On September 9, World Agriculture Day, The role of this sector is highlighted as the basis of food security and the engine of economic developmentin a context of water stress and climate change that defies its sustainability.
The activity concentrates about 70 % of fresh water extractions on a global scalewhich has promoted the search for technologies that raise productivity without compromising resources.
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In Mexico, Agriculture represents about 3.77 % of GDP and in 2024 it generated an added value of 69.8 billion dollarsaccording to World Bank figures. The country is agro -export power in fruits and vegetables, although it maintains its dependence on basic grain imports. According to reports from the SIAP and Banco de México, the balance of the agri -food balance remained positive last year, despite the difficulties due to drought.
The Conagua drought monitor reported that in April 2024 64.6 % of the national territory presented some degree of affectation. The most critical areas accumulate three years with deficit rains, which has raised production costs, reduced yields and aggravated pressure on groundwater wells.
“Climate change, floods and droughts force us to take advantage of the opportunity windows. The producer has to go to the country”, He explained to The Food Tech, Gilberto de Jesús López, research professor at the Department of Agricultural Mechanical Engineering of the University of Chapingo.
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In 2024, more than 64 % of the Mexican territory presented some degree of drought.
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Faced with this panorama, precision agriculture is presented as an alternative to raise productive efficiency. This practice uses data, sensors and spatial analysis to optimize inputs such as water, fertilizers and pesticideswhile deciding which crops are most suitable for each area.
“This transformation can be taken to the new concepts that are addressed worldwide today and is agriculture 5.0, where all emerging or innovative technologies that are already in the market will be integrated”López added.
The specialist said that one of the pillars of this change are drones, employed both in cartography and in field applications. With thermal and multispectral sensors, These tools allow to evaluate the water state of the crops, detect pests and adjust the doses of agrochemicals.
“We are currently working on the determination of the water state of crops using drones with thermal and multispectral sensors, relating them to satellite images and advanced data analysis. What we are looking for is to move towards digital twins that integrate aerial sensors, land and simulation models to make decisions in real time”He said.
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The agricultural drone market projects grow 36 % annually until 2034.
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Market projection for precision agriculture in Mexico between 2024 and 2034 estimates an annual growth of 36 %. In values, it would go from 39 million dollars to 650 million dollars, mainly driven by the mass adoption of drones. This expansion responds not only to the need to mitigate climatic risks, but also the aging of the agricultural workforce and the shortage of labor.
From the private sector, manufacturers such as DJI Agriculture have identified the country as a market with particular characteristics, where about 80 % of farmers have properties less than five hectares. “We will design strategies with different drone options and in each launch we will always have an option for small farmers”Said Chiefi Dong, representative of the company for Latin America.
The manager added that the trends point to smarter and more autonomous drones, capable of processing information and making decisions in the field. “I think that in the future we will develop teams that do not need so much labor. The drones are the eyes and the precise hand of the farmer in the sky”, He concluded.
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