In its official strategy, South Korea has formally established the implementation of artificial intelligence as a priority for its national agricultural policy.
Experts note that South Korean authorities are increasingly emphasizing modern technologies, which could become a key driver of agricultural development in the country.
The government’s current strategy aims to make such technologies as accessible as possible, not only to large agricultural holdings but also to smaller companies and farms.
South Korea is betting that the use of AI and other similar technological tools is not just an option, but a virtual inevitability.
This is due to several specific characteristics of the country that must be taken into account.
The first factor is the limited availability of arable land. According to the latest data, only 22% of the country’s territory is suitable for agriculture.
Therefore, extensive agricultural development is virtually impossible, making the primary goal the harvesting of as many kilograms of produce as possible per hectare.
Secondly, we need to address the aging rural population and the reluctance of young people to move to rural areas.
This means that farms and companies in the agricultural sector must get used to the fact that labor will always be in short supply. Artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics are among the possible solutions to this problem.
The new agricultural development strategy, among other things, envisions the use of AI in crop and livestock farming, the creation of equipment sharing centers, and the implementation of AI in processing plants.
Experts note that investment activity in the South Korean agri-food tech sector confirms the seriousness of these intentions.
According to available data, total investment in startups in this sector increased by 171% over the past year, from $97 million to $253 million.
About 40% of all funds raised went to a funding round for a company specializing in autonomous control systems for agricultural machinery. Thus, we see that the strategy’s implementation has not only already begun, but is proceeding at a fairly rapid pace.
Overall, analysts note that South Korea has joined the ranks of countries (including India, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia) that have recently embarked on a course toward the systemic integration of AI into the agricultural sector.
And it will likely continue to actively pursue this path in the near future.
