Capital Intensive Agriculture

 

 

When I was young, the agricultural sector was aging and people were no longer interested in working in the industry. This is due in part to the reality that while back to the land movements are romantic, farm jobs pay poorly and are more hazardous than most jobs. I suspect that this is also true in other parts of the world ... in this case Fiji. In the past, the solution to a dwindling farm labour pool was to replace it with machinery. A single farmer baling big round bales could do the work of 6 men harvesting with 20-25 kg (40-50 lb) square bales of hay. 

Square Baler

(To be honest on our farm a single man would work on the wagon ... the rest were unloading in the barn).

 

 

Round Baler

 

 

I am intrigued by the concept of robotic farmers which could be dispatched to do the work like ants.