Agriculture Robots Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Driverless Tractors, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Automated Harvest Robots, Material Management, Others, Dairy Robots), By Application (Dairy Management, Irrigation Management, Harvest Management, Soil Management, Inventory Management, Planting & Seeding Management, Spraying Management, Milking, Monitoring & Surveillance, Livestock Monitoring, Others), By Offering (Hardware, Software, Service) and By Region(North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, LATAM) Forecasts, 2024-2032

Market Overview

The market for agricultural robots is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.5% during 2023 and 2031.

The agriculture robots market is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period, backed by rapid developments in robotics engineering. The use of robotics in agriculture is rapidly advancing as it reduces dependency on manual labor and lends the ability to accomplish an array of tasks in record times with minimal errors, such as harvesting vegetables, rice, and fruits. The efficiency and cost-effectiveness of robots drive their application in the agriculture sector and drives the growth of the agriculture robotics market.

Robots consist of sensors, mobility, navigation, and interactive technologies, and drones are specifically used for spraying pesticides in fields. Drones, being compact and lightweight, can also be used for monitoring soil quality, enhancing irrigation, precise weeding, and weather forecasting. They can efficiently perform complex and monotonous activities and reduce human intervention in dangerous areas, ensuring safety.

The use of robots is not limited to the production of crops; they can also be used to carry processed food from farms to storage warehouses. They find extensive applications in transportation and logistics. Therefore, the widespread application of robots in agriculture and food production is expected to accelerate the growth of the agriculture robots market in the coming years.

Market Dynamics

Even though the use of robots in agricultural farmlands dates back to the 1920s, it was not until the 1990s that robots were considered for full-time deployment in fields. From nursery planting to shepherding, some of the robots presently used in agriculture include Ecorobotix, RoBoPlant, Agribotix, and Energid Citrus Picking System. Attributing to the growing demand and ongoing developments and tests regarding the use of robots in agriculture, the market can be placed in the growth phase.

The deployment of robots in agriculture is relatively new. Farming has always been a labor-oriented industry. A majority of the activities are manually carried out by farmers, especially in low-income countries. The advent of concepts such as smart farming and horticulture, among others, has seen growers switch to advanced technologies for the monitoring of crops to enhance productivity.

Manufacturers are developing special-purpose robots equipped with end effectors and specialized arms to cater to the growing demand. These robots are widely being adopted for seeding and planting, weed control, fertilizing and irrigation, aerial data collection, and environmental monitoring. In the last few years, apart from small, medium, and large farms, robots are also being increasingly deployed in dairy farms for monitoring livestock.

The rising population continuously fuels the demand for food alongside the need for sustainable growth in light of considerations for future generations. Sustainable development demands the incorporation of advanced technologies in farmlands to increase productivity through the use of renewable resources. As a result, farmers are adopting modern tools and equipment such as agriculture robots to maximize revenue generation.

The growing popularity of indoor farming in light of the adverse effects of erratic climatic changes on crops and the growth of the automation industry are propelling the use of robots in agriculture. A lack of awareness among farmers and the high cost associated with sensors and implementation are restraining the market growth.

The need to produce a large amount of food in less time and carry out complex activities effectively will boost the agriculture robots market during the forecast period. Rising pressure from the demand side will compel manufacturers and suppliers to invest in modern technologies for the development of efficient robots and drones. Agriculture robots are likely to be involved in the agriculture sector as they possess the capacity to reduce human error.

Regional Analysis

North America is expected to lead the global agriculture robots market owing to the presence of a large number of vendors and their proclivity to adopt new technologies. The U.S. is specifically encouraging the use of drones for spraying and weather monitoring in the country’s large farmlands, which will influence market growth in the region in the coming years.

Favorable Regulatory Scenario to Foster Market Growth in Europe

The Farm Advisory System (FAS) helps farmers understand and comply with the EU’s regulations, which will propel the agriculture robots market in Europe. Countries such as the U.K., Spain, France, and Germany are technological hubs and shelters some of the well established and key equipment manufacturers and suppliers expected to contribute significantly to global revenue in the coming years.

Asia-Pacific — Strong Agriculture Sectors in India & China Present Significant Growth Prospects for Market Growth

An increasing number of public-private partnerships and funding from governments and key investors are propelling industrialization of the agriculture sector in China, India, and Japan. India and China have large agricultural farmlands, and farming is one of the key industries in both economies. Asia-Pacific is one of the largest exporters of rice, wheat, cotton and dairy products globally. Therefore, the implementation of smart and automated technologies in the fields and farmlands of the region is a given.

Latin America, the Middle East, & Africa — Untapped Potential Markets

Latin America and Africa have economies that significantly rely on agriculture. In underdeveloped economies, cattle are still used for farm activities. Rising awareness regarding the benefits of robotics and government funding encouraging the deployment of robots in cultivation are expected to drive revenue growth in the agriculture robots markets in Latin America and Africa during the forecast period.

Segmental Analysis

The agriculture robots market has been segmented into field farming, dairy management, animal management, soil management, and crop management on the basis of application. Among these, the dairy management segment is expected to dominate the global market in years to come, while the soil management segment is expected to witness significant growth with the increasing deployment of mobile field robots for weeding and fertilizing.

With the advent of digitalization and smartphones, farmers can be easily made aware of technological upgrades and their incorporation in farming. In many countries across the world, seminars are held to teach farmers and other growers the importance of data analytics in decision making to improve crop yield in medium to small-sized farms. Such attempts are assisting in the overall increase in the demand for agriculture robotics by end-users. Increasing government funding for OEMs and rising demand for UAVs for cultivation are expected to propel the field farming segment growth.

Impact of covid-19

Unlike all other industries that had adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the IR camera market has seen significant growth in the said period. The growth was due to the increased use of thermal imaging devices to scan for elevated body temperatures of people during the Covid times.

In mid-2020, Infrared cameras Inc. (ICI) announced that the thermal imaging system that utilizes IR cameras is the best and safer way to get highly accurate data regarding surveillance and the temperature checks of a person for elevated body temperature. This is the only market segment that has been on the positive quadrant of the graph, even in the toughest time for the entire world. The major use of these IR cameras was made in the medical and healthcare industry during the Covid times, which contributed to a significant revenue generation.

Recent Developments

AGCO Corporation, an American equipment manufacturer, launched the AGCO Connect program in June 2019 to provide access to machine location data and diagnostics in North America

In May 2019, an Autosteering Company, AgJunction, entered into a joint venture with Swift Navigation, a U.S.-based company, to provide automotive market solutions. The partnership largely focuses on the development of low-cost, autonomous tractors to help reduce the farming efforts of growers

Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) introduced the new model of the hydraulic quadruped robot HyQ, HyQReal at the 2019 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) conducted in Montreal. The newly designed robot can pull an airplane weighing 3300 kg for more than 10 m. The robot has been built to assist farmers in enhancing crop production and gaining larger profits