How technology is plugging the void to build resilient domestic food supply chains

The president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has warned that the UK could face a heightened risk of vegetable shortages this year, as the domestic farming sector struggles to adapt to extreme weather and higher costs. While the UK will always need some food imports, the NFU has issued the stark warning that shortages could become more common if the government doesn’t act. Here, David Strain, technical director at integrated automation systems specialist, Technidrive, joins this debate.

As extreme weather events become more common, it’s imperative that we focus on building resilient domestic food supply. At Technidrive, we have long supplied integrated automation solutions to the farming sector. We’ve spoken to farmers directly who have reiterated that they are facing challenges related to cost and production feasibility.

The economics for British growers are even less favourable this year due to ever-increasing energy prices. This has made heating greenhouses more expensive. In response, the NFU has launched a strategy designed to boost UK fruit and vegetable production and minimise future supply chain disruption.

The strategy sets out ten policies to enable long-term growth and ensure the ongoing fresh supply of produce on supermarket shelves. The plan calls for boosting of sustainable energy supplies, an improvement in access to skilled labour, investments in productivity and greater supply chain fairness.

One area that we’d particularly like to see focus on is technological investment to increase productivity in farming. We’re not suggesting that technology should replace governmental change. However, in an already challenging environment, could automation provide that much needed buffer?

One area where automation is certainly making an impact is in combating the labour shortage. Farmers have long reported either high labour costs, or limited access to it altogether.

At Technidrive, we’ve witnessed first-hand how bespoke automation can increase efficiency gains. We worked with propagator firm, John Gabbie & Sons based in County Down, Northern Ireland, to develop an automated cart system. The firm germinates and grow plants until they are large enough to handle. These plants are then distributed to farmers, who grow and sell them to supermarkets.

John Gabbie & Sons has several greenhouses that are up to half an acre in size and split up into bays. These bays are up to ten metres wide and 16 metres long with walkways for forklifts and tractors.

Before deploying automation, an operator needed to drive a tractor or a forklift along the pathway to move bays of plants through the greenhouses. The plants were then physically carried to the end of the bay to be boxed. As with many traditional farming practices, this process was labour intensive.

The automated cart system designed by Technidrive runs along railings in each walkway, removing the need for manual labour.  Not only does this speed up the process, but it also reduces the space needed for each walkway, allowing the company to pack more product in the greenhouse.

While this is just one isolated example, by making technological investment more accessible to agricultural businesses, we can support long-term growth in our domestic food production sector. As extreme weather incidents increase, it’s even more important to make efficiency gains wherever possible. It’s clear that our empty supermarket shelves are only the tip of the iceberg.

For further information about Technidrive’s bespoke automation systems  talk to a specialist today.