Across different activities and crops (apples, broccoli and lettuce), growers are also increasingly optimistic about the share of acres they will have automated in the next three-to-five years (Figure 36). In pre-harvest activities, the relatively high figure (70 percent of acres automated) for lettuce is likely the result of advances by leading companies in the segment, such as Stout and Carbon Robotics. Similarly, an increase
in automation among apple farmers (30 percent of acres automated, up from 20 percent in 2021) indicates an increasing optimism for harvest automation, likely driven by promising prototypes from companies like Tevel and Advanced Farm. Lettuce growers expect significant development in harvest-assist technologies, such as integrated field packaging solutions.
GROWERS REMAIN BROADLY OPTIMISTIC REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY ACROSS ALL ACTIVITIES
Expectations for share of acres automated in 3-5 years, by activity [average]
Pre-harvest
Harvest-assist
Harvest
2021 results
2022 results
2021 results
2022 results
2021 results
2022 results
~ 30%
~ 30%
~ 20%
~ 30%
~ 45%
~ 45%
Apples
Increasing Optimism
~ 50%
~ 50%
~ 20%
~ 30%
~ 70%
~ 50%
Broccoli
Increasing Optimism
~ 60%
~ 60%
~ 20%
~ 20%
~ 40%
~ 70%
Increasing Optimism
Increasing Optimism
Lettuce
Source: Grower survey, Western Growers, Roland Berger Figure 36: Expectations for share of acres automated in three to five years, by activity [average]
Despite the general optimism, growers’ propensity to continue to automate their acreage and make investments in automation will be contingent
on the cost savings they realize from their current automation investments.
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