The Trump administration is perfectly situated to transform America’s farmers into cutting edge technologists. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, the nation can finally extend broadband to rural America and encourage growers, ranchers, and livestock producers alike to integrate advanced technologies into their daily operations. And the 119th Congress is poised to make this possible, if they pass bipartisan bills recently introduced in the Senate and the House.
The payoffs from extending broadband and further integrating advanced technologies into farms of all sizes can be tremendous—for both our farmers and America.
America’s farmers today are the most technologically advanced in the world. While the world’s leading precision agriculture innovations, ranging from artificial intelligence to the Global Positioning System (GPS), weather and broadband satellites and data; cloud computing, Internet of Things, and telematics; to remote sensing and advanced mapping technologies have been in use for years, their potential to deliver incremental value to farmers and consumers is only beginning to be realized.
These innovations, combined with generations of farming expertise, are increasing yields, efficiency, and farm productivity. In turn, America’s farmers increase food security for America and the rest of the world.
Those farmers eager to integrate advanced technologies into their operations share traits with classic tech startup founders. Both approach their work with a vision for how to “build a better mousetrap” and seek opportunities to scale their operations. Like many other entrepreneurs, farmers can increase wealth and multiply their food security impact by using technology to operate more efficiently.
A key tool to doing so for farmers is integration of advanced precision agriculture technologies. But, procurement of such technologies requires daunting, up-front capital investment, especially for small and medium sized farmers.
Like many entrepreneurs, these farmers value being their own boss and want to apply technology to an area they’re familiar with and know can operate better but must navigate the obstacles to transforming their vision into reality.
Trump can deliver a big win for farmers by solving the long overdue rural broadband gap. Can you imagine if 21.3% of Silicon Valley-based businesses didn’t have Internet access? This is the case for America’s farmers.
America’s farmers shouldn’t be relegated to using dial-up – the technological equivalent of an “ox and plow” that is plainly insufficient for powering modern farming techniques. Broadband consisting of a minimum of 100 megabits per second download and 20 megabits per second upload speeds is required for precision agriculture. To recast an idiom: Talk about rural broadband is cheap. Action is priceless.
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The Government Accountability Office, citing 2023 USDA reporting, indicates that only 27% of U.S. farms or ranches use precision agriculture technologies. Farmers first used GPS auto-guidance systems, and more recent advancements in GPS-based technologies now allow farmers to till, plant, harvest and spray with centimeters-level accuracy.
Artificial intelligence differentiates a healthy plant from a weed and precisely deposits fertilizer, herbicide, or insecticide, which minimizes expensive tools needed to maintain crop health.
Multiple studies have documented the economic benefits and cost savings from using these and other advanced precision agriculture technologies in farming. Who wouldn’t want to save time and money by applying technology to farming and ranching? Opportunities for growth – and winning returns for farmers and America – are ripe.
Passing four bipartisan bills focused on delivering rural broadband and precision agriculture technologies to America’s farmers is the answer: Linking Access to Spur Technology for Agriculture Connectivity in Rural Environments (LAST ACRE) Act, the Precision Agriculture Loan (PAL) Act, the Producing Responsible Energy and Conservation Incentives and Solutions for the Environment (PRECISE) Act, and the Promoting Precision Agriculture Act.
The GPS Innovation Alliance urges Congress to pass these bills as quickly as possible.
America’s farmers are among our country’s earliest entrepreneurs. They epitomize “grit.” They are resilient, often in the face of difficult conditions and factors such as weather that are out of their control. Farmers adapt quickly, apply creativity, and solve complex problems daily.
Solving the rural broadband gap and expanding financial access to advanced precision agriculture technologies can accelerate a transition that is beginning to take place on farms across America today.
Increased yields, greater efficiencies, and enhanced productivity will herald the transformation of America’s farming communities as the most technologically advanced in the world. And that transformation is priceless.
Lisa Dyer is executive director of the GPS Innovation Alliance.