IN ONE of his first formal appearances as the UK's new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove has received a report on how developing technology can advance farming.

MEP Anthea McIntyre, a member of the European Parliament's Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, has published the report following consultation with range of experts from the fields of science, academia, horticulture, arable and livestock farming, land management, ecology and politics.

Launching 'Technological Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture' at the Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern, Worcestershire, Ms McIntyre, Conservative MEP for the West Midlands, said: "Nothing is more important to mankind's future than agriculture and how we feed an ever-growing number of hungry mouths across the globe. And nothing is more important to agriculture's future than the serious but sensitive application of new technology, chemical and genetic innovation and the harnessing of emerging digital, biological and physical science.

"If we are to feed millions more every year in a way that is ecologically and economically sustainable, we need to square the circle that puts farming efficiency at odds with the environment, public health and bio-diversity," said Ms McIntyre. "The key to achieving that is technology. Not just more technology but more-effective, more-accessible and more-affordable technology.

"Our widespread consultation highlighted many key opportunities including increased used of robots and drones, driverless tractors, more-accurate application of pesticides and better rural broadband. Deteriorating soil quality and reduced nutritional qualities in food were among the challenges flagged up," she said. "I believe our recommendations can play a major part in pushing the advance and harnessing of technology to the front of the agriculture and policy agendas."