FUNDING of £2.5million has been awarded to a consortium aiming to create the world’s first robotic farm.

‘Robot Highways’ is a project with a remit to address labour shortages, sustainable global food production and the reduction of environmental impacts.

Making up the project consortium are Berry Gardens, the UK’s largest soft and stone fruit grower-owned co-operative; Saga Robotics, which specialises in robotics and autonomous systems technology for the soft fruit sector; the University of Lincoln, Europe’s largest academic research centre of agri-robotics; the University of Reading; the Manufacturing Technology Centre Limited; BT; and strawberry grower and member of Berry Gardens, Clock House Farm Ltd.

The project will use the £2.5 million to stage a major demonstration of robotics and autonomous technologies, hosted at Clock House Farm in Kent, delivering 'a vision for the future of soft fruit growing', where robots will assist growers by carrying out essential, energy intensive physical farm processes such as picking and packing fruit and treating crops to reduce critical pests and diseases.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies will be harnessed, and crucial improvements will be made to telecommunications infrastructure in rural settings.

Farming minister Victoria Prentis said: “It’s great to see investment in these outstanding ideas which will help us tackle the faming industry’s greatest challenges, from achieving net zero emissions to investing in sustainable alternative protein for animal feed. Farming has never before been at the centre of such exciting and forward-looking innovations.”

Chairman of Berry Garden’s Grower Research Advisory Panel, Harriet Duncalfe, noted: “Our on-going funding of research into robotics is essential to ensure the industry continues to grow and develop to meet consumer demand for good quality soft fruit, grown sustainably and efficiently. Not only could robotics help growers carry out essential work more efficiently, it will also help reduce our reliance on seasonal labour, all whilst moving the sector towards a carbon zero future."