Farmers in deckchairs while the robots do the hard work – that's the tongue-in-cheek message from the team behind XAG's Europe debut at the Cereals Live agricultural show.
Guangzhou-based drone manufacturer XAG, with a large share of China's domestic drone market, is hoping to venture into Europe. The robot manufacturer hopes its lightweight, electric, autonomous devices could help UK farmers deal with labor shortages and the need to become more environmentally friendly and increase yields.
READ MORE:
WHO says lack of vaccines 'exposes unfairness'
What is the best mask to protect from COVID-19?
"There is pressure on the environment to reduce carbon, to reduce chemical usage. No one else has a solution to this," said Rob Pearson, CEO of Auto Spray Systems, which is spearheading XAG's Europe debut at the show. "China and XAG, in particular, are miles ahead of competitors because they've been working with this technology since 2013, and we are introducing some of the great advances they've made to the UK market. It will take time, but we're patient."
The hope is that UK farmers will see the potential for electricity-powered robots to take on tasks such as spraying pesticides with precision, meaning fewer chemicals used, while their lightweight construction means less wear on the soil than tractors.
UK firm Auto Spray Systems has partnered with XAG to encourage farmers to use drones. /Auto Spray Systems
Crowds who saw the demonstration searched for the XAG products on the stand of Harper Adams University. The Chinese company has been working with the University, which has specialized in Agtech, Agricultural-technology, since 2018.
Some orders were placed at the show for the R150, the land robot. However, when it comes to the drone, there are a few more complications. Spraying crops with pesticides has several restrictions under current UK regulations, although the UK government says it is consulting on this matter and welcomes all tech developments it deems helpful.
The big question is, will farmers dig into their pockets? Some farmers told CGTN Europe the price tag of $15,000 for the drone and $20,000 for the field robot means they wouldn't be investing right now but they could see how the machines will benefit the industry in the future.
Drones can be programmed to spray pesticides more accurately. /Auto Spray Systems
Richard Falkingham, who runs a large arable family farm in East Yorkshire, said he would consider buying an R150 in the near future. "All that worries me, like any machine you buy, is it reliable? The platform looks fantastic and if it's reliable, then people will buy them," he explained.
XAG is not the only robot company at the show. The Dutch start-up firm AgXeed is continuing a European tour with its Agbot, a robot tractor that can be programmed to work autonomously in a field in predetermined areas and without any human input. Spectators must watch from a distance as the robot will slow down and stop it if it senses someone or something within close range.
Right now, these robots are battling for attention and are getting plenty of it. All those attending the show seemed to agree this is the future face of UK farming, the question is, how quickly will this technology be embraced?