Despite the challenges, 2024 could be a positive year for agriculture
2024. January 20.In recent years, we have had to face a number of challenges, starting with the drought, which has not had a positive impact on agricultural production.
However, the good news is that agricultural and rural development tenders will be relaunched at the beginning of 2024, which could boost the economy again.
But what are the main trends now?
In the following article we explain this in more detail.
We look ahead to the year 2024 for agriculture.
Mulcher technology
Today, no one is surprised when several operations are carried out in one go.
This trend will be with us now, as it is a long-standing trend in terms of sowing, especially for catch crops.
Cereal seeders are coming to the fore, with mulching technology, where seedbed preparation, sowing and nutrient application are all done in one operation.
And as far as ploughing is concerned, there is now scope to reduce the number of passes.
This is the case for sunflower and maize, followed by stalk crushing or chopping rolling.
These can now be done in a single pass, using only a chopping knife disc.
The main aim is therefore to reduce the number of passes, fuel consumption and trampling damage.
This saves time and money, which is not a bad thing, especially in bad weather.
By working with less tread and less mileage, we can increase efficiency.
There are three main directions of development for the future.
The first is to do more work in a single pass, the second is to work at a higher working speed, and the third is digitalisation and precision farming itself.
The importance of digitalisation in agriculture
Today we can measure almost everything, we can have data on the physical properties of the soil, moisture, quality and compactness, and of course the annual yields.
We can almost predict what we are going to get in a given year.
However, this data needs to be collected and analysed by a competent person.
After all, what we have the right information about is easier to intervene in.
Artificial intelligence has taken root everywhere, not to mention the development of sensory perception technology.
Today, we have a lot of digital data that eventually has to be analysed manually.
That’s where artificial intelligence comes in, which will help process this data in the future. 
Be prepared for tenders
But to keep up, we will need not only investments, improvements and renovations, but also tenders.
Without money there is no way forward, especially for a small economy.
2024 will be of particular importance for those working in agriculture, as there are several opportunities for farm improvement.
There will also be an emphasis on generational renewal and the renewal of farm equipment.
This is why it is important to prepare early for applications, as there are strict requirements to meet.
Subsidy rates are increasing again, so it is not worth missing out.
Renewal of generations
Increasingly, the issue of generational change is coming to the fore, which is hardly surprising.
Emphasis is being placed on young producers who want to take over the reins from the older generation.
In the agricultural sector, we are seeing a reversal of ageing trends and a shift towards the next generation of farmers.
This is why particular attention needs to be paid to young people, to farmers who want to be farmers for the rest of their lives.
The Young Farmers’ Grant scheme is open to natural persons and legal entities.
For the former, the age limit is between 18 and 40, and they must have agricultural skills and have been running a farm for up to 5 years.