Robots are the new farmhands – Axios

Artificial intelligence and automation are the new farmhands as growers try to boost productivity amid soaring global demand for food, biofuels and other agricultural products.

Why it matters: Farmers one day will be able to manage their fields from their kitchen table, using a smartphone or tablet to drive machinery, inspect plants and irrigate or treat crops with fertilizer or insecticides.

Driving the news: Agriculture machinery giant Deere & Company last week acquired Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million.

The big picture: With the United Nations predicting the world population will grow to 9.7 billion people by 2050, the agriculture industry says it will need to double the amount of food, feed, fiber and bioenergy it produces.

Yes, but: There aren't enough farmworkers. Agriculture jobs are projected to grow just 1% from 2019 to 2029, slower than other occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Between the lines: Think of a farm as a huge outdoor factory with time-sensitive processes that need to run efficiently all year long.

State of play: Deere first installed GPS technology in its machines in 1993 to create more precise maps of farmers' fields.

What to watch: Despite the overall shortage of skilled farm labor, the BLS expects jobs for agricultural equipment operators to jump 11% between 2019 and 2029 much faster than the average for all occupations.

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Robots are the new farmhands - Axios