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THERE is a digital revolution underway in Australian agriculture, with the timely confluence of record production levels marking agriculture as one of the key ‘industries of the future’.

Yet it is the digital revolution that is changing the traditional ‘harsh’ image of farming to an industry sector that is increasingly becoming attractive to younger generations.

But will the pace of implementation of automated farming technologies threaten or enhance the job opportunities of the future?

Many experts such as billionaire investor Jeff Greene believe that artificial intelligence, big data and robotics pose a serious challenge to both white collar and blue collar jobs, like many of those in agriculture.

It has been predicted that by the year 2025, robots will take up a third of all jobs.

There is no doubt that these factors will play a key role in the future of agriculture as well. Food and farming systems are now already experiencing a new era of revolutionised farming.

There have been major advances in auto-steering of farm machinery, and there is a range of farm production, remote monitoring and sensor technologies directed towards livestock monitoring and the optimisation of water, fertiliser and pesticide applications. Meat processors are increasingly adopting robotics and automation systems.

Research on automated farming is also rapidly expanding. For example, the University of Sydney has research underway to train a ‘farmbot’ to herd livestock, monitor their health and check they have enough pasture to graze on. Today’s separate Beef Central article on animal health monitoring in feedlots, using devices carried by individual animals to identify animals displaying signs of sickness, is another example.

There is also a range of hovering platforms (drones) suited to ultra-high resolution scanning and targeted surveys, and even for interaction with the environment such as targeted spraying of weeds, or checking stock watering points or fences, for example. The first fully robotic dairy in the southern hemisphere is in Tasmania, indicating that Australia is both a developer and rapid adopter of new technology.

So we would be wise to perhaps advise caution on predicting the future job market for young people in agriculture. However there are four significant factors at play in Australian agriculture at present:

Continued strong growth in agricultural production

The Australian agricultural industry is on track to reach a record-breaking combined production value this year of $101.4 billion, with livestock and meat, alone, worth $41.6b, increasing by 45pc in the past 20 years in real terms.

The global importance of agriculture in providing sufficient food for the ever-growing human population means that Australian agriculture will continue on its major expansion path barring national climatic occurrences.

Unemployment levels

The level of unemployment in Australia is currently around 4.5pc, it’s highest level in four years. Current projections estimate the unemployment rate will peak somewhere between 4.6pc to 4.8pc late in the year.

On-going skills shortage in Australian agriculture

Many experts have written about the relatively low agricultural graduate level compared with the available jobs in agriculture, with estimates showing that there are around three jobs available for every graduate. While there is now a consistent increase in university enrolments, it is unlikely to change this statistic significantly into the near future.

Baby Boomers retiring

Across farming and the agribusiness services sectors, there is good evidence to show that the average age is approaching the mid-50s, indicating a potential surge in retirements over the next few years.

In conclusion, there will be increased automation and robotics in Australian agriculture, but the future remains bright for those wishing to make a career in this key industry sector.

* Author Dr Ray Johnson is managing director of Agricultural Appointments, a recruitment company  specialising in agriculture, wine and food.