept to on-farm application, supporting solutions that can improve productivity, sustainability and resilience across the sector,” he added.

Farming Innovation Programme

This funding from the government’s Farming Innovation Programme is part of a recent £53m boost and takes the total funding available for cutting-edge farming research and technology up to £123m (€143m).

The programme is part of a government pledge to invest at least £200m (€233m) in farming innovation by 2030.