September 2022 - 4

EDITOR'S LETTER
Fruit
Growers
The robots are coming!! The
robots are coming!!
It's not easy being an " early adopter " when the livelihood of
your family is on the line, and it's understandable that many
operations take the " wait and see "
approach to ag-tech equipment
designed to make it easier to plant,
tend and harvest crops.
In many cases, farmers see a lot of the
technology designed to automate work
in the field and packinghouses for the
first time at field days. Take, for example,
the harvester and pest control equipment
being tested in California strawberry
fields (page 12). Robotic/autonomous
equipment that decreases the need for
labor is of particular interest.
When it comes to investors,
however, they continue to see value in funding areas that are
more established, such as the e-grocery sector. According to the
recently released AgFunder 2022 AgriFoodTech Investment report
(agfunder.com/research/), global investment in the eGrocery sector
saw 188% year-on-year growth from 2020-2021, including a $3
billion deal with China's Furong Xingsheng. With COVID lighting
the fire under the eGrocery segment, it's ingrained in consumer
preference by now and promises to be a continued focus of
investments across the globe.
Chris Koger
Managing Editor
eGrocery led global investment with $18.5 billion; the next
category was innovative foods, with $4.8 billion. Farm robotics,
mechanization and equipment, while turning heads at field day
demonstrations, is low on the priorities of global investors, with
$900 million.
Novel farming systems, which include indoor/urban/vertical farms,
was the eighth-highest draw of ag-tech investing, with $2.3 billion
in 2021. Midstream technologies, which encompass food safety and
traceability, logistics and transport, and processing tech, received
$3.8 billion in 2021.
" Novel farming systems was neither among the biggest nor
highest-growth sectors, but investors showed renewed interest in
indoor farming tech, " according to an AgFunder summary of the
annual report. " Notably, greenhouse grower Local Bounti went
public via (a special purpose acquisition company) SPAC deal in in
November. We expect to see investment in various indoor farming
formats accelerate during 2022. "
SPACs have become a preferred way for experienced
management teams and sponsors to take companies public,
raising capital through an initial public offering for the purpose of
acquiring an existing operating company.
Most of the investment rounds tracked by AgFunder in 2021 were
in the U.S., which dominates as the world's biggest agrifoodtech
investment market, at 41% of funding and 34% of all deals for
the year.
While ag robotics isn't a leading draw for investors, the market
segment is expected to see continued growth, according to
London-based Brandessence Market Research and Consulting Pvt.
Ltd. A recent study of the agriculture robots market by the firm
valued the 2020 market at $4.56 billion, with expectations of it
increasing to $26.68 billion by 2027.
Growing labor costs, rising number of technological
advancements and a better efficiency of processing in ag sectors
are driving the growth of the global agricultural robots market,
according to Brandessence.
Although it's just one segment of the growing ag technology
space, we'll be sure to keep an eye on developments in robotics.
News.com
WATCH. READ. SHARE
FRUITGROWERSNEWS.COM
Pear Bureau: NW fresh crop in line with
5-year average
Pear Bureau Northwest's (PBNW) first
official estimate of the 2022-23 fresh pear
crop for Washington and Oregon is 16.2
million standard box (averaging 44 pounds)
equivalents, which is on par with the fiveyear
average.
Industry decries Cal/OSHA decision against
autonomous tractor maker
The agriculture industry is questioning a
California regulatory agency's unfavorable
ruling against autonomous tractor maker
Monarch Tractor. Many industry people
consider the decision, which maintains 1970s
farm machinery rules, a step backward for
California agriculture.
University of Florida hires expert to lead
Invasion Science Research Institute
The University of Florida Institute of Food
and Agricultural Sciences has appointed
internationally acclaimed entomologist and
ecologist Matthew Thomas as director of the
new Invasion Science Research Institute.
Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance outlines
farm bill principles
The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance
(SCFBA), a national coalition of more
than 200 specialty crop organizations
representing growers of fruits, vegetables,
dried fruit, tree nuts, nursery plants and
other products, has released its statement
of principles for consideration of the 2023
Farm Bill.
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September 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2022
