Japan’s agricultural workforce is steadily declining and showing no signs of slowing down. The number of agricultural workers in Japan, which stood at 3.35 million in 2005, is expected to fall to one-third, to 1.16 million by 2023. The aging of agricultural workers is also a serious issue. In 2005, 57% of farmers were 65 years of age or older, but by 2023, this figure will exceed 70%. Mechanization of agricultural work is an effective solution to address the declining agricultural population. Mechanization reduces labor hours, increases yields, and creates a system for increasing profits.
Drones have rapidly expanded in the agricultural sector in recent years. DJI drones have rapidly become popular in the agricultural industry, used for sowing seeds and spraying pesticides. DJI is a Chinese drone company that reportedly holds 70% of the global market share. Founded in 2006, the company has bases in five countries, including the United States and Japan, and generates sales of 560 billion yen. Large agricultural drones manufactured by DJI, measuring over one meter in diameter, are being used on farms. These drones are being used for sowing seeds and spraying pesticides at a farm in Kaiping, Guangdong Province, southern China. This year, DJI drones have been used for sowing and other agricultural tasks across 270,000 square kilometers of farmland. This area is comparable to the land area of Japan. Drones can cover an area 50 to 60 times larger than human labor.
Technologies that will enhance the functionality of high-performance, affordable drones are fast approaching. These technologies are 5G and robotics. One robot smoothly disassembles toy blocks in front of it and places them in boxes. This robot, with its delicate finger movements, was being controlled by a human from 10 kilometers away. Using 5G, which has almost no communication delay, allows for seamless interaction between humans and robots. Operators operate the robot while looking at a monitor, and the image quality of that monitor is improving. It is now possible to display ingredients in greater detail than the human eye. Furthermore, because the image on the monitor is 3D, it is possible to sense depth. Thanks to this 3D image, fine operations can be performed smoothly. The technology of humans operating machines from remote locations is fast approaching. Furthermore, it will also be possible for AI to perform these operations automatically. One of the barriers to robots performing complex movements has been “teaching” the robot how to move. Kyocera has developed an AI that has overcome this teaching process. Incorporating these systems into agriculture could dramatically improve work efficiency.
