Smart Agriculture

2018 / August

Esther Tseng /photos courtesy of Jimmy Lin /tr. by Jonathan Barnard

“At midday, sweat drips o’er the soil.” So goes a traditional description of farming.

But in today’s countryside, drones spread fertilizer and pesticides on humans’ behalf. Machines are “more precise than people,” and they help to conserve resources. Take, for instance, the drip irrigation system at the ­Neipu Tea Plantation in Ping­tung, which automatically turns on at night, saving electricity and water. Or consider the vertical farming performed at the Yes­Health ­iFarm in Tao­yuan. Un­affected by wind, rain or scorching sun, it overcomes the traditional ­farmer’s subjugation to Mother Nature’s whims. With an emphasis on “smart agricultural production and the digitization of production, marketing and services,” smart agriculture is transforming the ancient profession of farming into a high-tech modern industry.