UK to provide £160m technology investment to boost agricultural industry

The UK government has announced plans to invest £160m to boost the development of agricultural industries in the country, as part of the newly launched Agricultural Technologies Strategy.

The new initiative aims to make the UK a world leader in agricultural science and technology, to deliver sustainable, healthy and affordable food for future generations and address global food security issues.

The strategy, which has been developed in partnership with the industry, will take advantage of breakthroughs in nutrition, informatics, satellite imaging, remote sensing, meteorology and precision farming, and is designed to benefit everyone from farmers and retailers, to cooks and shoppers.

The industry is also expected to invest heavily in the development which will transform farming in the UK, using advanced technologies in order to make the process as productive as possible while lowering environmental impact and use of resources.

This development comes after the government’s recent plans for automotive, construction, aerospace and other key sectors to secure sustainable future growth in the economy.

Universities and Science Minister David Willetts said that the UK has a world-class science and research community and institutes and universities that are at the forefront of agricultural research.

"To get ahead in the global race, this strategy sets out how we can ensure that we turn our world-beating agricultural science and research into world-beating products and services," Willetts added.

Defra Minister for Science Lord De Mauley said that there is a global challenge to feed the rapidly increasing population in an affordable and sustainable way.

"We are investing in technologies that will enable British farmers to meet these challenges and take advantage of the growing demand in export markets for British food," Mauley added.

The Agricultural Technologies Strategy outlines a number of key actions, including a £90m investment in centres for agricultural innovation which will support the adoption of innovation and technology in the food and farming supply chain.

Also planned is a £70m Agri-Tech Catalyst, which will specifically support small and medium sized enterprises, to help new agricultural technologies bridge the gap between the lab and the marketplace.

In addition, the creation of an industry Leadership Council will bring together the agriculture technology sector and make the UK more competitive globally, while the recruitment of a new UKTI agri-tech team will aim to boost exports and overseas investment in the UK’s agricultural technologies.

The UK government has also announced £30m for four agri-science research and innovation campuses, which will be established by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and a multi-million pound scientific research partnership between Rothamsted and Syngenta to increase wheat productivity.