Liviu Dobre, Agricover Holding: The agricultural sector is at a significant moment of transformation towards digitized agriculture

Engaging with Business Review, Liviu Dobre, CEO of Agricover Holding, shares his perspective on the agricultural sector’s prospects in 2024. Dobre outlines a scenario where efficiency and technological adoption become paramount in facing economic and environmental challenges. He emphasizes the significant role of digital technologies in transforming agriculture, from optimizing farm operations to contributing to sustainability. Highlighting opportunities in precision agriculture and the impact of digitalization on resource management, Dobre’s dialogue sheds light on the path towards a more innovative and sustainable agricultural sector in Romania.

The year 2024 is shaping up to be a challenging one for agriculture, considering the current domestic and international context, as well as the situation many farms are facing. It is a year when it’s extremely important for farmers to be efficient, to optimize their production costs and to maximize the value of their produce.

Effective resource management becomes essential. The agricultural sector’s ability to adapt and innovate is the key to successfully meet these challenges.

Major opportunities arise from the rapid adoption of advanced technologies for precision agriculture, which can accelerate farm growth and performance. These technologies enable farmers to optimize operations, monitor crops, and make informed decisions, increasing efficiency and productivity. Additionally, the increasing emphasis on sustainable agricultural practices offers a chance to protect the environment over time.

The agricultural sector is at a significant moment of transformation towards digitized agriculture. This process represents a substantial opportunity for farmers and the agricultural sector as a whole, bringing tangible benefits. Farmers need to be open to change and highly adaptable to fully benefit from the advantages of digital technologies. It is crucial for farmers to understand and approach this transformation as a significant opportunity for farm performance improvement.

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By adopting digital technologies, farmers can optimize their operations and manage resources more efficiently. This translates into increased yields and reduced costs, which is fundamental in a competitive agricultural environment. Moreover, digitization allows for more accurate data collection and analysis, facilitating informed decision-making.

Another important aspect is the reduction of the environmental impact. By using digital technologies for more efficient resource management, farmers can contribute to reducing the consumption of exhaustible resources and chemicals, having a positive impact on the sustainability of the environment.

In this context, initiatives like the creation of a Guide for Agriculture Digitalization by the young farmers from the Agrinnovator think-tank are a step forward in this direction, as they provide farmers with the necessary knowledge and support to successfully adopt digital technologies in their agricultural practices.

The guide includes general notions about the digitalization of agriculture, practical recommendations, and a thorough analysis of existing market applications and solutions and their impact on efficiency and sustainability in agriculture. Each of the applications examined in this analysis brings different benefits in streamlining agricultural activities. Farmers can thus easily choose the right applications for their own farm.

The agricultural sector in Romania is at the confluence of several factors influencing its evolution, whose effects are directly felt, both by companies in the field and by farmers. The challenges of the moment are generated by factors such as the prolongation of the war in Ukraine, the exacerbation of climate change, as well as developments in global agricultural markets or modest prospects for global economic growth, beyond the still high level of inflation. In the current context, these conditions may lead to continued price volatility.

However, looking at the challenging economic and geopolitical context of the past three years, the agricultural sector has shown remarkable resilience. We believe that the agricultural sector may have the capacity to adapt and respond to these challenges. Agricover helps farmers with everything related to optimizing production costs by adapting the offer of inputs (seeds, products for plant protection and nutrition, and fuel) and digital technologies. Through Agricover Credit IFN, we stand by farmers as an important financier, offering them the right types of financing for their specific needs.