The global agricultural robots market is set to reach a staggering £22.8 billion by 2031, with an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.6% from 2024 to 2031. This growth reflects the increasing adoption of robotics and automation in farming, driven by a combination of factors including a growing global population, the need for increased efficiency, and concerns around climate change and food security.
A Technological Revolution in Agriculture
The agricultural sector is embracing technological advancements, incorporating artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics to automate various tasks. This move towards automation is becoming increasingly vital as the demand for food production continues to rise.
Farmers are turning to agricultural robots to tackle challenges such as labour shortages, climate change, and the need for more efficient farming practices. Robots can perform a range of tasks, from crop monitoring and harvesting to milking, irrigation, and livestock feeding. This allows farmers to monitor field conditions remotely and make more informed decisions about their operations.
Market Segmentation and Key Growth Drivers
The agricultural robots market is segmented by:
Offering: Hardware (including autonomous tractors, drones, milking robots, harvesting robots, and feeding robots), software, and services (consulting, training, installation, maintenance, and repair).
Deployment: Indoor and outdoor.
Automation Type: Automated and semi-automated.
End Use: Crop farming (including monitoring, harvesting, irrigation, spraying, weather tracking, and inventory management), livestock (including milking, health monitoring, feeding, and inventory management), forestry, and fishery.
Several factors are driving the growth of the market, including:
Rising Population and Food Demand: The global population is increasing rapidly, leading to a greater demand for food production. Agricultural robots can help increase yields and productivity to meet this rising demand.
Labour Shortages: The agricultural sector is facing a growing shortage of skilled labour, particularly in developed countries. Robots can help fill this gap and reduce reliance on manual labour.
Climate Change: Climate change is impacting agricultural production, leading to more unpredictable weather patterns and increased pest and disease outbreaks. Robots can help farmers adapt to these challenges by providing accurate data and automating tasks like irrigation and pest control.
Government Support: Governments around the world are encouraging the adoption of agricultural robots through incentives and funding programmes.
Increased Efficiency and Productivity: Robots can significantly increase efficiency and productivity in agriculture. They can work around the clock, reducing downtime and improving yields.
Hardware Leading the Way
The hardware segment is projected to dominate the market in 2024, accounting for approximately 88% of the market share. This segment is benefitting from the increasing adoption of livestock management robots and the automation of agricultural processes across the globe.
Outdoor Applications Dominate
The outdoor agricultural robots segment is expected to be the larger market share in 2024. This is driven by the growing population, the shortage of labour, and the increasing need to monitor weather conditions and climate change.
Automated Robots are in Demand
Automated robots, which can perform tasks autonomously, are expected to hold the largest share of the market in 2024. This is due to the integration of advanced technologies such as digitalisation, automation, and artificial intelligence in agricultural applications.
Crop Farming is the Main Focus
The crop farming segment is anticipated to hold the largest share of the market in 2024, accounting for 56% of the market share. This is due to the increasing need to improve the quality and productivity of agricultural yield in response to rising labour costs and population growth.
Europe Leading the Charge
Europe is projected to be the largest regional market for agricultural robots in 2024, accounting for approximately 34% of the market share. This is driven by the innovation of the European agri-tech industry, rising pressure on the food supply chain, the increasing adoption of precision farming, and government initiatives to support the adoption of advanced technology in agriculture.
Key Players Shaping the Future
Several major players are shaping the agricultural robots market, including:
Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd. (Japan)
AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (USA)
Lely International N.V. (Netherlands)
BouMatic (USA)
DJI (China)
Deere & Company (USA)
XAG Co., Ltd. (China)
Clearpath Robotics Inc. (Canada)
Naio Technologies (France)
Robotics Plus Limited (New Zealand)
GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft (Germany)
DeLaval (Sweden)
Small Robot Company (UK)
These companies are developing and delivering cutting-edge agricultural robots that are changing the face of farming and contributing to a more efficient, sustainable, and future-proof agricultural sector.