Trends to watch in agriculture

An emphasis on food safety and soil health, ongoing expansion of automation, and improved water use are just some of the developments that will change the way we farm in years to come, says Mbali Nwoko.

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Few would argue that technology in almost all spheres of life has advanced at an unprecedented rate in recent years.

Across most industries, new tools are being launched every day to bolster productivity, improve safety, increase profits, and generate groundbreaking ways to communicate, navigate, conduct business and simply get the job done.

Agriculture is among those industries constantly experiencing change. Here are five trends that could profoundly influence the direction of farming:

• Water management

Recently, Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana announced that Operation Vulindlela was driving a far-reaching economic reform agenda to shift South Africa's economic growth trajectory and enable investment and job creation.

Operation Vulindlela has five key objectives. One of these is to ensure a sustainable water supply.

The level of attention that water management is receiving from government indicates that access to water continues to be one of the many issues farmers will face in the coming years.