December 2020 - 25

technologies. Projects covered a broad
spectrum of technologies, including job
aid/machinery automation, machine
learning/data analysis, mechanical
harvesting/processing, precision
agriculture, remote sensing/drones
and sensors.
Ultimately, adoption of these
technologies will depend on economic
and behavioral factors unique to
individual producers. For example,
adoption of a new harvester technology
that requires orchard redesign, while
labor-saving, may not be feasible in the
short run.
What's next?
Going forward, new federal
programs may provide other funding
opportunities to accelerate the
development and use of automation
or mechanization in the production or
processing of specialty crops.
For example, the Agriculture
Improvement Act of 2018 authorized
$50 million annually from fiscal year
(FY) 2019 to FY 2023 for a five-year pilot
program: Agriculture Advanced Research
and Development Authority (AGARDA).
Funding must be appropriated before
awards can be made. This program aims
to achieve multiple objectives, with
priority to projects that accelerate the
advanced research and development
of qualified products and projects that
address critical research and development
needs for technology for specialty crops,
or that prevent, protect and prepare
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service, based on data provided by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, Agricultural
Research Service and National Institude of Food and Agriculture.
against intentional and unintentional
threats to agriculture and food.
How was the study conducted?
With the help of the USDA Office
of the Chief Scientist, ERS researchers
worked with national program managers
at USDA agencies to develop an
inventory of projects and programs that
directly accelerate the development and
use of automation or mechanization for
specialty crops between 2008 and 2018.
With project timelines ranging from
one to five years depending on the
program and agency, the time period
covers multiple rounds of project funding
with enough time for early projects to
have yielded results.
Developing Automation and
Mechanization for Specialty Crops: A
Review of U.S. Department of Agriculture
Programs, by Gregory Astill, Agnes Perez
and Suzanne Thornsbury, Economic
Research Service. VGN
VGN | DECEMBER 2020 | 25

December 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2020

December 2020 - 1
December 2020 - 2
December 2020 - 3
December 2020 - 4
December 2020 - 5
December 2020 - 6
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