The Netherlands will get a National Testing Ground for Precision Farming where the latest inventions, prototypes and technologies can actually be tested and developed further. Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Van Dam assigns an amount of over EUR 2 million for four years for the first phase of the Testing Ground, that should ensure that Dutch agriculture can produce in a more sustainable way and more efficient and will continue to remain a leader. It is expected that the industry will invest EUR 8 million in four years on top of the more than EUR 2 million of the Ministry. Secretary of State Van Dam announced this on during a working visit to Lely Group and Bunnik Plants.
Drones that can detect plant disease and only spray pesticides where it is required, small agricultural robots that cultivate the land efficiently and cheaply 24/7, sensors in the soil that ensure that each plant is automatically given water or fertilizer and satellites that inform the grower about soil fertility, harvest time or insect pests. In the National Testing Ground for Precision Farming, such techniques can be tested in the field under realistic conditions and developed further, after which they can be demonstrated to growers who would want to use them in their operation.
Secretary of State Van Dam: "Dutch Agriculture is leading internationally. In order to remain ahead we must invest in progress. That helps our farmers and growers, and is beneficial for our technology sector. With the knowledge and technology, that we make marketable in our Testing Ground, we can make our agriculture and horticulture more efficient as well as more sustainable. Thus we can maintain our leading position and can, also in the future, continue to contribute to the global challenge to produce sufficient food."
Testing Ground starts with design study
The National Testing Ground Precision Farming starts with a study for the design. That study will map out the already existing experimental areas (greenhouse, land, stable) and connects existing initiatives with the Testing Ground initiative. On that basis it will be determined which crops and applications will require additional facilities for experimentation. The first results of the design study are expected before the summer, so that the Testing Ground project short-term can be further developed.
Investing to accelerate innovation
To remain an international leader in Agri & Food it is important to invest heavily in innovation, State Secretary Van Dam said. Earlier, the Secretary of State already announced that there will be made available EUR 16.5 million for ‘HighTech 2 Feed the World;’ projects to speed up innovation, for example, by applying technology from the medical world or space exploration in agriculture. In addition, EUR 12 million recently was made available by EZ for two new investment funds for techno-starters in the Agri-Horti-Food-Tech sector. From private sources at least EUR 12 million will be contributed. The Secretary of State wants in this manner improve the chances to succeed for the innovative starters that are operating at the intersection between agriculture and technology. Furthermore, another EUR 500,000 is available for so-called ‘start-up accelerators’. Established companies will support starters to accelerate the introduction of innovations. Soon the first accelerator will start for horticulture. Accelerators for food and agritech will follow.
