GRODNO, 17 October (BelTA) – The digital transformation of agribusiness is a high priority these days, BelTA learned from Belarusian Agriculture and Food Minister Anatoly Khotko. The official visited the Grodno State Agrarian University on 17 October.
Agribusiness is becoming a high-tech branch of the economy. Modern agriculture relies on detailed measurements of all processes as well as information and analysis systems.
“Matters of digital transformation of this branch of the national economy are a high priority. For instance, management and administrative processes in the ministry primarily rely on information technologies now. Automated solutions and modern R&D products are increasingly used by the production sector. I am talking about bio-, DNA-, and nanotechnologies, about precision farming,” Anatoly Khotko said. The minister stressed that sophisticated technologies allow optimizing costs, effectively replacing manual labor, and rationally using the available resources.
Anatoly Khotko remarked that in the last few years agribusiness has developed and assimilated a number of automated information systems in various branches ranging from crop husbandry and animal husbandry to the record keeping and maintenance of equipment, vehicles, and machines. Today the critical tasks of digital transformation of agriculture include further improvement of information and communication technologies, the development and assimilation of innovative ways to use sophisticated technologies, and the implementation of the one-stop shop principle.
Anatoly Khotko said: “All of it represents the next steps on the way to digital agriculture. Young people are expected to play a major role in it. Today's students and university graduates will be the ones to moderate, use, and order these sophisticated technologies.” He underlined that close attention is also paid to enhancing the prestige of agrarian professions, keeping specialists in the countryside, and creating decent living and working standards for them.
During the meeting with students and professors of the university Anatoly Khotko mentioned the university's role in the process. Young professionals should start their careers with serious practical experience instead of simply theoretical knowledge.
