Senators Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota have introduced a bi-partisan bill to advance Precision Ag Technology. Center for Rural Affairs is monitoring that measure and Senior Policy Associate Nathan Beacom sees some positives in it to help farmers and ranchers as well as rural communities as the need for that technology is increasing.
The Precision Ag Technology bill updates language in the National Science Foundation’s associate degree programs in STEM fields to consider applications that incorporate distance learning into the curriculum. Beacom says that’s important because it provides additional flexibility for students in rural areas or those working on a farm or ranch.
He says that precision ag technology will be beneficial in helping farmers and ranchers recover from the pandemic.
Beacom says it’s also good that the legislation directs the Government Accountability Office to produce a report that provides a technology assessment of precision agriculture innovations.
