A decade after the UK's departure from the European Union, agricultural experts are observing a significant increase in interest in automating farming tasks. This shift is largely attributed to the sustained challenges faced by the sector in recruiting sufficient seasonal workers.
One notable initiative is underway at the University of Warwick, where a team is developing AI-driven solutions to assist cider makers with the laborious process of pruning apple trees. According to AI engineer Muhammad Hashir, the sheer scale of the task, with some sites boasting 100,000 trees, coupled with recruitment difficulties, makes automation a necessity. The current target of three minutes per tree is often unachievable due to weather conditions and other site demands, highlighting the need for more efficient methods.
Government warnings shortly after Brexit highlighted how labour shortages, exacerbated by the pandemic, were severely impacting the food and farming sector. While the Home Office reported an 11% increase in seasonal worker visas issued to 38,039 in the year to June 2025, reflecting a higher annual quota, farms continue to grapple with securing staff. The current visa system, with its quotas and regulations, presents hurdles that were largely absent when freedom of movement allowed for easier recruitment of seasonal labour.
The Warwick project utilises drones to create 3D models of orchards, with AI identifying branches requiring pruning. The next phase involves deploying a robot equipped with a cutting tool to carry out the task autonomously. The university's Warwick Manufacturing Group and crop centre are collaborating to match robotics and self-driving vehicle expertise with the pressing needs of the agricultural sector, aiming to enhance productivity without necessarily inventing overly complex and expensive robots.
Beyond pruning, the university is also exploring ways to improve efficiency in other areas, such as strawberry harvesting. Instead of developing robots to pick strawberries, the team is trialling small robotic vehicles designed to transport picked strawberries from the field to quality control. This innovation aims to reduce the estimated quarter of a picker's day spent walking with baskets, allowing them to focus more on actual picking. Engineers like Ben Ayre and Alicia Feledziak from Warwick Agri-Tech emphasise that the goal is not to replace human workers entirely, but to maximise the productivity of existing staff and offer opportunities for upskilling into roles such as fleet management.