BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Agriculture is one of the biggest industries in North Dakota, but also an industry that faces critical workforce shortages. However, technology in the form of autonomous agriculture could change all that.
North Dakota has a 57% adoption rate for agricultural technology, which is the highest in the nation. On farms like this, these technologies perform agricultural work with minimal to no human intervention.
“One of their biggest challenges is labor. And you know labor that can be properly trained,” said Kevin Biffert, CEO and founder of Autonomous Agriculture company 701x.
Blink and you might miss it, but the cattle at Missouri River Feeders in Center have small Yellow tags on their ears. While simple looking, these tags have incredible capabilities. They monitor the health of the cow herd.
“It may seem expensive, but really, in the long run, it isn’t that expensive. If you can save three, four, five head a year, you’ll pay for what you’re investing,” said Dan Price, the owner of Missouri River Feeders.
Operating prices have gone up, and it is hard to find qualified workers to do agricultural work, so the autonomous agriculture has been a lifeline for the farm.
“It’s gotten to the point where it’s getting good enough now, that you know, you could probably start looking at cutting labor,” said Cole LaMontagne, a controller at Missouri River Feeders.
In an industry where margins are razor-thin and labor is scarce, autonomous agriculture isn’t just changing farming— it’s ensuring its future.
Other examples of autonomous agriculture equipment are drones and self-driving tractors.
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