The practice of using limited space and resources for planting is known as vertical farming. It’s a way of harvesting crops on shelves and towers located vertically rather than conventional horizontal farming. In vertical farming, crops are cultivated indoors, underneath artificial conditions of light and temperature. In other words, vertical farming aims to offer higher productivity in smaller spaces.

Smart farming is a concept in agriculture that involves data collection, data analysis, and data-driven decision making to increase yield, monitor crops and animals, and improve overall efficiency in all possible agricultural operations. Smart farming method or concept employs various technologies that become the means of operation. For example, to collect data, smart farming depends on the internet of things (IoT) and other sensorbased technologies, which allow seamless data collection. For data analysis, various farm management software and artificial intelligence (AI) based tools can be used to make sense of the collected data, and later autonomous machines and other mechanical equipment can be utilized to take necessary actions; for example, drones can be used to spread inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers.

Precision agriculture is defined as the practices adopted to make farming accurate and precise. The techniques may include the use of artificial intelligence, a wide array of technologies such as sensors, drones, robotics, automated hardware, telematics, software, and autonomous vehicles. For instance, GPS is used to receive location data from satellites and control the farmer’s tractor based on coordinates of the field. The segment covers an in-depth analysis of the drivers, restraints, and opportunities in the precision agriculture market.

Indoor farming is an important part of modern agriculture for producing crops in a controlled environment. There is an increasing growth for indoor farming globally propelled by the rising world population along with a consequent demand for consistent food supplies. Conventional agriculture is suitable for areas with sufficient land and water supply. Since the percentage of arable land and water supply to support conventional agriculture is diminishing, the demand for indoor farming is heightening. Indoor farms can help to grow the total crop yield per unit area by utilizing the stacked layers of potted seeds, and this is further expected to drive the market. Indoor farming mainly implements methods, including aquaponics, aeroponics, and hydroponics also utilizes artificial lighting such as LED lights for adequate light levels and nutrients. Indoor farming method or concept further employs various technologies that become the means of operation. For instance, to collect data, indoor farming depends on the Internet of Things (IoT), GPS, and other sensor-based technologies, which allow seamless data collection. For data analysis, several farm management software and artificial intelligence (AI) based tools can be utilized to make sense of the collected data, and later autonomous machines and other mechanical equipment can be employed to take necessary actions.

The agriculture industry is one of the biggest and most revenue-generating industries in the world. The agricultural production by the farmers helps in tackling the global food demand, which is expected to increase with the growing population. Farmers worldwide depend on agricultural production for their livelihood, and increased efficiency in the field would help in the upliftment of farmers and an increased global agricultural production. Farm management software and data analytic solutions can play a significant role in the growth of the global agricultural sector. Farm management software helps in the overall digitization of the agricultural sector. Through software solutions in the field, agricultural activities can be better monitored and managed. This software also enables controlling of field activities remotely. Farmer can strategically plan how the activities in the field can be undertaken, which would lead to more transparency in the field and increased agricultural efficiency. The software-operated tools help reduce errors in the field as the farmer can easily track multiple tasks in their software applications and data storage.

The agriculture sector is quickly emerging in platform economics, and the rapid development of digital interfaces does not entirely depend on supply and demand. Collaborative platforms, such as finance, renting farms, exchanging services, and produces such as seeds, fruits, vegetables, and others have also appeared along with marketplaces. As internet networks are expanding into rural areas and smart devices are penetrating the agriculture sector, more opportunities to use technology for the benefit of farmers are growing. The agricultural produce, supplies, equipment, among others, are available on various platforms.

Biopesticides provide farmers with efficient instruments on both fronts by delivering highly effective pest and disease management solutions while minimising environmental impact, and their active and inert ingredients are generally recognised as safe. Aside from the microbial content, carrier media for biopesticide formulation include a variety of organic materials such as animal broth, organic materials, or organic waste products.

In recent times, high emphasis has been laid on the adverse effects of conventional agriculture on the environment. Some of these concerns include depletion of natural resources, misuse of synthetic chemical inputs into the soil, and contamination of water resources. To meet the growing global food demand with the increasing population, which is expected to reach 9.74 billion by 2050, alternative, and optimized ways of growing and monitoring crops have been innovated, thereby implementing smart farming techniques. This has led to a great rise in alternative production systems within both small growers and large-scale commercial productions.

SW 农林牧渔行业有77 家公司公布了业绩预告，合计33 家企业预计归母净利润实现同比正增长，占比44.16%，其中，10 家企业同比增速上限超过100%，9 家企业同比上限增速在50%-100%之间。2021 年报业绩前瞻：养殖板块业绩承压，种业周期与成长共振。我们对重点公司业绩进行前瞻预测。生猪板块，预计板块整体业绩因2021 年猪价同比明显下降而承压，其中，牧原股份2021 年预计实现归母净利65 亿元~80亿元，同比减少70.86%~76.32%，是少有的实现盈利的猪企，成长特性凸显。