David Rose, an associate professor of agricultural innovation at the University of Reading, says farmers are under increasing pressure to juggle feeding a growing population with increased customer demand for sustainable produce, while facing labor shortages.
“Society is asking farmers to do an awful lot,” he says. “I don’t think we look at our plate three times a day and think of all the challenges farmers have faced to put that food on the table.”
A startup based in California says it can help farmers be greener and more profitable by offering what it describes as the world’s first fully electric, self-driving tractor.
The compact tractor can be programmed to perform tasks such as plowing, harvesting and mowing, and can operate for more than 10 hours from a four tofive-hour charge, according to its makers, Monarch Tractor.
With nearly two decades of experience working in the mobility and energy sectors, Monarch founder and CEO Praveen Penmetsa says he understands how technology can shape an industry. “Seeing those two industries transform gave me a template and an idea that agriculture globally is ready for transformation,” Penmetsa tells CNN Business.
Although it doesn’t need a driver, to comply with US regulations it must have a designated remote operator who receives real-time alerts and can stop the vehicle if needed. It has sensors that can detect livestock and crops, and collision prevention systems that allow it to operate autonomously alongside farm workers.
