FROM PICKING soft fruits using robots, to treating crops using lasers and avoiding pesticides, the innovations now being considered by agri-science will revolutionise farming as we know it – those were the sentiments of Sam Gyimah MP, during the official opening of the new Agri-Tech innovation hub in the Midlands.

The multi-million-pound hub, located on Harper Adam’s University Campus in Shropshire, will bring together researchers, technology and engineering companies and food business, from farmers right through to retailers. It will allow for the development, testing and sharing of technologies to boost productivity in farming and the food supply chain.

The £4.4 million research and development facility will prioritise encouraging farmers to uptake innovative technologies to increase the overall benefits to UK agriculture.

Ian Cox, Innovate UK Innovation Lead for the Agri-Tech Centres said: “Ultimately, this is about the successful transfer of new technologies, and the skills for their use, into farming practice to improve productivity, profitability and environmental performance in food production. Working with the Agri-EPI Centre team we are committed to achieving these objectives,” he explained.

Agri-EPI Centre chief executive Dave Ross commented: “By bringing together experts spanning different disciplines and sectors, Agri-EPI seeks to unlock exciting opportunities for the development and testing of new ideas and technologies of potential benefit to farmers and the rest of the food supply chain. Our new Midlands hub is one of four ground-breaking facilities we will be running across the UK to really push forward new thinking and technologies that can boost the productivity, sustainability and profitability of the agri-food industry,” he explained.

The new hub offers a 500m2 workshop space equipped with tools, rapid prototyping equipment and fabrication facilities, along with office space for rent.

In addition, the state-of-the-art Midlands Dairy Research Centre, developed by Agri-EPI in partnership with and managed by Harper-Adams, will focus on the use of next generation technology to understand dairy cow behaviour and welfare. Its 50-cow robotic milking shed was designed specifically for trial work, complementing Harper Adams’ 380-strong commercial dairy herd. The centre is sponsored by DeLaval, Easyfix and IceRobotics.

Agri-EPI is also collaborating closely with the Harper Adams Hands Free Hectare project team, looking at increasing automation and the integration of 5G technology in field operations.