Agricultural trends going into 2021

Overall, the agriculture industry has a strong influence in not only local economies but also internationally. From looking at farmers, real estate, supermarkets, and restaurants it is important to understand this industry and how it will affect food production and distribution.

1. Food Safety

In the world of Covid-19, the demand for agricultural food products went up a lot as more people decided to cook at home rather than go out. People's preference changed because of the virus which led to higher standards of food quality and food safety. This means that farmers have had to take extra precautions to make sure their food is safe and clean. Going forward I think we will see this same trend. Any sort of safety regulations should be noted by farmers going forward into this next year.

2. Animal Vaccines

One major trend this year will be the increase in animal vaccines. Many people are concerned about the potential illnesses in livestock going into next year. With that being said, this can be prevented by using vaccines. Diseases can be devastating for farmers who own livestock, and it is important that we increase the amount of vaccines to prevent any sort of outbreak.

3. Digital Agriculture

Digital Agriculture, is the integration of digital technologies into crop and livestock management, and other agricultural processes. This is another trend that results from the effects of Covid-19. Field mapping is one of the most popular ways that digital agriculture is being used. It allows farmers and growers to take satellite images of their farmland in order to monitor their land and products. This system also allows the farmers to not have to take unnecessary trips to go and observe their field. In my last blog post I talked about the use of drones and robotics in agriculture which is something that we will definitely see more of going forward.

4. Water Usage

The USDA reported that close to 80% of water used in the United States is used in agriculture. That is obviously a tremendous amount of water being used and can be costly as water is a limited resource. With rising costs of using water and because of the movement to become more sustainable, farmers are looking for new ways to reduce the amount of water being used. I think going forward this will be a sizable trend and we will see new ways farmers are using water more sustainably.

5. Indoor Vertical Farming

Although vertical farming is oftentimes more expensive than conventional farming, it is an intriguing way to farm that has its benefits. Indoor farms are expanding a lot throughout the United States and rightfully so. The yield potential of these kinds of farms is much greater than that of a normal farm. With the ability to grow year round and having literal towers of crops growing, the yield from vertical farming easily beats conventional farming. Another benefit is the fact that these crops are grown in a controlled environment, meaning less water and pesticides. I previously mentioned that farmers will look to reduce the use of water in this next year, and vertical farming is a great way to do that. Many indoor vertical farms are actually found in urban areas, so another benefit we can see is having fresh produce grown a few miles away rather than thousands of miles away. Definitely look for this as being a hot trend going forward in the agricultural industry.