Tomsk Agricultural Industry to Introduce Technologies of "Smart" Agriculture

As noted by Andrei Knorr, the Deputy Governor of Tomsk Region for agro-industrial policy and environmental management, a critical amount of quality in production, investment activity and budget revenue has been accumulated to move the agro-industrial complex of the Tomsk region to a new stage of development.

The Tomsk region has achieved serious results on the efficiency of agriculture, taking the first place in the rating of Siberian regions for many indicators. Last year, the region became the first in grain and leguminous crops, granted its leadership of milk production in agricultural organizations, ranked third in the dynamics of egg production and first in meat production, and entered the Russia's top five in the growth of pork.

“Considering the conditions of the northern territories, where our neighbors practically do not have industrial agricultural production, it is quite literally a breakthrough”- shares the vice-governor.

“If we want to succeed in further development, we need to respond to today's main and global challenge — the transition of the economy to a new technological mode.”

Tomsk region is already actively using technologies of "smart" agriculture. The first robotic farm beyond the Urals was opened on the territory of the region, where eight Lely robots with the maximum possible configuration, including software are working today. The complex for 400 heads is served by only five people. Robots fully provide automated herd management, monitor the quality of milk, animal health and hygiene.

The region is developing electronic identification of animals (it has already covered 100% of household farms), digitization of fields, precision agriculture, electronic veterinary certification.
In October last year, the administration of the region signed an agreement with “Cognitiv”, the leader in artificial intelligence, on establishing a test site in our territory for testing unmanned combines and tractors. Four pilot farms have been identified where a cycle of work in arable farming: soil preparation, sowing, chemical treatment, and harvesting of grain and fodder crops will be worked out. Trials will be held in 2019.

“In general, the technology transfer is still insufficient for us - the automation level of most agricultural enterprises does not exceed 50% of the main technological processes. But the fact that Tomsk farmers will cope with the technological challenge is shown by the results of a survey of one hundred agricultural organizations and family farms. 56 percent are willing to invest in the digitalization of the agro-industrial sector, subject to states co-financing, and 32 percent are willing to participate in pilot projects for implementing artificial intelligence in agricultural technology,” -the Vice Governor said.

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• April
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