We train specialists in digital agriculture

By: STA Date: 2023. 10. 26. 11:00

The technological changes affecting agriculture are taking place at an exponential rate, and our task is to adapt agricultural vocational training to this and make it attractive for young people. All this means future security that will make the lives of all of us better – said the Minister of Agriculture at the handover of the sectoral training center supporting the digital agriculture and innovation activity of the Great Plain.

(Photo: AM/István Fekete)

The head of the ministry emphasized that, for this, the standard of training must be increased in such a way that it provides young people with knowledge that they can use immediately upon entering the labor market. The most difficult task in this is to provide opportunities for young people in which they can continuously develop together with technology. He pointed out that a milestone in this process is the recently handed over training center, which was supported by the government with HUF 205.5 million and realized with the coordination of the Alföldi Agricultural Vocational Training Center. István Nagy recalled that there is positive feedback when examining the number of participants in the school system and adult training, that 50 percent more people enrolled in the institutions of the Alföldi Agricultural Vocational Training Center this year compared to last year. As he said, in accordance with national trends, the agricultural sector is the most popular here as well. Today, there are almost 22,000 people studying in agricultural vocational training, i.e. one and a half times as many as six years ago – underlined the minister.

In his speech, the head of the ministry also touched on the fact that the use of digitalization, artificial intelligence, robotics and high-tech tools is becoming more and more widespread in agriculture

The reason for this is that they can be used to optimize the conditions that determine crop growth. With the help of industrial drones, it is possible to survey land, monitor the condition of plants, measure soil moisture, and make spraying more efficient. With the application of technology, the sector can become more competitive and sustainable, and the labor shortage in agriculture can be offset, the minister explained. He added that the call to support the digital transition of agriculture and precision developments by the Ministry of Agriculture as part of the Rural Development Program proved to be extremely popular, as 2,634 applications received support exceeding HUF 192 billion. The head of the department emphasized that investments and modernization programs similar to the one in Csongrád play a key role in this digitalization transition. With the help of these, the trend that turns even more young people towards agriculture can be further strengthened.